Now that they’re done with their Alaska experiment, San Fran-based shop Pereira & O’Dell is back to ramping up staff as they’ve announced that Jonathan Woytek is joining as interactive creative director. In the process, Woytek will be teaming up with Shu Lai, across all digital creative with a focus on “people-centric innovation”, whatever that means. His portfolio includes work from Microsoft, Intel, HP, Tom’s Shoes, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. PJ Pereira, namesake and CCO of Pereira & O’Dell, has an interesting description of Woytek, saying in his statement, “Jonathan is a utilitopian. He envisions an idealistic world where design solves the problem for a client and a successful platform is driven by the customer.”
Here’s the thing, in all my years of working on the creative side, I have yet to have a positive experience when someone from a UX background makes the jump to CD. Most of the time, the new guy puts way too much focus on the logistical back end stuff vs. the big idea. From Woytek’s LinkedIn profile though, he seems to have many fans, so we hope for his sake that he really is legit when it comes to good work. It also helps that under his list of “professional goals” he cites “make great work” as his only goal. Whatevs, congratulations to P & O (ya like that acronym?) on scoring this UX veteran.