Brad Johnson is an artist and visual storyteller whose work explores the perception of place, the influence of time, and the materiality of representation through digital and analog techniques. Often using landscape as a lens, his images, installations, and experiences transform the observed through interrogations of time, metaphor and memory.
Through decades of creating interpretive experiences for museums and cultural institutions, Johnson has cultivated a passion for utilizing innovative technology to craft and deliver memorable experiences. In 1994 he co-founded Second Story, the interactive media studio renowned for story-driven media and responsive environments, empowering how natural and cultural heritage is collected, preserved, and transmitted. His creative direction led the design and development of award-winning projects served through almost every digital medium—websites, mobile applications, installations and digital environments—for many of the world’s most respected brands and cultural institutions.
Brad’s artwork has been exhibited at Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland Art Museum, and the Sun Valley Museum of Art; the interactive projects were installed at many museums including the Smithsonian, Grammy Museum, Library of Congress, MoMA, Getty, World of Coca-Cola, and the National Gallery of Art. The work has received awards and accolades from preeminent institutions and organizations, including Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Art Directors Club, AIGA, American Association of Museums, SXSW, Sundance, and in 2022 Brad was named a 2022 SEGD Fellow, experiential design’s highest professional honor.
1964 Born in Harrisburg, PA
Currently resides in Trout Lake, WA
Education
1986 BA, Philosophy, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA
Exhibitions & Events
2023 The Color of Sound, Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID
2020 Gem State, Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID
2020 Volcano! Mount St. Helens in Art, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
2020 Les Boreades (45th Parallel Concert), Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
2016 Pinus Ponderosa: Studies for a Requiem, PDX Window Project, PDX Contemporary, Portland, OR
2015 Sum of Its Parts, Jeffrey Thomas Fine Art, Portland, OR
2009 Fifteen Years On the Line, Reynolds Gallery, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
2005 Frozen Music (Third Angle Concert), Portland, OR
1998 Dig It: Digital Art in Technological Times, Limn Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1998 x, y, z, The Remedi Project (online)
1996 Can You Digit?, Postmasters Gallery, New York, NY
1993 SF Art Dealers Association Introductions, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA
1993 Introductions, Susan Cummins Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1992 Thick and Thin, Okeanos, Berkeley, CA
1992 Sacrifices of Abraham, Bade Museum, Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA
1991 Juried Annual, Pro Arts, Oakland, CA
1989 Overpaintings, Alligator, San Francisco, CA
Commissions
2020 Les Boréades, 45th Parallel Chamber Orchestra, Portland, OR
2018 Basalt Wall, John Day River (45°12'13.8"N 120°31'16.0”W), Knot Springs, Portland, OR; Key Development
2017 Ponderosa Pelts, Moda Tower, Portland, OR; Urban Renaissance Group
2016 A View From the Yard, YARD Building, Portland, OR; Key Development
2012 Oregon Forestscape, Yeon Building, Portland, OR; Jonathan Rose Companies
Design Profession
1997 - 2014 Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director, Second Story, Portland, OR
1994 - 1997 Founder and Designer, Brad Johnson Presents, Berkeley, CA
Selected Lectures & Presentations
2023
Artist Talk, Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID, March 18, 2023
2022
Second Story Retrospective, Society for Experiential Graphic Design Annual Conference,
Portland, OR, June 18, 2022
2020
Conversation with Curator, Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID, October 19, 2020
2013
“Pause & Effect: Things We Learned Getting Lost” A Better World By Design Conference, Brown University/RISD, Providence, RI, September 27, 2013
2011
Second Story, Oregon College of Art & Craft, November 21, 2011
Volcanic Muse: Research and Creativity at Mount St. Helens, January 27, 2011, Portland, OR
2007
“Shaping Visitor Experiences with Interactive Media,” Technology’s Influence on the Interpretive Experience; The Longwood Graduate Program Symposium, Kennett Square, PA, March 9, 2007
“The Theban Mapping Project and the Uses of 3D Reconstructions Online,” Representing the Past: Archaeology through Image & Text, The Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology, Brown University, March 17, 2007
2006
“Design for Wonder,” AIGA Portland, November 8, 2006
2005
“Interactive Storytelling,” Tyler School of Art, Temple University, April 1, 2005
“Place-Based Storytelling Tools: A New Look at Monticello,” Museums and the Web Conference, Vancouver, BC, April 2005
“Web Designs for Interactive Learning Project,” Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, June 16, 2005
“Vision 2020... Capturing the Audience of Tomorrow,” Asian American Journalists Association, The Aspen Institute in Aspen, CO October 19, 2005
2004
“Beyond Online Collections: Putting Objects to Work,” Museums and the Web Conference, Arlington, VA, April 1, 2004
Multimedia Bootcamp, School of Journalism and Mass Communication University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, June 2004
2003
“Disintermediation and the Museum Web Experience: Database or Documentary? Which Way Should We Go?,” Museums and the Web Conference, Charlotte, NC, March 20, 2003
2002
“What Can Good Web Design Do for Humanities Projects: Reflections and Case Studies,” Washington, DC Area Technology and Humanities Forum (Center for History & New Media at George mason University and the Center for New Designs in Learning & Scholarship at Georgetown University), October 2, 2002
2000
“Second Story,” Portland Creative Conference, June 2000
1998
The Seattle Show, Seattle AIGA, Seattle, WA
Selected Awards
2022
2022 Class of Fellows, Society for Experiential Graphic Design
2013
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards, Honorable Mention (Rich Media)
Communication Arts Interactive Annual (2)
Web Visionary Awards, Winner (HTML)
W3 Awards (2), Silver (Mobile Apps), Silver (Websites)
Core 77 Design Award (Interaction)
Creativity International Awards (4), Platinum, Gold, Honorable Mention
HOW Best Work Awards (5)
Innovation in Media Arts, Oregon Governor’s Office of Film and Television
2012
HOW Interactive Design Awards (2), Outstanding Achievement (Kiosks), Merit (App Design)
AIGA Justified Competition, Winner
NAI Media Awards, National Association of Interpretation, Interactive Design Award
PWI Web Fest Awards, OFFF International Festival of Digital & Web Arts, Winner (General Achievement Award)
Muse Awards, American Association of Museums (2), GOLD (Mobile Applications), BRONZE (Multimedia Installations)
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards (Mobile)
IxDA Interaction Awards, Winner (Engaging)
2011
AIGA | 365 | Design Effectiveness 2011, Award Recipient (2)
23rd Annual Excellence in Exhibition Competition, American Association of Museums (Special Achievement in Clarity of Message)
The 15th Annual Webby Awards, Official Honoree (Art)
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards (Exhibition)
HOW, Interactive Design Awards (3), Best Of Show, Merit (2)
2010
Themed Entertainment Association Annual Thea Award, Outstanding Achievement
I.D., Annual Design Review, Honorable Mention
How, Interactive Design Awards (3), Outstanding, Kiosks), Merit (2) (Consumer Web Sites, Kiosks)
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual, Experimental (2)
2009
Themed Entertainment Association Thea Awards (Museum)
I.D., Annual Design Review (2), Design Distinction, Honorable Mention (Interactive)
AIGA Annual Design Competition (Informing)
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual (Information Design)
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (4), Gold (Interactive Kiosks), Bronze (2) (Online Presence, Interactive Kiosks), Honorable Mention (Interactive Kiosks)
HOW, Interactive Design Awards (4), Best Of Show, Outstanding, Merit (2) (Kiosks, Consumer Web Sites)
2008
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual, Information Design (2)
Time Magazine, 50 Best Websites
AIGA Annual Design Competition, Experience Design
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards, Honourable Mention
I.D., Annual Design Review, Honorable Mention, Interactive
2007
HOW, Interactive Design Awards (2), Outstanding, Merit
SEGD Design Awards, Honor Award
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (4), Silver (Interpretive Interactive Installations), Bronze (Interactive Kiosks), Honorable Mention (2), (Online Presence, Interpretive Interactive Installations)
I.D., Annual Design Review, Design Distinction
2006
Webby Awards, Winner (Cultural Institutions)
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (2), Bronze (Science), Honorable Mention (Art)
I.D., Annual Design Review, Honorable Mention (Interactive)
HOW, Interactive Design Annual (2), Outstanding (Consumer Website), Merit
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards, Honourable Mention
SXSW Web Site Competition, Winner (Art)
Print Magazine, Digital Design Annual, Winner (3)
2005
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual (4), (Information (3), Self-promotion)
Webby Awards, People’s Voice Winner (Science)
STEP 100 Design Annual
One Show Interactive, Silver (Non-Profit Web Sites)
HOW, Interactive Design Annual (3), Outstanding (Consumer Web Sites), Outstanding (Kiosks), Merit
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (2), Bronze, Honorable Mention (History and Culture)
I.D., Annual Design Review, Design Distinction (Interactive Media)
Print, Digital Design Annual (2), Winner (Education), Winner (Cultural)
2004
National Design Award, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (Smithsonian Institution), Finalist/Honoree (Communications)
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (4), Silver (History And Culture), Silver (Science), Bronze (Art), Honorable Mention (Collection Database/Reference Resource)
2003
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (5), Gold (History and Culture), Gold (Collections Database/Reference Resource), Silver (Art), Bronze (History And Culture), Honorable Mention (History And Culture)
ComputerWorld Smithsonian Award, Honored Laureate
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual, Info Design, 2003
SXSW Web Site Competition, Winner (Online Education Resource)
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards(3), Best Online Exhibition, Best Museum Research Site, Best Overall Museum Web Site
Art Directors Awards (2), Gold Medal (Web Application), Distinctive Merit (Reference/Education)
Sundance Online Film Festival, New Forms (2)
One Show Interactive (2), Merit (Non-Profit Web Sites), Bronze (Non-Profit Web Sites)
I.D., Interactive Media Design Review, Silver
2002
American Association of Museums Muse Awards (3), Gold (Collections Database/Reference Resource), Gold (History), Honorable Mention (Art)
Museums and the Web, Best of the Web Awards, Best Online Exhibition
Art Directors Awards (2), Gold, Merit Award
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual (2)
Print, Digital Design Annual
I.D., Interactive Media Design Review, Silver
One Show Interactive, Bronze Pencil
HOW, Interactive Design Annual, Merit Award (3)
2001
One Show Interactive (2), Bronze Pencil, Merit Award
SXSW Web Site Competition, Winner (Broadband)
I.D., Interactive Media Design Review (2), Silver, Bronze (Web Site)
HOW, Interactive Design Review (4), Outstanding Achievement (3), Merit Award
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual (2)
2000
One Show Interactive, Merit Award
1999
HOW, Digital Design Annual
Print, Digital Design and Illustration Annual
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual
Codie Awards, Best New Education Online
ComputerWorld Smithsonian Award, Honored Laureate
1998
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual
HOW, Top Ten (2)
Art Directors Awards, 77th Annual, Merit Award
1997
Art Directors Awards, Silver
HOW, Digital Design Annual (2)
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual
1996
HOW, Self-Promotion Annual, Outstanding Achievement Award
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual
C|Net, Best of the Web (3)
New Media, Invision Award (2), Best Overall Design Online, Best Online
1995
Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual
I.D., Annual Design Review, Honorable Mention
Selected Bibliography
2013
“Ideas, Prototypes and Experiences: Emotional Attachment to the Product,” The Fundamentals of Interactive Design, Michael Salmond & Gavin Ambrose, April 2013
“Museum of Fine Arts Offers a New Way to Experience Work,” Boston Globe, March 2013
Brand Spaces: Branded Architecture and the Future of Retail Design, Sven Ehmann & Sofia Borges, January 2013
“Interactive Design and Motion Graphics”, Graphic Design Solutions: Fifth Edition, Robin Landa, January 2013
2012
“This iPad App Builds Better, More Sustainable Cities,” GOOD, November 2012
“Sustainable Urban Design, Digitally Defined,” Metropolis, November 2012
“Content is King,” Interactive Design: An Introduction to the Theory and Application of User-Centered Design, Andy Pratt & Jason Nunes, October 2012
“Inside the Design: Second Story’s Relaunch,” HOW: Interactive Design, for secondstory.com redesign, April 2012
2011
“Coke hides its secret formula in plain sight in World of Coca-Cola move,” Atlanta Business News, Leon Stafford, December 2011
2010
“High-tech Exhibits Shine at Walt Disney Museum,” CNet, Daniel Terdiman, October 22, 2010
“’Age of Mammals’ at the Natural History Museum,” Los Angeles Times, Suzanne Muchnic, July 4, 2010
“The Best Tour Guide May Be in Your Purse,” The New York Times, Keith Schneider, March 18, 2010
2009
“The Electric Storytellers,” ''Oregon Quarterly', Mindy Moreland, December 2009
“Inside Walt Disney's World,” The Wall Street Journal, Ann Landi, October 13, 2009
“Exploring the Man Behind the Animation,” The New York Times, Edward Rothstein, September 30, 2009
“New Museum Showcases New Mexico’s Colorful History,” The Associated Press, Deborah Baker, May 14, 2009
“15 Years of Interactive Media,” Communication Arts, May 2009
“The Great Library Jefferson Began, and How It Grew,” The New York Times, Charles McGrath, January 15, 2009
2008
“Grammy Museum Takes a Broad, Hands-On Approach,” Los Angeles Times Music Blog, Todd Martens, December 2, 2008
“The Woodstock Museum: Because You Weren’t There,” The Village Voice, Elena Oumano, June 3, 2008
“New Museum Guides Visitors Through Gettysburg,” Associated Press, Martha Raffaele, April 23, 2008
“Reinforcing History,” Philadelphia Enquirer, Amy Worden, April 13, 2008
“We Hold These Truths to Be User-Accessible and in Hypertext,” The New York Times, Edward Rothstein, April 12, 2008
“Library of Congress Exhibit Shows Future of Digital Archives,” Ars Technica, John Stokes, April 11, 2008
“Two New Shows Cast Light and Darkness on Early Cultures in the Americas,” The New York Times, Edward Rothstein, March 5, 2008
2007
“Exploring the Early Americas’: A Sense of Continent’s Direction,” Washington Post, Cathryn Keller, December 26, 2007
“Portland’s Second Story Lets Museum-Goers Step into the Picture,” The Oregonian, Richard Read, July 6, 2007
2006
“The Xbox Generation Visits the Museum,” The New York Times, Keith Schneider, September 12, 2006
“Solving Puzzles with Body Parts as the Pieces,” New York Times, Amanda Schaffer, February 28, 2006
Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design, Jenifer Tidwell, 2006 (O’Reilly)
2005
“Diverse Spaces Sweeten, Sour Third Angle Music,” The Oregonian, David Stabler, May 4, 2005
“A Virtual Visit to Monticello,” The Christian Science Monitor, Jim Regan, April 26, 2005
“Designed in Portland,” Portland Monthly, Camela Raymond, April 20
2004
“At the Archives, Real National Treasures,” The Washington Post, Janice L. Kaplan, December 3, 2004
“At Museums, Computers Get Creative,” New York Times, Katie Hafner, December 2, 2004
“Second Story Reaches the Next Level,” The Oregonian, Randy Gragg, October 24, 2004
“Visiting the Virtual Museum,” Communication Arts, Sam McMillan, March 2004
2003
“Ride Along with Lewis and Clark,” St. Paul Pioneer Press, Rob Hubbard, November 24, 2003
“Inside a Chinese House in Salem, Mass.,” The Christian Science Monitor, Jim Regan, January 2, 2003
2002
“Valley of Kings Online,” The Art Newspaper, August 26, 2002
“Online Diary: Dig This,” The New York Times, Pamela LiCalzi O’Connell, August 22, 2002
“Exhibits: Tombs With a View,” Science Magazine, August 2002
“Kings Unearthed,” Guardian Unlimited, August 2002
“Visit Egypt Without Leaving Your Home,” El Mundo, August 2002
Simple Web Sites: Organizing Content-Rich Web Sites into Simple Structures, Stefan Mumaw, 2002 (Rockport)
HTML & Web Artistry: More than Code, Natalie Zee, 2002 (IDM)
2001
“The MoMA Opens an Exhibit of Art Only Visible on the Internet,” CiberPais, R. Bosco / S. Caldana, November 29, 2001
“Pieces of Croatia’s Holocaust Now Online,” The Washington Post, Jacqueline Trescott, November 14, 2001
“Desperate for Youth Appeal,” Guardian, Vanessa Thorpe and Ed Helmore, November 11, 2001
“Squeezed by a Renovation, the Modern Finds Space Online,” The New York Times, Matthew Mirapaul, November 8, 2001
"Mick Jagger and Virgin Records Go Online to Court Younger Fans,” Wall Street Journal, Anna Wilde Mathews, November 6, 2001
“Second Story: Telling Tales,” Graphis, Ken Coupland, September 2001
“The Big Reveal: Theatrical Typography,” Eye, Jessica Helfand, July 2001
“The Date That Lives In Infamy and Online,” The New York Times, Shelly Freierman, May 17, 2001
“Mummies and More in Antiquities Roadshow,” The New York Times, Michael Pollak, January 4, 2001
Principles of Web Design, Dave Farkas, 2001 (Longman)
Web Design Index, 2001 (Pepin Press)
The Last Mile: Broadband and the Next Internet Revolution, Jason Wolf and Natalie Zee, 2001 (McGraw-Hill)
2000
“Technology Brings Alive the History of Rock ’n’ Roll," The New York Times, Michel Marriott, June 22, 2000
“Second Story’s Goal To ‘Make the Show’ Expands,” Oregon Business Journal, Dan McMillan, April 14, 2000
Sonic Graphic Seeing Sound, Matt Woolman, 2000 (Rizzoli)
Webworks: Navigation, Ken Coupland, 2000 (Rockport)
1999
“Second Story Interactive Design: Doing Justice to a Genius,” Adobe, September 1999
“Portland Web Design Start-Up Crafts Success Story,” The Oregonian, Jackie Love, May 31, 1999
“As Second Story’s Go, This One is Worth Repeating,” Oregon Business Journal, Dan McMillan, May 3, 1999
1998
Digital Designer, Stephen Heller and Daniel Drennan, 1998 (Watson Guptill)
“A Wider Window on The Web,” Critique, Ken Coupland, April 1998
“Second Story,” Communication Arts, Sam McMillan, January 1998
Graphis Web Design Now, Ken Coupland, 1998 (Graphis)
1997
“Brad Johnson Presents,” Web Studio—Japan, Atsuko Nozawa, July 1997
“Computer Artist: Brad Johnson,” Computer Artist, J. Scott Hamlin, April 1997
“Secrets of the Webmaster MVPs,” The Net, John Papageorge, March 1997
Interface WOW, Sue Merritt, 1997 (Peachpit Press)
Interface Design with Photoshop, J. Scott Hamlin, 1997 (New Riders Press)
Secrets of Successful Websites, David Siegel, 1997 (Hayden Books)
Photoshop Web Techniques, J. Scott Hamlin, 1997 (New Riders Press)
1996
“Brad Johnson’s Excellent Web Adventure,” HOW, Ken Coupland, August 1996
Internet Homep@ge Design, Seiki Okuda, 1996 (Kinotype Press)
Multimedia Graphics: The Best in Global Hyperdesign, Melissa Dallal, 1996 (Chronicle Books)
Designer’s Guide to the Internet, 1996 (Hayden Books)
1995
“Antarctic Antics,” Hotwired, December 1995
“Homesteading the Net,” Graphis, Ken Coupland, November 1995