Design at the intersection of systems, research, and empathy.
I'm Jesse Hammond, a designer and product manager in Montréal. I work at the intersection of systems, research, and empathy. For eight years, I've embedded myself in organizations building digital tools. I've learned what breaks when we stop listening to the people who depend on these tools.
How I Work
Good design isn't about innovation. It's about listening. The people who most depend on tools built for them are too often the last ones asked what they need. That's what I work to fix.
I ground my approach in four principles that show up across every project I take on:
Understanding
Deep research comes before anything else
Evidence
Quantitative and qualitative methods build defensible arguments
Show
Prototypes and code communicate better than presentations
Teams
Strong teams are the best deliverable
Understanding before anything else. I invest deeply in research, whether that's national studies, remote fieldwork in Canada's far North, or sessions with frontline staff. Understanding comes first; recommendations come after.
Evidence over opinions. I build teams that craft strong arguments using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Metrics, research data, and behavioral insight create a foundation that skeptics can challenge and believers can trust.
Show, don't tell. I get into the code early, build prototypes quickly, and iterate with Claude Code and other tools. Showing an idea works better than explaining it. A prototype opens conversations; a presentation closes them.
Build strong resilient teams. My focus as a leader is building teams that work together, rely on each other, and ship better products in true agile fashion. I've served as a product owner, agile leader, and scrum master across all of these projects. The best deliverable is a team that doesn't need me anymore.
Community
Civic Tech Montréal I organize a monthly meetup for designers, developers, and people working at the intersection of technology and civic engagement. We share ideas, build tools, and believe that technology can be a force for good.
Mentoring I work with designers and researchers breaking into civic tech through mentorship programs including ADPList. I focus on research methodologies, user testing, accessibility, and how to make design decisions defensible to skeptics and stakeholders alike.
Let's work together
I'm available for product leadership, design roles, consulting, and workshop facilitation. I work remote, Eastern Time, based in Canada and the US. If you're building something that matters and want a partner who digs in and stays through the hard parts, let's talk.
Email jessethammond@gmail.com
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/hammondjesse/