Frog Design announced the appointment of Jan Chipchase to the role of Executive Creative Director of Global Insights. Starting on July 1st based in frog's Shanghai studio, Chipchase will expand frog's presence in Asia and oversee its global user research practice working with clients to turn insights into innovative solutions for business challenges.
Chipchase joins frog from Nokia, where as a principal researcher he studied behavioral patterns that informed the development of new products based on emerging consumer trends. With deep experience in running complex, international design research projects, he is widely considered to be the authority on applying human-centered insights to the development process. His extensive research projects have taken him around the world to collect insights into the broader emotional, social, and cultural contexts of the impact of technology. Recent projects include research studies into the design of mobile money services for emerging markets; travel to Uganda to look at shared phone use; trips to India to examine how design can make mobile devices more accessible to people with low or non-existent levels of literacy; and a study in South Korea exploring how early adopters were reacting to the then recently launched mobile TV.
"Jan is one of those rare talents in user research who understands how to get to the truths in our world. His experience in studying behavior has led him to create some of the most profound insights into how we live," said Mark Rolston, chief creative officer for frog design. "This is very exciting for frog, and for our customers. We work hard to create meaningful change, and this is one of the most powerful ways to get there." "The opportunity to work with a diverse, globally minded, entrepreneurial team in one of the world's great creative companies has made the decision to join frog an easy one," said Chipchase.
frog has a 40-year history of innovation and design, working with leading companies across a variety of industries to create iconic products and services that transform businesses and improve people's lives. With more than 450 employees and eight studios in Asia, Europe, and the US, frog works with Fortune 500 clients including Disney, GE, HP, Intel, and others.
A world-renown thought leader, Chipchase has delivered keynotes at conferences including TED, CES, LIFT, and the Global Philanthropy Forum. He sits on the advisory boards of organizations including FrontlineSMS, the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion, and the Pecha Kucha Foundation. Chipchase holds 25 patents granted or pending, and his research has been extensively profiled in the New York Times, The Economist, New Scientist, and BusinessWeek, among others.