About Me

I love nature and the outdoors - whether it’s going for long walks, exploring new trails, or just enjoying a quiet moment outside. Reading and writing are my creative escapes, and I love getting lost in new ideas - especially with a puppy curled up by my side! Fun fact: I took on the Carolina Reaper - the world’s hottest pepper - and yea, I won!

Who I Am

Strategic problem-solver with a focus on aligning user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility to create intuitive, user-centered solutions that drive impact.

Both a sprinter and an architect—able to move fast when needed, making smart, efficient decisions under pressure (like in accelerated design sprints), while also designing scalable systems that empower teams to move faster and more consistently in the long term.

Delivery-focused and results-driven—with a strong ability to translate abstract ideas into high-quality, functional products, and communicating design intent clearly to ensure seamless execution across teams.

What I Know
  • Design Thinking & Artifacts
  • Empathy maps, personas, journey maps, user stories, research synthesis, product requirements frameworks, feature mapping, information architecture, user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, data visualization, accessibility audits, usability testing, and design systems.
  • Tools of the Trade
  • Prototyping & Interaction Design: Figma is my go-to, with Protopie and Framer for high-fidelity interaction design.
  • User Research & Testing: Maze, Lookback, UserTesting, and Mixpanel help guide data-informed decisions.
  • Design Systems & Documentation: ZeroHeight and Storybook for documenting systems—designed and maintained in Figma.
  • Collaboration & Whiteboarding: FigJam (primary), plus Miro and Whimsical when needed.
  • Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Notion, Linear, Productboard.
  • Code & Development
  • Strong: HTML, CSS, SCSS, Javascript, Bootstrap, Jekyll, Gulp, Grunt, Git
  • Familiar: React, Storybook, AngularJS
  • Ways of Working
  • Agile, Lean UX, design sprints, sync and async design reviews, and iterative cycles with tight design-dev collaboration.
What I Do

Think

Every project starts by understanding why it matters—both for the business and for the people using it. I begin by digging into the context: What problem are we solving? What outcomes do we care about? I talk to users, look at data, and listen to stakeholders. The goal is to uncover friction, unmet needs, and the broader business intent behind the work. Whether it’s increasing engagement, driving conversions, or simplifying a core flow, I define the challenge in a way that connects user value with business goals. That alignment sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Think

Every project starts by understanding why it matters—both for the business and for the people using it. I begin by digging into the context: What problem are we solving? What outcomes do we care about? I talk to users, look at data, and listen to stakeholders. The goal is to uncover friction, unmet needs, and the broader business intent behind the work. Whether it’s increasing engagement, driving conversions, or simplifying a core flow, I define the challenge in a way that connects user value with business goals. That alignment sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Make

Once the problem is clear, I begin designing toward possibility. I explore different directions—reworking flows, reimagining interactions, and building prototypes that test how the product could better serve both users and the business. I focus on clarity, simplicity, and intent, making sure every screen, state, and component works together to deliver value. Collaboration is key here—I stay closely aligned with engineering and product to make sure we’re shaping solutions that are feasible, scalable, and meaningful.

Check

Design is a conversation, not a one-time delivery. I validate ideas through usability testing, feedback sessions, and design reviews—watching closely for moments of confusion, delight, or drop-off. I measure against the goals we set and listen for new insights. Iteration is built into my process—refining details, simplifying where needed, and evolving based on what we learn. It’s not just about polishing; it’s about getting closer to what really works.

Check

Design is a conversation, not a one-time delivery. I validate ideas through usability testing, feedback sessions, and design reviews—watching closely for moments of confusion, delight, or drop-off. I measure against the goals we set and listen for new insights. Iteration is built into my process—refining details, simplifying where needed, and evolving based on what we learn. It’s not just about polishing; it’s about getting closer to what really works.

Deliver

When it’s time to bring things to life, I focus on clarity and momentum. I prepare final designs, annotate interactions, support engineering through handoff and QA, and ensure accessibility is baked in. I also document decisions to make future iterations easier and smoother for everyone involved. Launching isn’t just about shipping—it’s about delivering an experience users can trust, and one the team feels proud of.

Interested in knowing more?

Shoot me an email and let's talk. ✌️

jesse.jedi.dean@gmail.com

© 2025 Jesse Dean