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Jesse Gardner
Experienced User Research Director and Founder
Jesse Gardner, whose LinkedIn username is plasticmind, is a professional with a diverse background in web design, development, and technology.2 He currently holds the position of Director of User Research at the New York State Office of Information Technology Services.2
Professional Experience
Gardner has over 20 years of experience in full-stack web design and development.3 His expertise spans various areas, including:
- User experience design
- Front-end development
- Technical strategy
Current Roles
In addition to his position at the NYS Office of Information Technology Services, Jesse Gardner is:
- The mind behind Plasticmind Design, a company that provides user experience design, front-end development, and technical strategy for medium-to-large organizations13
- Vice President of Technology at Simply Recipes4
Skills and Contributions
Jesse Gardner is known for:
- Designing websites, including one for a client's mother2
- Providing training in HTML and CSS2
- Offering career planning advice2
His work through Plasticmind Design focuses on delivering comprehensive web solutions, from visual design to technical implementation, for a range of clients.3
Highlights
For those of you that don't know, I work for the state of New York on a human-centered design team. In plain terms, we try do our best to represent the voice of the resident in the midst of technical, policy, and legal complexity. I'm leading user research, and building out several teams that will help the state build digital interfaces consistently and in a way that's accessible to people with disabilities.
It's incredibly fulfilling work, but I'm not going to lie — there are days when I'm frustrated at the lack of progress and tired of treading water. I had an encouraging moment a few weeks back when someone in leadership told me, "experience is an upfront project requirement, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise." I try to encourage myself and my team that the needs are great and that we should not become weary while doing important work. And that work — the work of improving customer experiences for government services — is a marathon, not a sprint.
"It’s easy to complain about government but more satisfying to help fix it.” —Jennifer Pahlka, Recoding America
We're building a design system for New York State government services and currently #hiring Front-end Engineers and a Content Strategist. Interested?👇
A statewide design system is one of 2024's State of the State CX priorities... but it's a priority because it's a cornerstone for enhancing digital experiences across the state. Consistent UI patterns. Accessibility incorporated from the ground up. A library of reusable components, vetted and tested. Clear documentation and usage guidance. Freeing up designers and engineers to tackle complex challenges vs. solving the same problems over and over.
Here’s what we’re looking for:
-- Expertise in the finer details of the "front of the front-end" — HTML, CSS, and modern JavaScript frameworks. Bonus points if you have a good handle on web components. -- Passion for design systems and shared component libraries. If you understand the strategic value of connected systems and their ability to scale across platforms, we need you. -- Dedication to a11y. We are committed to creating solutions that are truly accessible (and not just WCAG compliant). -- The ability to communicate technical concepts well and create guidelines for UX writing (especially for the content strategist role).
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In addition to these active roles, we've got more senior positions posting soon: engineering leadership, accessibility, and product management. Our team works out of our NYC or Albany offices, 50% remote.
If that sounds interesting to you, check out the link in the comments or DM me.
