Berlin, March 15th, 2023

With offices across Germany, Experience One is a digital agency that helps companies define, create and deliver the best digital experience for customers worldwide. They have delivered projects to over 60 countries worldwide, always following their vision to build the one experience that changes everything.

Jens Fauth is the Managing Director at Experience One’s office in Berlin. In an interview with TIA, he described how the agency has been part of his personal journey and highlighted the importance of building solid relationships with clients and employees. He also highlighted the importance of listening to the user.

What do you love the most about Germany?

Three things: our pluralistic culture, our political system that allows for both, stability and freedom and of course Germany’s lagging behind in terms of digitization––which turns out to be a great opportunity for us.

What makes Berlin an attractive place to do business?

Our business is based on building great digital products and services for our customers. To do this, we rely on talented and passionate people and teams. I can’t think of a better place to find this talent than Berlin: Over the last two decades, our capital has become a capital for creative people, and is constantly modernizing and growing. In Berlin, the stores of big corporations like Amazon, Mercedes-Benz or Zalando meet a lively tech and startup scene.

Tell us about your personal journey. How did you find yourself being the Managing Director at Experience One?

Long story short: I came full circle. I started my career at Mercedes-Benz in one of the first in-house digital agencies to roll-out the new Mercedes-Benz marketing platform and configurator. That’s where I met the founders of Experience One (at that time operating under the name of Nolte & Lauth). Once the project was done, the organization rolled-back into their silos and the core team left Mercedes-Benz to found the agency. I worked for them as a concept developer and later product owner and opened the first office in Berlin. Then I took a break from Experience One for ten years and left to work for other agencies and clients. First for Neue Digitale / razorfish and Audi, then I helped building up Hi-ReS! Berlin (a part of the Syzygy Group) and managed the global account for BMW. In 2014, I became Managing Director of BBDO Berlin and was responsible for the client smart. It was a unique opportunity because we were in charge of almost anything concerning marketing: from brand strategy to marketing communications to social media to platform, configurator, CRM and event management. That’s where I learned a lot about strategic brand management and enjoyed it immensely to incorporate that in smart’s digital transformation programs. After almost 5 years, I decided to go back to my passion: digital. It was at that time in 2018 that Experience One emerged from Nolte & Lauth and repositioned itself as a digital agency that focuses on experience design from strategy to UX, UI and content to code. I’ve been Managing Director since and run the Berlin office.

What makes the agency stand out?

We create long-lasting relationships with our clients and our employees. Thereby, we always strive to empower not only them, but also the end-users of our experience solutions to do things in a new and better way––customer-centric, research based and with a passion for outstanding design. In fact, this is our definition of a great customer and employee experience.

In your opinion, how has customer experience changed over the course of the last 10 years?

It has become more seamless, more immersive and more natural––and then again, there is still a long way to go to achieve an outstanding customer experience––especially in non-digital industries with complex processes such as banking, insurance, construction or energy.

Do you have a particular methodology to help others achieve their goals?

It’s foremost a mindset and an attitude that we cultivate: listen carefully (to users’ needs, stakeholder’s goals), ask a lot of questions and never back down from the goal we set ourselves in the project. As for methodology: we use different frameworks for different tasks but one that we keep going back to is the need-based psychological approach to experience design by Hassenzahl. It helps us to identify and focus on specific user modes as well as the most relevant and impactful episodes in a customer journey.

Of all the recent projects your agency has produced, which one are you most proud of?

That’s a tough one, because the teams have been working on amazing stuff over the years–– from the new sales experience at Mercedes-Benz to a complete relaunch of the web platform of AOK, one of Germany’s largest health insurers, and a lot more. Personally, I am really proud of what we did for OLYMP: a new digital showroom and B2B shopping experience. It helps fashion to become more sustainable as they need less samples. The whole production process is done in 3D and we built it end-to end: from a co-creative touchtable interface to a deep ERP integration.

With shopper behavior changing, what impact do you believe machine learning and big data will have on the world of creative production?

Machine Learning will have an impact on the creative process, in that it will be an addition to it. It won’t replace the creative process but rather inform it and become one more variable or input to consider. If done right, I think it can help to speed things up or create variations e.g., for personalization.

In your opinion, what’s the most important factor that leads companies to create a successful digital transformation?

Listening to the user and acting upon it is key to a successful digital transformation. Sounds simple but a lot of companies fail miserably.

Do you focus more on problem-solving or opportunity creation?

Opportunity creation. Because we see potential everywhere to empower people to do things in a new and better way.

When looking at the technological landscape today, what makes you think “wow”?

Diffusion Models like they are used in Midjourney and Dall-E 2. I think we haven’t fully understood the impact of this technology, yet: For the first time in human history, we can create images––and soon moving images––just with the help of language and our minds. No tools or physical skills required. Imagine a gifted speaker at a TED conference that conjures up images in real time just by telling his story.

What do you think is currently the biggest issue facing the digital and tech industry in Berlin?

Talent acquisition.

In this industry or in life, have you had any particularly influential mentors?

Yes, I’ve had the privilege of having mentors in both my professional and private life. I think you will only find out later in life that they were mentors to you. I had four. Two teachers in school (English and Religion) who taught me critical thinking and helped me discover my love for literature and philosophy and two in professional life: my first “boss” at Mercedes-Benz and one of the founders of my first agency (which happens to be Experience One).

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of career advice, what would it be?

I find looking into the future much more exciting than looking back. Therefore, I rather try to stay in the moment and go on from there.

Can you name a fun-fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

I love dad jokes.

Thanks  Jens,

Thanks Garry!

• Learn more about Experience One at https://www.experienceone.com/en/
• Follow Jens on social media:

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