WorkAboutLet’s talk
Senior Product Designer & UX LeadBased in Ottawa, Canada

I make complexproducts feel clear.

20+ years shaping digital experiences across enterprise, government, and global brands. Research, systems thinking, and hands-on design—from the first question to the final interaction.

Explore selected work

Open to Senior and Staff Product Design roles · Ottawa, Canada

02 / How I work

A systems thinker.
A hands-on designer.

I connect the details people interact with to the systems and teams behind them.

My career spans agencies, enterprise products, public services, and games. I’ve led designers and researchers, worked alongside product and engineering teams, and stayed close to the craft: flows, prototypes, interaction design, and the details that make a product usable.

Outside design: illustration, basketball coaching, books, and a house with plenty of cats.

01

Find the right problem

Research, workshops, and service mapping to understand user needs and the constraints shaping the product.

02

Make complexity usable

Clear workflows, accessible interfaces, and design systems that bring consistency to complex products.

03

Bring the team with you

Prototypes, design rationale, and delivery documentation that help product, engineering, and stakeholders move forward together.

Complex product.
Clearer experience.

I’m exploring Senior and Staff Product Designer opportunities with teams building useful, ambitious products.

Let’s talk about your team

Selected work

Five projects at the intersection of people, systems, and complex decisions.

Product design forthings that have to work.

Black-and-white portrait of Jason Doherty in profile, wearing a beanie
Background

I’m a senior product designer and UX lead based in Ottawa, Canada, with more than 20 years of experience across enterprise products, public services, and global brands.

My work today focuses on complex, high-stakes products: government services, regulated platforms, data tools, and enterprise software. I’ve led UX for organizations including Government of Alberta, Transport Canada, Treasury Board Secretariat, FCAC, and ESPN / MLB on Google Looker.

Earlier in my career I worked in brand and digital campaigns for Nike, Jordan Brand, HP, and Mercedes-Benz, and in games. That background still shapes how I think about craft, motion, and detail.

How I work

I connect the details people interact with to the systems and teams behind them. I’ve led designers and researchers, worked alongside product and engineering teams, and stayed close to the craft: flows, prototypes, interaction design, and the details that make a product usable.

I start with the people and the policy or business constraint behind a product, map the service end to end, then prototype early and test with real users. I build accessibility in from the start (WCAG 2.1 AA), keep design systems consistent across teams, and work closely with developers through sprint standards and clear definitions of done.

Strengths
Service designUX strategyResearch and workshopsDesign systemsAccessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)PrototypingData visualizationDesign leadership
Recognition
BC Hydro Power SmartMarketer of the Year, BCAMA, 2016
HP Unity TreeGold W3 Award, 2013
JumpmanSite of the Day, FWA, 2008
Earlier recognitionFITC (Designer of the Year nominee, 2006) · Mercedes Benz USA (Digital Experience Award, 2004) · Jeep Trail (Site of the Day, FWA, 2004) · NIKE 10k | RUN TO (Site of the Day, FWA, 2003) · Personal portfolio (Site of the Day, Site Inspire, 2002)
Elsewhere
Outside design

Illustration, basketball coaching, books, and a house with plenty of cats.

Complex product.
Clearer experience.

I’m exploring Senior and Staff Product Designer opportunities with teams building useful, ambitious products.

Let’s talk about your team

Let’s talk

Tell me aboutyour team.

hello@jasondoherty.com

What I’m looking for

Senior and Staff Product Designer roles with teams building useful, ambitious products.

What to include

A short note on the product, the team, and where design fits in. A link to the role helps. A short CV is available to download, and a full résumé is available on request.

Where I am

Ottawa, Canada.