Jay Mursch
I’m a Principal-level Product Designer and former front-end developer who thrives in complex, operationally heavy domains like freight logistics and enterprise SaaS. With 15+ years of experience, I translate messy, real-world workflows into intuitive, scalable tools that reduce manual effort, support smarter decisions, and move the needle on measurable business outcomes.
Because I started as a developer, I design with implementation in mind—partnering closely with engineering, anticipating constraints, and using practices like Spec Driven Development to ship reliable AI-powered workflows (including three Outlook plugin agents and a full rewrite of another). I’m product-minded at my core, comfortable owning problem discovery, shaping product strategy, and guiding cross-functional teams from ambiguous requirements to shipped, user-centered solutions.
Right now, I’m looking for roles where design is treated as a strategic function, not just surface-level UI—places that value deep domain understanding, thoughtful UX for AI-era tools, and tight alignment between user needs and business outcomes. I’m especially energized by teams building from 0→1 or leveling up existing platforms, where I can lead, mentor, and help the organization ship durable, high-impact product experiences.
My Strengths
I’m a Principal-level Product Designer and former front-end developer who blends strategic product thinking with hands-on execution and cross-functional leadership. I thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments—especially early-stage and 0→1 efforts—where speed, adaptability, and ownership are critical. My strengths include driving product vision through user-centered design, simplifying complex systems into intuitive workflows, mentoring designers and partners, and delivering measurable impact, such as increasing adoption, reducing friction, and accelerating delivery through scalable design systems and research-driven iteration. I’m equally comfortable shaping long-term UX strategy across a portfolio or diving into the details to ensure every interaction feels intentional and implementation-ready.
Strategic Design Leadership with a Product Mindset:
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- Leads product vision and UX strategy in tight alignment with business goals, translating ambiguity into clear, prioritized opportunities.
- Drives initiatives from discovery through delivery that create measurable impact, such as improved adoption, reduced operational friction, and faster time-to-market.
Strong Communication & Storytelling:
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- Clearly presents work to stakeholders at all levels, turning research insights and design decisions into compelling narratives that drive alignment, influence priorities, and secure investment in the right product bets.
Mentorship & Team Growth:
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- Uplifts the design organization by mentoring junior and mid-level designers through regular critique, pairing, and career guidance, helping them grow confidence and craft. Establishes clear best practices and codified patterns in systems like Figma and design documentation, creating reusable foundations that improve quality, speed onboarding, and keep teams shipping consistent, scalable experiences.
Cross-Functional Influence:
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- Trusted partner to Product and Engineering, bridging technical constraints and user needs to keep teams aligned on the right problems and outcomes.
- Shapes roadmap priorities by advocating for user-centered solutions grounded in data and research, ensuring that what ships is both feasible for engineering and genuinely valuable for customers and the business.
Operational Excellence:
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- Creates scalable systems and processes—such as design systems, reusable patterns, and clear handoff workflows—that improve design consistency, reduce implementation ambiguity, and increase delivery speed.
User & Business Impact:
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- Advocates for outcomes, not just output—ensuring every design decision is explicitly tied to user value and business impact, such as efficiency gains, revenue opportunities, or reduced operational risk. Consistently pushes teams to define success metrics up front and uses those measures to guide tradeoffs, evaluate results, and iterate on the experience.
My Skills
- AI & Systems Thinking: Uses AI tools to accelerate ideation, research synthesis, and design exploration, helping teams move from ambiguous problem spaces to clear, testable solutions faster.
- UX Craft & Tools: Deep expertise in Figma for systems, prototyping, and documentation, creating interactive artifacts that secure stakeholder buy-in and keep delivery ahead of schedule.
Learn More About Me
Location
Cleveland, OH
Phone
(440) 488-3099
jamursch@gmail.com