As Lead Designer at Zendesk, I have led multiple projects and created innovative experiences for Zendesk Admins and customers.
This page shows snippets of some of my projects and creative efforts at Zendesk.
Vision work
My role
Project & Design Lead
The team
1 × Product Designer
1x Content Designer
Year
2021-2022
I led a multi-month endeavor to transform our static, non-interactive Admin Center homepage into a dynamic, user-centric, and action-oriented space. We began the project with an extensive discovery phase to help us analyze the different user profiles and their individual needs.
Working alongside our Lead UX Researcher, I gathered valuable research and insights through collaboration. Additionally, I conducted weekly stakeholder interviews, aiding our understanding of our user base. Through this process, we pinpointed five main themes the homepage would address and developed a preliminary rollout plan.
During definition, I embraced divergent thinking and led the creation of a mid-fidelity prototype refining them with feedback. I designed adaptable components with stakeholders input, combining various elements into one user-friendly design. The final high-fidelity designs embodied our shared vision and goals.
Settings Migration
My role
Project & Design Lead
The team
1 × Product Designer
1x Content Designer
1x Product Manager
Year
2021
Over the years, Zendesk has acquired several different products, resulting in varied locations for settings for each product. To create consistency and streamline the process, we set out to migrate all settings for each product to Admin Center. This change was significant for our users and potentially disruptive.
Because the change was disruptive, it was essential to design a migration strategy that allowed users to get used to Settings in a new place and migrate in their own time. An original plan was proposed that had users turn off Settings in one location and use them in another straightaway; this was too rigid and made it too hard for customers to adapt.
I proposed a flexible plan allowing users to migrate at their own pace, with both old and new Settings available for three months before the former would be disabled. By meticulously aligning all project activities to our design process and timeline, I provided a solid project foundation that enhanced the team's understanding of the process.
A little customer appreciation for the filtered page navigation designed as part of this project.
Jess’ ability to meticulously plan and effectively communicate her strategies is impressive. Her innovative use of the Miro board to map out our triple diamond process with corresponding timelines and activities sets a new standard in our design approach. I truly admire her courage to assertively manage expectations and emphasize the importance of adhering to a robust design process, despite challenging timelines.
Vedran Arnautovic
Design leadership at Canva
Given while at Zendesk
Process improvements
My role
Facilitator & Designer
Year
2022-2023
Collaboration and teamwork are crucial to achieving our desired outcomes. It is essential to enjoy the process of working together as a team. I am constantly seeking ways to enhance our collaboration and improve our ways of working.
As designers, we have critical responsibilities beyond design, such as setting a solid foundation for projects and guiding stakeholders through the design process. To improve our ways of working, I conducted audits and facilitated workshops with various teams to understand their challenges. I presented my findings and ideas for improvement to our SVP of design.
When I joined the Zendesk team, I noticed opportunities to improve collaboration between the product and design departments. As a result, I created tools to aid our designers in project planning and management and encourage transparency with stakeholders. To better organize our design process, I implemented a checklist format for each step of the way and developed a timeline builder for estimating project timelines. Additionally, I designed a UI-Kit to help designers generate ideas quickly in medium fidelity.
Thank you for your thought leadership and willingness to share ideas. Your templates also have consistently helped me formulate and organize my thoughts. Much appreciated!
Nicaela Rivera
Senior Product Designer, Zendesk
I appreciate your constant willingness to be helpful and share your knowledge with me and the rest of the design team. Your insights into your design process have been very valuable in helping me reach my professional development goals. Thank you for answering my questions, sharing your resources, and taking the time to meet with me.
Mandy Lai
Senior Product Designer, Zendesk
Given while at Zendesk
Jess’ structured approach to work is inspiring, especially in our current environment that lacks a solid framework. The application of her tools and templates has been instrumental in shaping our tasks, proving an excellent example of how a designer can lead in the product-design relationship and further our design team’s influence.
We’re fortunate to have Jess on our team. Please continue your incredible work!
Vincent Feeney
Design Leadership at Atlassian
Given while at Zendesk