Jordan Wayne Lee is an Emmy® Award Winning digital designer, creative director, design strategist, art and venture capitalist. He is a forward-thinking innovator who has designed and art directed for brands such as Disney, ESPN, REI, Annie Leibovitz, Apple, TEDx, The Hollywood Reporter, UBS, Netflix, and many others.

His design and strategy has generated billions in revenue for multiple companies. His approach to merge business and design has been recognized globally. His work has been featured in Wired, New York Times, USA Today, Are Technica, Forbes, Washington post, Outside Magazine, and LA Times.

Jordan strives to translate design solutions across multiple disciplines. Over the course of his career, Jordan has worked professionally in digital design, responsive design, UX/UI design, print design, production design, brand and identity design, photography, typography design, art direction and motion/film production.

Jordan had led multiple design teams, multi-million dollar projects, global marketing campaigns, and developed digital strategies for brands which have led to billions in revenue.

“I believe the best kind of leader is one who can get in the trenches with the team. I have worked on all sorts of projects and have led teams to do the things I have previously done in my career. I am a hands-on Art Director with a thirst for getting my hands dirty and working through projects with others. I take enormous pride in my efficiency with production design, and my high-level strategy for bigger creative initiatives to collaborate and greenhouse ideas with any team. The process is just as important as the end result.”

Jordan handles every project with a curated approach to design and business goals. Solutions are often derived from a strategy connecting design, business and audience.

EDUCATION & BACKGROUND
Jordan earned his undergraduate in Communications: Public Relations at Lee University, Cleveland, TN. He holds a minor in Theology. His studies in Public Relations led him to pursue digital design. Jordan then studied Design Thinking at Cornell University, Ithaca NY and earned an Executive Certificate. He currently pursuing his MBA in Design.

ESPN
Lee’s early work in his career led to multiple projects with ESPN in Seattle, WA; Lee contributed to the creative direction, art direction, and execution of the visual design for multiple online digital experiences.
In particular, Lee designed the visual experience for a documentary featuring a century-long struggle of Chicago Cubs baseball from the fans perspective. This documentary spanned over 100 years and featured Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. The project won an Emmy® Award for “Outstanding New Approaches”.

Additional projects for ESPN included working directly with Bill Simmons, Outside the Lines.

DISNEY PARKS & RESORTS
In 2010, Lee was sought out by The Walt Disney Company for his work and experience in digital design. During his time with Disney, Jordan was brought on to lead digital creative in multiple digital branding, digital marketing, digital platform and responsive design efforts.

Lee lead the company to shift to all digital platforms to responsive design and led teams of designers to build and create digital experiences in marketing, branding and e-commerce platforms that generated billions in revenue.

As one of the early-adopters and innovators of responsive design, Jordan put Disney ahead of the now-digital-standard of responsive design by advocating for new design approaches to digital solutions, development led design, performance-driven design, and a better digital experience across all Disney digital platforms. With a small team of developers, he redesigned the Disney Parks and Resorts e-commerce platform to work across all web browsers on all mobile, tablet and desktop screens.

His work in responsive design across Disney Parks and Resorts help contribute to an increase from $2 billion a year to $5 billion per year in online revenue within 3 years.

In addition to responsive design, Lee worked on the digital platform for Disney’s MagicBand, an in-depth platform to track money, identity, reservations, meals, rides and bookings while visiting Disney parks. This was Disney’s first step to introduce the “Internet of Things” with park guests. With a $1 Billion budget, this initiative merged digital and physical experiences by leveraging online platforms combined with physical wristbands integrated with RFID chips and 2.4 GHz radio frequencies throughout the park. Designing the digital experience, Lee contributed to the platform design that integrated with the MagicBand to be used before a guest visits a Disney Park and also integrates features while at a Disney Park or Resort.

MagicBand Featured in Wired Magazine: https://www.wired.com/2015/03/disney-magicband/

Also at Disney, Jordan worked on million-dollar photography marketing campaigns, extensive website redesigns, iPhone and iPad app designs, media/broadcast projects, digital marketing campaigns across every digital Disney brand. His work with Disney can be seen today across brands such as The Walt Disney Company, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Global Security, Disney Paris, Disney Hong Kong, Aulani Resort & Spa, Disney Parks, and Disney Vacation Club.

DISNEY AUGMENTED REALITY
Working with Disney Imagineers, Lee designed an augmented reality app for use in park to make waiting in line for attractions more enjoyable. The goal was to “gamify” waiting in line. By creatively merging old Disney folklore of the “Hidden Mickey”, Lee saw this as a perfect way to bring nostalgia and technology together in a new and unique experience. A guest finds a hidden QR code, snaps a picture with their mobile device and earns badges through the mobile app. Throughout the experience, guests earn special rewards (such as FastPass, food or discounts in the park) and they can share their experiences with friends through social media.

Guided by Russell, from the Disney movie Up!, guests follow him throughout the park in an augmented reality experience on their phone screen to earn scout badges. Once a guests completes and earn all the badges, they are rewarded with a limited edition physical Disney scout hat. A final “badge of honor” for completing their quest.

The initial idea was reworked by Disney Imagineers and was released in 2018 as the Disney Play app available for use on all mobile devices.
“My role at Disney was involved with working on high-level innovative digital design initiatives, global marketing across multiple Disney brands, sustainment and production design, and creating innovative new approaches to digital design and the human experience. All of the these efforts were in coordination of a larger global strategy surrounding the importance of design and content related to digital platforms. I contributed to developing strategies, producing innovative design approaches, and leading the digital organization in responsive and mobile approaches.”

He was awarded 9 awards within The Walt Disney Company for his creative solutions of merging digital mobile and web design efforts with physical human experiences throughout Disney parks.

REI CO-OP
In 2013, Jordan partnered with REI Co-Op (Recreational Equipment, Inc.), the leading outdoor retail company, based in Seattle, Wa. Jordan served as Art Director across the entire Digital Retail department providing design solutions in responsive design, e-commerce, app design, and merging the digital and in-store experience. He led the organization in creating digital standards for design, user experience, and front-end development that was adopted company-wide to ensure consistency, efficiency and productivity across multiple digital product teams. These efforts where the foundational parts of establishing a digital brand for REI C-Op.

REI Co-Op was in need of e-commerce experience that garnered proven results. As their online presence began to grow, they needed a strategy to move the digital brand forward and increase revenue. A major shift in the approach to Digital Retail was needed to increase revenue and maintain the level of excellence REI Co-Op customers have known from the in-store experience. Leveraging his previous work and experience with Disney, Jordan worked to translate a physical in-store experience to a branded digital experience across web, mobile and tablet devices.

His role included design, art direction, consulting executive leadership, leading teams of designers, creating the REI Council for Digital Standards, increasing digital sales and revenue through responsive design initiatives, and working directly with UX and front-end developers in new platform, responsive design and app development efforts. Throughout these areas, Jordan provided design, direction, art direction, and consulting across the entire REI Co-Op organization.

He led REI Co-Op in redesigning the entire digital web platform to be responsive across all devices. This effort helped to increase revenue in online sales while reimagining the digital and in-store experience for customers. Using design, data, analytics, and his background in design, branding, marketing and e-commerce, he redesigned the entire web platform and drove sales to increase revenue +5% each quarter. This generated $3 million in online sales revenue within the first quarter and continued to see growth thereafter.

He served as a design consultant to all digital projects with REI Co-Op across the company. As a consultant, he provided insight, recommendations, art direction and feedback for performance driven design through his experience of design, front-end development and engineering.

“As the senior creative member of REI Digital Retail department, I led a team of designers in a responsive multi-screen initiative, I served as art director across multiple projects and worked closely with brand and marketing efforts to ensure a cohesive digital brand strategy for future REI creative efforts. My role helped to streamline communication with design, UX and development efforts. I functioned as a liaison between leadership, management, creative teams and developers. Through these efforts, I helped to increase online revenue in a very short time, define creative digital brand guidelines and design a responsive approach to the REI website while simultaneously designing the new REI.com.”

REI CO-OP IN STORE EXPERIENCE
REI needed to merge the physical in-store experience with more technology to increase efficiency, customer engagement and enhance the overall brand experience.

To make the in-store experience better for customers, REI wanted to explore new ways to provide information about products quickly. With all of the data, product information and inventory already available, Jordan created an app to utilize this information to enhance the in-store customer experience

REI Ascent is an in-store mobile app designed to merge the physical inventory to an in-store digital experience. The challenge was to provide employees a digital solution to track inventory, not just within the current store, but throughout REI global inventory. The solution was to design and build an app that utilized global inventory data to allow employees to quickly find any outdoor gear for any customer.

Once an item is tracked, found or searched, the app performs on the spot purchasing for customers in-store. The inventory is then given to the customer or shipped to the store, or customer’s home.

NOMADIC
In 2015, Jordan founded Nomadic, a nature inspired clothing company dedicated to conservation and protecting the lands of the American west. As an avid outdoorsman, Jordan created clothing that tells the story of the American west and donates proceeds to various conservation efforts across the American west.

Jordan took on all initial effort of art direction, design, front end development, photography, clothing design, marketing, business, and manufacturing.

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ x UBS
In 2015, Jordan partnered with world-renowned photographer, Annie Leibovitz and UBS to brand the Women’s project – a worldwide exhibition visiting 10 global cities showcasing the work of Annie Leibovitz with influential women across the world. The exhibition featured a discussion, ‘Women for Women’, hosted by Annie Leibovitz and Gloria Steinem.

Featuring portraits of Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, Queen Elizabeth II, Adele, Venus and Serena Williams, and many others. The exhibition featured work spanning 20 years of Leibovitz’s career photographing influential and inspirational women.

Jordan worked on the campaign to execute the branding, collateral and artwork used for the exhibitions across the world.

https://www.ubs.com/microsites/annie-leibovitz/en/exhibition.html
https://www.vogue.com/article/women-new-portraits-annie-leibovitz-exhibition

Annie Leibovitz has been making witty, powerful images documenting popular culture since the early 1970s, when she worked as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone. In the 1980s she began expanding her collective portrait of the social landscape with photographs for Vanity Fair and then Vogue and in award-winning advertising campaigns. Leibovitz is the recipient of many honors. She has been designated a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.

This project was nominated for a Cannes Lions award in 2017.

APPLE
Jordan partnered with Media Arts Lab in Santa Monica, CA; the creative agency of Apple to work on campaigns for the launch of the iPhone 7. Jordan’s work on this campaign was seen worldwide. He developed multiple creative pitches and designs for print, billboards, broadcast, and television. His idea for a minimalist black approach to the marketing campaign was chosen and implemented for the launch of the iPhone 7.

OBAMA FOR AMERICA
In 2012, Jordan worked with the Obama for America campaign team. The campaign produced the first multi-screen responsive website for a presidential campaign. The digital initiative helped raise $690m online, recruited hundreds of thousands of voters, and registered over 1 million voters.

In addition, Lee assisted in the design direction for a various sites related to the campaign.

STILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Jordan has worked on-set for writer/director Rob Siegel and George Gallo on feature films as a Still Photographer. He has photographed Steve Guttenburg, Tyler Hoechlin, Spencer Boldman, Emily Ratakowski, Julianna Hough, Victoria Justice, Aneurin Barnard, Noah Robbins, Max Martini, Tom Arnold, and many more.

In addition, he has photographed models for fashion, products and marketing campaigns for global brands. He has also art directed, assisted and worked with other photographers in Los Angeles on marketing and advertising campaigns.

MUSIC
Music has played a major role in Jordan’s life. Ever since his teenage years, he has been playing punk rock, alternative 90’s shoe gaze, and heavy metal. From designing album art, touring and recording multiple albums, Jordan finds plenty of inspiration through creating music.

He released two albums in 2019. Both are written, recorded and produced by Jordan.

The album “Vitals” is an ambient experimental post-rock album inspired by nature.

The album “New Fields” is an exploration of the use of sacred geometry and the golden ratio within composition, time, notation and structure of each track.

Jordan’s music is available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal, Napster and iHeartRadio under the name “Jordan Wayne Lee”.

PRESENT DAY
Today, Jordan is seeking to partner with likeminded creatives, business people and organizations who believe in making the world a better place through various mediums in digital, design, film, art and music. Jordan is always looking to collaborate with people who value the balance of strategy, art, and design to move humanity forward in creating new and powerful solutions.

He founded digital agency, Neon Wilderness, in 2019. His company focuses on building digital experiences by merging design and development through a strategic approach to brands and business with their customers.

Jordan is an investor in startups in digital and philanthropic ventures. He works closely with executives, leaders, celebrities and founders to design business strategy, brand initiatives and digital products.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife Laura Walker Lee.