Elixir Design founder Jennifer Jerde on human-centered branding and AI

Jennifer Jerde, founder and creative director of Elixir Design in San Francisco, emphasizes the importance of human connection in branding. Founded in 1992, the agency has worked with clients including SF Jazz, Tipping Point Community, SF MoMA, UCSF, Athleta, Coca-Cola, and Target. Jerde believes a diverse and focused team is key to understanding clients deeply. The agency recently worked on UCSF's Gladstone Now campaign, raising funds for treatments for Alzheimer's, heart disease, and HIV. Jerde advocates for honesty in design, citing work for Grounded Capital, a private equity firm in regenerative food and agriculture. She acknowledges the rise of AI but argues that brands seeking genuine connection require human effort. Jerde credits her father, an architect, and mother, a painter, for her design background. She studied at California College of the Arts and was inspired by teacher Lucille Tenazas to start her own firm. Jerde advises young designers to embrace learning from mistakes and to ask for input.