John Ickes
About John Ickes
John Ickes serves as the Director of Industrial Design and Innovation at Tennant Company, where he focuses on enhancing customer experiences through design thinking and innovation. He has a diverse background in industrial design, having held various leadership roles across multiple companies over the past three decades.
Current Role at Tennant Company
John Ickes serves as the Director of Industrial Design and Innovation at Tennant Company, a position he has held since 2022. In this role, he focuses on leading design initiatives that enhance customer experiences and drive innovation within the company. His responsibilities include overseeing new product and service innovation, applying design thinking methodologies to create effective business solutions.
Previous Experience at Tennant Company
Prior to his current role, John Ickes worked at Tennant Company in various capacities. He served as the Sr. Principal Industrial Designer from 2013 to 2018 and as the Director of Industrial Design from 2018 to 2022. His tenure at Tennant spanned over a decade, during which he expanded his role to include responsibilities for product and service innovation while focusing on achieving success through financial metrics.
Career Background in Industrial Design
John Ickes has a diverse background in industrial design, having worked at several organizations. He was the Industrial Design Director at Design Central from 1995 to 1999 and served as the Sr. Industrial Design Manager at Johnson Controls Automotive Group from 1999 to 2006. Additionally, he worked as an Industrial Designer at Dam Site Design from 1992 to 1995. His extensive experience in the field contributes to his expertise in visual brand language development and UI/UX design.
Education and Expertise
John Ickes studied at Michigan State University, focusing on Advertising, and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from the College for Creative Studies. His educational background supports his expertise in design thinking and creative leadership, enabling him to lead teams in developing innovative solutions that enhance customer experiences.
Specializations in Design
John Ickes specializes in visual brand language development and visual storytelling. His skills extend to UI/UX design, which he integrates into his creative leadership approach. He applies these specializations to drive innovation and improve customer lives through effective design solutions.