Husband, father, educator; into art for social justice and doing what I can, with what I have, where I am.

A natural connector who's inspired by the talents and experiences of others, Justin Ferrell is our go-to source for creative collaborations and strategic partnerships. He honed this people-first approach during his previous career as a journalist and designer. The former director of digital, mobile & new product design at The Washington Post, Justin learned there that diverse experts working together could create impact for others that otherwise wouldn't exist. At The Post, Justin designed the investigative series “Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency,” winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, as well as four other Pulitzer finalists, while also leading multidisciplinary colleagues to come together in ways that would continuously lead to creative outcomes.

Justin joined the d.school in 2012 to start our professional fellowship program (now called Designing for Social Systems), then moved into media experiments in 2016 and, currently, to outreach and partnerships. He has taught graduate courses in organization design and creative culture, and also teaches executives at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Justin is passionate about helping others connect and realize that their individual creative strength is amplified as part a whole. “I think diversity is the core of innovation. For me, that’s what human-centered design is about.”