Hi, I’m Jess, a design scientist and systems-oriented UX leader with 20+ years of experience across content platforms, enterprise software, civic tech, and emerging technologies.

I started my career in the early days of online communities and content systems, which gave me a deep understanding of digital behavior, trust, and governance—perspectives that continue to shape my work today.

I’m also the founder of Mindful Studio, where I explore how design, ethics, and systems thinking can support better decision-making in organizations.

UX & Systems Design

Check out my work

What I do

I help product teams and consultancies make sense of ambiguous, high-stakes systems—turning complexity into clear interaction models, research insight, and build-ready design.

I work as a freelance and fractional design partner for teams building complex software—especially where decisions, data, or automation shape user trust and behavior.

Services

UX & Product Discovery

Short, focused engagements to clarify problem spaces, align stakeholders, and define what to build.

  • Research planning and synthesis

  • Journey and workflow mapping

  • Opportunity framing and prioritization

  • Early concepts and prototypes

Best for: teams at the start of a project or stuck in ambiguity

Research & Sense-Making

Turning qualitative research into insight that teams can actually use.

  • Interviews, workshops, and scenario walkthroughs

  • Synthesis and pattern detection

  • Insight frameworks and decision support

  • Executive-ready findings

Best for: organizations overwhelmed with data but lacking clarity

Systems & Interaction Design

Designing how complex products actually work—across screens, states, edge cases, and constraints.

  • Information architecture and interaction models

  • Multi-step workflows and platform patterns

  • AI-adjacent UX (confidence, explanation, fallback states)

  • Design specs that engineers can build from

Best for: complex products, platforms, and enterprise tools

Fractional Design Leadership

Senior-level design thinking without a full-time hire.

  • Product and design direction

  • Cross-functional facilitation

  • Design quality and system coherence

  • Mentorship and team support

Best for: consultancies and product teams needing experienced judgment

How I work

I’ve spent my career working across consulting, product teams, and independent practice. Much of that time has been in short-to-mid-term engagements, helping teams:

  • Enter complex problem spaces

  • Create structure without oversimplifying

  • Make decisions they can stand behind

  • Leave behind systems and thinking that scale

I’m comfortable stepping in quickly, collaborating closely with engineers and product leaders, and adapting to how teams actually work.

Let's work together!