Community Highlights: Meet John Weiss of Human Design

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Weiss.

Hi John, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Denver and grew up in the mountain town of Gunnison, Colorado. I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart for 22 years, and together we’re raising four incredible kids.

My path into design was a happy accident. After high school, I discovered a love for technology, branding, and user experience, and never looked back.

Over the past two decades, I’ve worn many hats: entrepreneur, investor, founder, designer, and lifelong student of what makes people tick—online and off.

At 19, while studying at the Art Institute of Dallas, I landed my first agency role as an animator and multimedia designer working on Subaru, American Airlines and the U.S. Air Force. By 23, I’d launched my first company, FiveEdge Media in Portland, focused on digital design and UX. I grew it for six years before selling it to a Texas-based tech firm.

From there, I joined WE Communications helping brands like Microsoft, Chevron, and T-Mobile build stronger digital experiences, and later joined WebMD Health Services, where I redesigned their employer health platform that powered clients such as Starbucks, Dell, Disney, Honda, and Boeing.

After a stint at Crispin Porter+Bogusky, I co-founded Human Design in 2013; a creative agency built around purpose and a mission to move the human race. Since then, we’ve partnered with the United Nations, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Ladder (LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lindsey Vonn, Cindy Crawford), Nike, Adidas, Netflix, Twitter, and Google.

In recent years, I’ve helped Human Design grow through strategic acquisitions in film, marketing, and UX/UI.

Outside the agency, I’m an LP in Batshit Crazy Ventures, backing startups with bold, world-changing ideas, teach a design course at the University of Colorado, and mentor for Ryan Reynolds’ Group Effort Initiative, helping the next generation find their voice and their impact.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road’s been far from smooth. Life can provide clear signals on direction, but be far less clear on the pathway. Some seasons felt deeply aligned and full of purpose; others were defined by hard lessons and necessary course corrections. I’ve stumbled, learned, and grown, with the help of remarkable mentors and, most importantly, my wife, who’s been my constant source of grounding and grace.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Human Design?
I started Human back in 2013 with a pretty simple idea; to create experiences that move the human race. We’ve grown and evolved a lot since then, but at our core, we’re still focused on that same mission. Today, we describe ourselves as a Brand Transformation Agency built around a human-centered approach.

What makes us different is the way we bring everything together: strategy, design, storytelling, and activation through a single framework that helps brands stand out and be unmistakable. We dig into what really moves people, blending data and empathy through understanding what people feel, want, and value. From there, we help shape a brand’s character, identity, and platform, building a foundation that helps them find their voice, clarify what makes them different, and create lasting resonance.

I’m especially proud of the work we’ve done for brands that felt a bit stuck or misunderstood such as Land O’Lakes, or some of the transformational projects we’ve led with Nike. Those were moments where it wasn’t about a refresh, it was about reimagining what the brand could truly stand for.

Beyond strategy and identity, we handle the full mix of creative and activation work. Everything from naming, visual identity, UX and digital design, and packaging, to brand communications, media, performance, and go-to-market strategy. Basically, everything it takes to bring a brand to life and into the world.

Human is built to move hearts, move minds, and move brands forward. Not just be seen, but to be meaningful, memorable, and human.

How do you think about happiness?
What matters most is simple: time with my wife and kids, coffee with friends, a good mountain bike ride, discovering some place (or thing) new, and knowing that I don’t need to find or chase my purpose. My very existence is my purpose. Simple, yes; but deeply grounding and meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.humandesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/human___design/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humandesign/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/human-design/
• Twitter: https://x.com/human___design
• Other: https://vimeo.com/humandesignco

Image Credits
Keith Ladzinski