Designsensory Co-CEOs Joseph Nother and Brandon Rochelle Honored with Webb School “Distinguished Alumni Award”

Recognition comes as longtime friends and business partners celebrate Designsensory’s 25^th anniversary

As Designsensory marks 25 years of creativity, innovation and growth, Co-CEOs and co-founders Joseph Nother and Brandon Rochelle have received a recognition that brings the agency’s story full circle: Webb School of Knoxville’s “Distinguished Alumni Award.”

Nother and Rochelle, both members of Webb’s Class of 1999, were honored during the start of the school’s Spartan Alumni Weekend on Thursday, Sept. 10. One of Webb School’s most prestigious alumni honors, the “Distinguished Alumni Award” recognizes graduates whose professional accomplishments and service to others exemplify the ideals of the school.

The recognition carries particular significance during Designsensory’s 25^th anniversary year. Long before they became business partners, Nother and Rochelle were friends and classmates at Webb. While still in college – Nother at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Rochelle at Johns Hopkins University – they recognized that their distinctly different strengths could complement one another and began building what would become Designsensory.

Twenty-five years later, that partnership has grown into a nationally recognized independent creative agency bringing together strategy, creative, technology, research, marketing and content production for regional and national brands.

“Receiving this recognition together, especially during Designsensory’s 25^th anniversary, makes it incredibly meaningful,” said Nother. “Brandon and I started as friends who saw something in each other that we knew could become something bigger. Webb was an important part of shaping who we were then, and it’s rewarding to look back 25 years later at what that friendship, curiosity and willingness to think differently helped us build.”

Since its founding in 2001, Designsensory has grown from a two-person venture into a multidisciplinary agency of more than 35 professionals, with its work earning Emmy, ADDY, Telly and Webby honors. The agency’s portfolio has included brands such as Bush’s Beans, Biltmore, Dalmore Scotch, Visit Gatlinburg, Regal Cinemas, NASCAR, HGTV and Tennessee Tourism.

Throughout that growth, Nother and Rochelle’s complementary perspectives have remained central to the company. Nother brings a background spanning design, brand strategy, advertising and creative leadership, while Rochelle has helped drive the agency’s technology and digital capabilities, including e-commerce, digital platforms and emerging technologies.

Their return to Webb also provided an opportunity to look forward. In addition to accepting the award, Nother and Rochelle spoke with students across Webb’s three divisions about entrepreneurship, friendship, learning and the changing role of technology and artificial intelligence.

Those conversations echoed a theme guiding Designsensory as it enters its next chapter: “Built for What’s Next.”

“Twenty-five years teaches you that technology will continue to change, sometimes dramatically, but the ability to adapt, stay curious and surround yourself with people who challenge your thinking remains incredibly important,” said Rochelle. “That’s something Joseph and I learned early, and it continues to shape how we think about Designsensory and where we go from here.”

For Nother and Rochelle, the award represents both a milestone and a reminder of where the Designsensory story began, with two friends whose different talents and perspectives became the foundation for a 25-year partnership.

As Designsensory celebrates its first quarter-century, the recognition also underscores what has remained constant throughout its evolution: a belief in the power of people, ideas, collaboration and the willingness to continually ask what’s next.

Photos available for media use.

About Designsensory:
Founded in 2001, Designsensory is an independent creative agency that solves marketing and technology challenges through an integrated approach to strategy, creative, technology, research, marketing and content production. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Designsensory works with regional and national brands to create ideas and experiences designed to connect with audiences and drive meaningful results. As the agency celebrates its 25^th anniversary in 2026, Designsensory remains focused on the philosophy that has shaped its evolution from the beginning: Built for What’s Next.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Erin Burns Freeman
Vice President of Communications, Designsensory
[email protected]