I build products for global industries

and craft experiences

people remember.

I'm Jon Upshaw, the design unicorn your company has been looking for. Give me the tools, and I'll show you the way.

WHO I'VE WORKED FOR

Re-imagine your product suite.

Your flagship product needs to look engaging to your next generation of customers. Here's how I can make that happen.

Design Systems

Most evergreen industry software companies haven't yet invested in a quality design system. Hire someone who can make one from scratch.

Collaboration

Leverage your development team and pair them with a designer that can explain difficult to grasp concepts in a simple way.

Agile Fluency

Hire someone who knows the agile product development method and can work alongside your team while suggesting the best outlook.

What my colleagues are saying

You'll find that designers, developers and leaders from all over the industry sing my praises. Just take a look at some of the positive things they've said about working with me in the past.

Jon was critical to the execution of our annual Futures design conference, PRIMER 2020.

He volunteered his services both as an experience designer and assisted in the coordination of several of our workshops throughout the week. Not only does he have a keen sense of understanding of users' needs but was able to herd cats, troubleshoot issues, and collaborate with our stellar conference design team. I would work with Jon again anytime.

Phil Balatas
Principal Designer at HABITAT & Founder of Designer Futures Initiative

I could always count on Jon to bring discipline and communication to the situation.

I had the privilege of working with Jon as part of the Product Design team at CBORD and Horizon Software, whether we were interacting with a team of design peers or collaborating with stakeholders. His fastidious style and ability to dive deep into research make him a great addition to product teams.

Todd Chambers
Previous UX Manager at CBORD

Jon is an amazing UX designer and collaborator.

He introduced the UX practice into one of our product teams and helped to refine the product development process with UX in mind. I witnessed Jon build relationships with developers and product managers and overcome challenges that come from introducing new ways of working. Our conversations were motivating and left me with a desire to think more outside the box. I look forward to working with Jon again the future.

WIll Jeong
DevOps Leader at Evisions Inc.

Jon is a pleasure to work with on projects.

He brings a new perspective to the table and is a great help in advocating and designing for the end user of our products.

Peter Wilbur
Project Manager at Evisions

Jon provided guidance and mentorship over the entire weekend, was communicative and eager to help, and also created a fantastic recorded lesson around problem framing.

His clear video explanation and interactive activity template for problem framing was one of the most used over the entire weekend! Jon's help was greatly appreciated, he certainly performs well under pressure, and I really enjoyed getting to know him!

Heydn Randolph
Service Design at NCR

Jon is an amazing designer and communicator, he did an amazing job as a mentor and content creator.

He is an empathetic person and I’m so glad he is part of our service design community here in Atlanta :) Thank you Jon for all your efforts and incredible work!

Carol Massà
Design Manager at Advent Health

Jon was an incredible support during Primer 2020 when I hosted a very complicated virtual workshop.

Jon made the process seem easy and I felt like I couldn't fail having Jon on my team. Jon is a professional, kind, and skilled designer who is an asset to any team.

Note Krauss
Design & Innovation at Scale

I worked with Jon on a workshop at Primer 2020. It was an experimental activity that required lots of nimble thinking and conversational nous.

Jon demonstrated both with aplomb. I’m very glad he was there to help.

Peter Stoyko
Chief Social Scientist & Information Designer at Elanica

Jon was in charge of supporting our group as we ran a 3 hour virtual workshop for PRIMER 2020 conference.

Jon was super friendly, professional and supportive throughout the weeks before the conference and day of. Thank you so much for your help in ensuring that the workshop ran smoothly!

Giulianna Mazzetta
Product Desinger at Blazzings.co

I'm

good.

Your company needs a designer who can do more than just push pixels. In this fast-paced tech industry, you need a designer who can hit the ground running.

Add to your team a designer with the know-how and the work ethic to help your business succeed.

9+
Industry Certifications
5+
Years of Exprerience
9
Clients served

Oh, and I write articles too.

My work has been published on Medium, featured in publications with over half a million monthly readers. Take a look at some of the stuff I've created for the design community.

Have an idea you want to bring to life?

With the right designer, you can do just about anything. It's time to hire someone who knows the science of human-centered design.