Alan Jacobson

As Founder and President of the experience and design strategy firm ex;it and the brand and communications firm J2 Design Partnership, Alan has provided innovative leadership to helping organizations of diverse disciplines define their experience vision and craft design strategies for growth. Brand strategy and experience design in the built environment have been the focus of Alan’s design research and passion, applied in the areas of education, healthcare, arts, science and technology, retail, development, tourism, and public space.

Convening, discovery, and clarity are the focus of the indepth inquiry process that Alan has developed, resulting in fresh brand strategy, master planning, exhibition, wayfinding, and publication projects supporting a wide range of initiatives, from the launch of new enterprises to the design of complex facilities.

Alan’s most recent notable project is the strategic plan developed for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau resulting in a three-year plan to increase international tourism and delivery of a new brand identity and messaging strategy for the city of Philadelphia. Other notable clients include Kaiser Permanente, Brandywine Realty Trust, Philadelphia Mural Arts, Drexel University, Rutgers University, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, George Washington University, and Wistar Institute.

Both of Alan’s companies have achieved numerous design awards, and Alan is a frequent speaker on experience design and brand strategy. His article on cultural challenges in designing internationally was recently published in Exhibitionist for the National Association of Museum and Exhibition. Alan is a member of the SEGD Board of Directors.

As founder of ex;it foundation, Alan leads various community arts and entrepreneurial initiatives and has worked to develop lasting progress in genocide survivor villages in central Rwanda. To raise funds for the program, he climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Alan is also the Board Chair of the internationally recognized Village of Arts and Humanities in Philadelphia.