ABOUT JESS
I’m Jessie Johnston, an award-winning designer, developer & artist from the heartland of the US (a.k.a. Kansas City.) Call me Jess, Jessie, JJ— I'll probably answer. I live & breathe design. My areas of expertise include user experience design, website design, WordPress development, front-end development, and anything Adobe Photoshop related. I put my heart into every project I work on.
CSS Infatuated Since Dial-Up
At the (ridiculously nerdy) age of twelve, I began tinkering around with HTML + CSS & teaching myself the basics of coding websites. Over my teenage years, I grew stronger in my coding abilities and also learned the foundations of design. I was hooked. Now 29 years later, I’ve got a heck of a lot of experience under my belt. I’ve done a little bit of just about anything creative. Read more about my design & coding journey here.
MBB: My Creative Home Base
Doing What I Love, Daily
Currently, I work full-time at a lovely place by the name of MBB, located in the heart of Downtown Overland Park— my official title being ‘User Experience Architect.’ I specialize in all things User Experience (UX), WordPress development & Website Design. To say I love my job would be a massive understatement; I’m truly grateful to earn a living doing what I love & at such an amazing company to boot. Check out the MBB website here to learn more about us.
My Early Career
I graduated with my degree in Graphic Design in 2009. I got my feet wet in the professional world working in radio. During that time, I maintained and managed websites for over five radio stations here in Kansas City, including 96.5 The Buzz. After a few years in radio, I found my way into working at smaller companies. The smaller companies I worked for focused more on digital development and design. This provided me with experience in a more agency-oriented workplace. View more employment history on LinkedIn.
An Undercover Nerd
I pride myself on my work and my art. I’ve been working with WordPress for longer than I’d like to admit. If Photoshop were a person, I would likely marry it. If I’m not coding or designing or painting, you can probably find me gardening, reading, or walking my basset hounds, Weezie & Dash. My dogs are my furry children and the center of my world. I also have a 17 year old turtle named Romeo. I care deeply about animal welfare. And I do occasional pro-bono work for a few local organizations, including Imagine FURever Ranch, The Dominique Experience & Sammie’s Toy Drive.
Not Your Average Artsy Chick
Would you call me introverted? Maybe a bit, yeah, although don’t let that fool you. I work great with personalities of all types. Artsy-fartsy? Sure, you could say that. But trust me, I’m no art snob. I’m just a chick who loves to create. I love the psychology behind design work—really getting into the heart and soul of a project to achieve the best solution possible. And I love helping people succeed in their endeavors. Plain and simple.
