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    • About
    • Résumé
    • Portfolio 
      • Overview
      • Branding
      • Web
      • Experiential
      • Writing
      • Print
      • Photo
      • Video
      • Music
  •  
    • About
    • Résumé
    • Portfolio 
      • Overview
      • Branding
      • Web
      • Experiential
      • Writing
      • Print
      • Photo
      • Video
      • Music
    • …  
      • About
      • Résumé
      • Portfolio 
        • Overview
        • Branding
        • Web
        • Experiential
        • Writing
        • Print
        • Photo
        • Video
        • Music
    •  
      • About
      • Résumé
      • Portfolio
        • Overview
        • Branding
        • Web
        • Experiential
        • Writing
        • Print
        • Photo
        • Video
        • Music
        • Jake Trussell

          Listener Maker Communicator

        • Biography

          Jake Trussell is the founder and Creative Director of Metabolize, a brand strategy and communications consultancy using human-centered design to help engage audiences by metabolizing business complexities into concise brand stories that resonate.

           

          He has designed and managed numerous brands, from the creation of his renowned Mashit record label, to positioning Chicago as a global business destination (#1 for corporate investment 7 years in a row) during his time as Creative Director the city’s economic development organization chaired by the Mayor.

           

          In addition to producing music at Mashit, Trussell is a DJ, recording artist, and film score composer who has toured internationally and released a discography of over 50 records.

          He writes about music at Mood Bling, and about human-centered design at Design Innovation.

           

          Trussell serves as vice chair of the board of directors for the Arts and Business Council of Chicago, is a member of the GreenHouse Innovation Braintrust, and has also spent time mentoring startups at the 2112 music & creative industry business incubator, and as a member of the Chicago Ideas Radical Creators.

           

          He has a BFA in Interrelated Media from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, an innovation certificate from IDEO U, and a blockchain certificate from the Linux Foundation.

          Résumé
          Portfolio
        • Innovation Design Philosophy

          Advocate

          by understanding goals, needs, and problems to be solved

          Solve

          by creating empathically delightful experiences that create value

          Human-Centered Design Leads to Innovation

          by balancing desirability with technical feasibility and business viability

        • Thoughts

          This 6-Step Design Thinking Method Could Improve Employee Experience

          While many organizations have become adept at designing great customer experiences that lead to strong brand affinity, there are far fewer as skillful at creating this level of resonance with their employees, even though companies with a focus on employee experience tend to outperform their competitors … Read on

           

          Black Music in Chicago: 100 Years of Innovation & Influence

          Black music not only defines the American canon but in one form or another it has dominated global popular music for the past 100 years. Chicago a major global platform for that immense creativity for the past century and its role as a hub of Black musical innovation continues today. … Read on

           

          Rumination on Innovation

          To innovate is to alter established practices by introducing new ideas. It’s fundamentally creative, but it’s also a science. So why and how do we innovate? … Read on

           

          Rebranding: A Case Study

          Refreshed positioning and identity shed new light on the who, what and why. … Read on

           

          Building Site Selector

          Designing and developing an application for mapping optimal business locations … Read on

           

          Kids Don't Love Terrible Music, They're Taught To

          The New York Times piece “Why Do Kids Love Terrible Music” underestimates kids’ ability to develop their own complex musical tastes. … Read on

           

          Which Came First, Creatives or the Cash

          How Does the Creative Economy Impact Economic Development? … Read on

           

          Employee Experience Design is Key for an Exceptional Customer Experience

          Meaningful brand interactions can forge positive relationships with customers. This is amplified when employees also feel good about their company. … Read on

           

          Passion for Working Late

          Retirement sounds nice, but what if you love your job? How might we deviate from the social norms around aging in the workforce in order to shift from the industrial age into the knowledge economy. … Read on

           

          The Go

          what is it about Chicago that generates so much creativity and innovation. After all, this is the city that gave birth to both the zipper and the skyscraper; the city where Ferris invented his Wheel; the city where the mobile phones we all carry around were first designed. … Read on

           

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