eDesign Interactive is thrilled to welcome Kevin Cale as our new Executive Director of Experience Strategy and Innovation—a bold, creative leader who’s redefining how brands create truly connected, intelligent, and emotionally resonant digital experiences.

With more than three decades at the intersection of creativity and technology, Kevin brings a rare blend of design thinking, strategic vision, and hands-on innovation. He has helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands transform their digital ecosystems, guiding them into a new era where marketing is no longer about selling products but about building living, breathing connections between brands and people.

From Creative Leader to Experience Innovator

Kevin’s journey has always been about transformation.

He began as co-owner of the award-winning design firm Tisha Creative, leading creative direction, brand storytelling, and digital design. After Inflexion Interactive acquired the firm, Kevin continued to shape digital experiences for an expanding roster of clients, always pushing the work toward deeper emotional resonance.

That drive for innovation took him next into the world of consulting and emerging tech. At Avanade—a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft—Kevin served as Head of Design for North America, overseeing a team of more than 300 designers and creative strategists. Later, at Slalom, he helped Fortune 500 companies rethink their customer experience through AI, connected retail, and adaptive digital ecosystems that learn and evolve.

At Publicis Groupe, Kevin bridged creativity, media, and data, with teams at Spark Foundry and Publicis Sapient to help global brands leverage personalization and technology to create more human-centered experiences. Across every role, one theme has remained constant: Kevin builds marketing that connects by understanding people first.

The Human at the Center

When asked about his marketing philosophy, Kevin doesn’t hesitate: “Too many brands spend their energy telling people who they are,” he says, “and forget to show how they’re there for the customer.”

He reflects on the shift in mindset over the past few decades. “When I was growing up, marketing was aspirational. You’d see a Nike ad and think, ‘That’s cool—I want to be part of that brand.’ Today, it’s the opposite. Younger audiences are saying, ‘You don’t get me, brand. What are you doing to support me in being who I want to be?’ The next generation doesn’t want to know who you are—they want to see how you make them better.”

For Kevin, that’s where the magic happens: when a brand understands its customers even better than they know themselves—and shows up not to sell, but to elevate.

To illustrate, he shares a story: “We worked with a legacy brand that was struggling to connect with younger audiences. Instead of a traditional campaign, we created an AI persona—a digital human inspired by the brand’s logo—who lives online, interacts on social media, and speaks in a relatable, authentic voice. The goal wasn’t to promote the brand; it was to be present in people’s worlds. When brands meet people where they are, that’s when real connection happens.”

How Marketing Has Evolved

“Marketing has transformed dramatically,” Kevin explains. “It used to be about creating personas and aspirational messaging. Now, it’s about showing people how you support them—and technology gives us the ability to deliver that support in real time, at scale.”

AI and data have completely redefined what’s possible. “Companies like Epsilon can now map not just who your customers are, but where they are, what they’re doing, and why. Many brands are becoming data companies without even realizing it. That creates massive opportunity—but also a responsibility to use that power with empathy.”

For Kevin, the ethical dimension is key. “We can understand people intimately; the real challenge is using that insight responsibly. You don’t want to cross the line—you want to design experiences that feel relevant and supportive.”

He points to a recent collaboration with a global cruise line. “We helped them reimagine the entire customer journey—from the moment someone sees an ad to the moment they step off the ship. Using AI and data, we personalized every touchpoint: effortless trip planning, a mobile app that updates your itinerary in real time, and onboard technology that recognizes you, greets you, and tailors experiences around your interests."

"It’s not about transactions anymore. It’s about seamless, intelligently connected experiences that elevate every step of the journey. Marketing becomes less about selling and more about enhancing people’s lives.”

AI and the Rise of Intelligent, Empathetic Design

Kevin sees AI as a creative partner—not a replacement for creativity, but a multiplier of it.

“Imagine an AI-powered retail site that doesn’t just show you what you searched for—say, a red dress—but instead taps into real-time shopping data across brands and stores to understand what’s actually trending. It identifies which styles and colors are performing best for shoppers like you, and serves up the options most likely to inspire a purchase.”

He pauses, then adds: “But it goes far beyond product recommendations. The entire experience—tone, imagery, copy, layout—can adapt dynamically to the person browsing. A 22-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man might visit the same site and see completely different experiences, each one designed to make them think, ‘This brand gets me’."

"That’s the future of intelligent, empathetic design: personalization that feels less like technology—and more like intuition.”

Small Creative Shifts, Big Impact

Not every innovation requires advanced AI. Sometimes, a simple creative shift can transform an entire experience.

“We once reimagined traditional mobile video ads by making them interactive. Instead of forcing people to sit through an ad, we gamified it—inviting them to find hidden items, trigger mobile haptic vibrations, lights, and sounds, and win rewards.

When Disney released Pirates of the Caribbean, we turned the movie trailer itself into a game. People didn’t just watch—they played. Engagement soared, and video completion rates hit over 89%.

That’s what modern marketing is about: turning interruptions into interactions, and those interactions into emotional connections. This is what drives longer-term value for brands. In the end, all done through creating more advocates of their products, services, and brands!”

A Vision for Living, Breathing Brands

At eDesign Interactive, Kevin is helping shape the agency’s next evolution—empowering teams and clients to create what he calls “Living, Breathing Brand Experiences.”

To him, a brand isn’t static. It’s an intelligent, adaptive system that learns from its audience and evolves with them.
“Websites and digital platforms shouldn’t be billboards,” he says. “They should be alive—learning from data, shifting with audience needs, and creating experiences that feel seamless, personal, and human.”

His approach—Intelligently Connected Experiences—bridges data, emotion, and design to deliver empathy at scale. From AI-powered, human-interactive digital signage to LLM-driven websites that adapt content in real time, Kevin’s work transforms technology into understanding—and understanding into growth.

Part of his mission at eDesign is to help clients imagine what’s next: AI-powered sites with autonomous, goal-driven UX; hyper-personalized content generation; immersive, cross-channel ecosystems that learn and respond in real time. These innovations deepen engagement, build advocacy, and drive measurable results.

“The future of marketing belongs to brands that understand and empower their customers,” Kevin says. “The technology is already here. The question is: how will we use it to build experiences that are not just intelligent—but genuinely human?”

Beyond the Workplace

Outside the world of digital transformation, Kevin is an avid outdoorsman and lifelong competitor. Whether he’s mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, or kayaking through whitewater rapids, he thrives on challenge and connection with nature.

He’s also a three-time world champion in ultimate frisbee, a proud father of two teenagers, and husband to his wife of 19 years.

For Kevin, the philosophy that drives his life also defines his work: stay curious, stay creative, and never stop climbing. Just as he pushes toward new summits outdoors, he pushes brands to evolve—fueling innovation through creativity and growth through learning.

Because in the end, as Kevin says, “The strongest brands are the ones that listen, adapt, and build meaningful connections that last.”

Welcome to the team, Kevin. Together, we’re building the future of intelligently connected brand experiences.