My name is Jon Vernon.
People call me Vern.
It's pretty easy to figure out how I got my nickname... it's right there in my last name. But over the years, I've learned that it's not just a nickname; it's a mentality. It's a way of viewing the world through a different lens. It's something that's buried deep inside me. My "Vern-ness," if you will.
A Bit About Me
I grew up in a small town in rural Wisconsin, about 15 minutes south of Madison. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was into the typical things teenage boys liked: video games, skateboarding, music, and friends. Although I had a great upbringing, I only knew what I wanted to do with my life once I saw a late-night commercial for the Academy of Art.
"Do you like video games?" — absolutely, I do
"Then come to the Academy of Art in San Francisco and study design!"
I'll never forget that commercial. It became one of those life-changing moments for me.
I moved from my parent's house in Oregon, Wisconsin (population ~7,000) to downtown San Francisco, about three blocks from Union Square. It would be a massive understatement to say it was moving to a different world, but I didn't care.
After a few stumbles, I found my footing and graduated with my BFA in New Media.
After spending several years in the realm of Flash, it was evident that the world was evolving, and I needed to adapt. I decided to delve back into the creative world and get my Master's degree in Media Design. After a year of hard work and late nights, I graduated with my Media Design MFA, was named Valedictorian of my class, and earned the Course Director's Award for excellence.
Fast forward to today, and I'm still in love with being creative and designing the world around me. After ten years at AT&T + DIRECTV, I couldn't be more excited for the opportunities ahead. As long as I have my loving wife, two amazing kids, and our two "golden girls," life is good.
Work Experience
Lead Advertising & Creative Services Manager /
Senior Lead UX Designer
DIRECTV
2021 - 2024
Art Director /
Lead UX Designer
AT&T
2012-2021
Senior Flash Designer /
Lead Designer
Expedia
2010-2012
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Creative Director on the Merchandising team within DIRECTV’s eCommerce group
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Manage a team of designers and writers to ensure all outgoing creative meets Brand standards
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Created/maintain a library of components in Adobe XD for the design team to utilize, leading to faster turnaround times
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Lead designer for multiple high-visibility projects, such as the redesign of directv.com
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Manage vendor relationships with large partner companies, such as Adobe and Getty Images
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Partner with Product, UX, Development, and Implementation teams on product and promotion launches
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Managed a team of designers on AT&T’s Video Merchandising team
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Worked on several iconic Apple launches, including the iPhone XR, to ensure creative was delivered quickly, accurately, and on time
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Balanced a broad range of responsibilities for multiple concurrent projects, such as visual design and art direction
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Collaborated with UX and Implementation teams to deliver projects in alignment with all deadlines and objectives
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Spearheaded visual design and creative direction for various projects as Lead Designer for Media Solutions
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Managed a team of production artists in order to ensure proper design conventions were followed and up to Brand standards
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Oversaw external partnerships with 3rd-party rich media vendors
Education
2012
MFA: Media Design
Full Sail University
The Media Design MFA program at Full Sail was a 1-year program that focused on rebranding a non-profit organization. I choose Little Kids Rock, which is an program that provides kids with musical instruments and instruction. You can view my thesis project in the WORK section.
1997-2002
BFA: New Media
Academy of Art University
The New Media BFA program at the Academy of Art was fantastic because it allowed me to try all different kinds of media. Digital imaging, photography, typography, color & design, traditional drawing & sculpting... the program had it all. I gravitated towards the interactive and have been working in that space ever since.