Kelli Woodell is a multidisciplinary designer whose creative career spans nearly a decade, working across inhouse and agency settings. Based in East Tennessee and now situated in Chattanooga, TN, Kelli brings a robust mix of branding, illustration, photography, art direction and web design to the table.
In early 2025, she stepped into a newly formed role as UI/UX Designer at the award-winning agency Brandon, where she will help lead the firm’s digital strategy and elevate user-centred experiences for clients. During her time at Brandon (since Spring 2022), Kelli distinguished herself through creativity, strategic insight and dedication—playing a key role in major client projects.
Kelli earned her BFA in Design from Tennessee Tech University and continues to deepen her expertise in UI/UX design while staying rooted in her broader visual-and-brand skill set. Off-duty, she is passionate about horses, dogs (especially a cattle dog companion), oil painting, live music, and the occasional home-improvement project left unfinished for the sake of creativity.
Always bringing what she cheekily calls “weird horse-girl energy” to advertising and design functions, Kelli thrives on challenging norms and crafting meaningful digital experiences through insightful, visually grounded design.
What trend do you think the industry is overvaluing – and one it’s overlooking?
I feel that while AI has assisted us greatly in areas like scaling our work and moving more quickly for our clients, it’s being a bit too relied on currently in the creative space. I understand both its convenience and value and still don’t believe that it will ever replace creatives entirely, but I think ultimately that the creative process is being circumvented more often, and I for one am missing the spirit that comes from that. I would like to see the weight of which we’re valuing technology, speed, and efficiency shift a little more towards the favor of craftsmanship, artistry, and authenticity. Granted, me becoming a professional designer was a result of me being an artist and a romantic at my core, so perhaps I am a bit of a daydreamer when it comes to this. Maybe I should have had ChatGPT condense this answer for me.
How do you stay relevant in an industry that changes so quickly?
I think the short answer to this is to aim to be fluctuating parts of willing, humble, and confident. You have to be willing to continuously learn and evolve with the times and the tech, humble enough to know you always have room to grow and that there will always be someone younger right behind you, and confident enough to know you can adapt to the new as it comes. It’s all a bit easier to swallow when you’re loving what you do, so I would say it’s also important to find ways to fill your creative cup
Creative Comment: What AI Can and Cannot Do
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GDUSA Digital Magazine: April 2026
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