Valerie Jardon Appointed as Managing Director of IA’s Strategy Studio

IA is excited to announce that Valerie Jardon, RID, IIDA, NCIDQ, Fitwel Ambassador, has been promoted to Managing Director of Strategy at the firm. Valerie has developed an innovative, unique approach, tying strategy to design by creating Harmonic Principles(TM). This rigorous framework integrates data-driven insights to deliver evidence-based design solutions, providing our clients best-in-class results. This evolved approach builds on our foundation of human-centered design, creating an actionable methodology for clients while prioritizing science-based research.    

Valerie is a seasoned leader who has been at the heart of this evolution through her passion for championing innovative solutions for global clients. Valerie’s vision for strategy is rooted in designing for the human experience. Her holistic research extracts emerging needs and propels companies into the future of belonging through an empathetic yet results-driven lens. She is an accomplished thought leader and has shared her expertise in a wide range of journals and on the stage at global design conferences.  

Further emphasizing our commitment to research-forward experience design, Sally Augustin, PhD has joined IA as Director of Research. Sally brings extensive experience integrating neuroscience-based insights to develop recommendations for the design of places, objects, and services that support desired cognitive, emotional, and physical outcomes/experiences. Sally will play a pivotal role in advancing IA's differentiated approach through environmental psychology and neuroscience expertise, including the development of research-based design tools and serving as the firm's subject matter expert in environmental psychology and neuroscience. Sally is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and has contributed to numerous publications and journals, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review, The Guardian, Forbes, Psychology Today, and Salon, among many others.  She has spoken at a wide range of conferences and events and was a 2024 TEDx speaker.   

To support this new evolution, Richard Lott has joined as Director of Strategy. With over 20 years of experience across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and the US, Richard specializes in master planning, strategy, placemaking, and the ever-redefining evolution of the Future of Work. He is passionate about evidence-based, human-centered design, using data to drive solutions while fostering meaningful connections. Experienced in building and operationalizing tools and processes, Richard leads his teams to accomplish strategic goals, motivating and supporting them to do their best work. He continually contributes to research projects with innovative ideas and shares insights at industry events such as CoreNet Global.