Josh Cole

Creative Technologist · AI

Hendersonville, TN·joshcolecreative.com·linkedin.com/in/joshcolecreative·colethirteen@pm.me·(615) 945-3302

Summary

Creative technologist and problem solver. I think in design and code, finding creative uses for technology by connecting ideas across disciplines, exploring what's possible, and shaping them into something useful for a person, business, or brand.

Over 25 years I've worked across brand, UX, creative direction, generative and immersive work, and now AI. I grew from hands-on designer into creative and UX leadership, working closer to the technology as the problems grew in scale and complexity. I led and mentored teams the whole way, without ever putting the work down.

Thinking, exploring, and testing an idea until it becomes something real is where I do my best work.

Skills & Tools

AI & Building: Agentic Workflow Design, LLM Orchestration, Multi-Model Pipelines, Prompt Engineering, RAG (in development), Claude, GPT, Copilot Studio, Power Automate, Claude Code (agentic CLI development), AI-Assisted Prototyping

Applied AI Engineering: Full-stack LLM pipelines (Node / Next.js / TypeScript / Supabase / Vercel), schema-enforced JSON outputs, prompt templating as configuration, multi-model review loops

Design Leadership: UX Strategy & Vision, Human-Centered AI Design, Design Systems, Information Architecture, Design Practice Building, Cross-functional & Multidisciplinary Team Leadership

Generative & Visual AI: ComfyUI, Stable Diffusion, node-based generative workflows, AI-assisted image and video pipelines; explores the wider ecosystem (Hugging Face, NotebookLM)

Creative Technology: Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, After Effects), Figma, Unreal Engine, Processing, TouchDesigner, Generative Design, VR / Immersive Production, Maya, Blender

Selected AI Work

Voice & Content Engine — within a brand operating system — Josh Cole Creative

2025 – Present

Closed beta. A production-grade agentic AI system that learns a brand's writing voice from samples, develops content strategy, generates drafts, and quality-checks output through a multi-model review loop — designed, architected, and shipped end to end.

  • Designed and built a four-stage AI pipeline (voice analysis, content strategy, generation, quality control) on Claude Opus, with schema-enforced JSON outputs and temperature calibration per stage
  • Built a multi-model quality-control loop where a separate model scores each draft against the voice profile and brief and flags where it drifts — one model checking another's work, the core differentiator
  • Full-stack build: Next.js 14, TypeScript, Supabase, Vercel, and a Node CLI sharing one engine library across web and command line

Experience

Founder & Creative Technologist — Josh Cole Creative

2013 – Present

Independent studio practice spanning branding, immersive experiences, digital product design, and emerging technology — now pointed at AI systems and the interfaces built around them.

  • Led end-to-end design and production of a healthcare mobile application managing nurse-staffing workflows, delivering a regulated-industry product from strategy through launch
  • Applied ComfyUI and Stable Diffusion extensively across personal and freelance work — producing finished visual assets and generative art through node-based workflows; extensive image-compositing and scripted-compositing experience in Photoshop
  • Directed VR production using Unreal Engine and Maya, and developed generative art installations using Processing and TouchDesigner — applying computational design thinking to experiential contexts
  • Built and led remote teams of creative technologists across diverse project types, managing design vision, client relationships, and production quality simultaneously

Enterprise Solutions Architect, UX (design leadership role) — UST

2024 – May 2026

Defined AI-integrated solution strategies for global clients across UX, technology, and business — bridging design leadership and hands-on AI practice.

  • Designed and built a Microsoft Copilot AI agent to automate RFP Go/No-Go decision-making for an internal public-sector team — defining the use case, designing the flow, and building the agent hands-on
  • Designed enterprise AI solutions spanning LLM integration, agentic workflow design, and process automation — turning complex business requirements into clear, human-centered design strategies
  • Led client-facing discovery and solution design sessions, aligning engineering, UX, and business stakeholders around AI approaches built on foundation models including Claude and GPT
  • Led a multi-year, multi-product UX and AI engagement for a healthcare technology client — directing a design team, managing client relationships, and delivering across four simultaneous software products in a regulated environment
  • Built hands-on AI workflows using Power Automate, Copilot Studio, and prompt-engineered integrations alongside foundation models, across healthcare and enterprise software clients

UX/UI Practice Lead — Xpanxion / UST

2021 – 2024

Founded and scaled a UX practice from scratch within a global technology consultancy — building the team, methodology, and operating model that embedded design quality into enterprise delivery.

  • Built and mentored a multidisciplinary design team — managing senior designers and design leads, not only individual contributors — and defined the process frameworks and quality standards that integrated UX into technical delivery at scale
  • Established design as a strategic differentiator in client engagements, leading discovery that shaped how UX was positioned in proposals and solution approaches
  • Designed repeatable workflows for distributed and offshore teams, holding consistency and design cohesion across complex multi-team delivery
  • Coached and upskilled team members and client stakeholders on design tools, workflows, and UX methodology — making complex concepts accessible and actionable

UX Director — GS&F

2017 – 2019

Led a team of eight designers and researchers across UX strategy, UI design, and immersive experience development.

  • Directed the full design lifecycle across multiple simultaneous client engagements — research and strategy through wireframes, prototypes, and production
  • Led cross-functional VR projects including a multi-sensory 3D motion ride, overseeing scriptwriting, environment design, and hardware integration
  • Managed stakeholder relationships and led strategic design presentations to executive-level clients

Creative Director — ST8MNT Brand Agency

2015 – 2017

Co-led agency creative direction across branding and digital, owning team development and design quality.

  • Co-led a full agency rebrand that repositioned the creative offering
  • Mentored and developed design team members, building a culture of strategic creative thinking alongside strong craft

Earlier Career

Design Director — Andculture

2013 – 2015
  • Led user-centered digital experiences across healthcare and gaming verticals; drove an agency rebrand and integrated UX research into the design process.

Adjunct Instructor, Visual Arts — Messiah College

2014 – 2015
  • Taught design principles, branding, and portfolio development to final-year visual arts students, including hands-on Adobe Creative Suite instruction.

Creative Director — Redpepper

2010 – 2013
  • Led design strategy and creative direction for digital projects across agency clients, from concept through implementation.

Interface & UX Designer — Compaq Computer Corporation

Early Career
  • Began in interface design at one of the world's leading PC manufacturers, working on user-facing software experiences.