What You See
Is What UX
People-Centered UX Design for Business Results
The Work
TaxAct
E-Signature Flow
Why should something take 10 minutes when it could only take 3 minutes?
TaxAct
Simply State Flow
🚧Under Construction🚧 Offer users fewer, but more meaningful options
KOALA
Results Through Clarity
75% of users were dropping off after the first step. Turns out, that’s the cost of confusion.
The Three Pillars of Good Design
Simplicity
Users should know what to do. Period. Confusion creates chaos. Every good design should be simple, intuitive, and easy to use. Simply put, it should be simple.
Adaptability
Constraint is the mother of innovation, as they say. Good designs adapt to the limitations of the user’s needs. No need to do everything when you can do the right thing.
Empathy
Everything is about the user. They’re the ones doing the using, after all. So we should care about their needs and experience. Good design serves the user, helping them find what they need from the service or products you provide.
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Multiple Spotlight Awards
Recognized for design excellence
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5+ Years of Design Experience
From startups to top software companies
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General Assembly Graduate
Trained by the best
Good to meet you.
I’m Jake
Etheridge
I’m a pastor turned UX Designer.
You know what that means, right?
I have the care for users that a pastor would have for parishioners with top-notch UX designer skills.
Caring for both people and results is a powerful combo. Good design serves the users. Two of my favorite things in one. How about that?
Don’t Take It From Me
"Jake is the kind of designer you dream of working with. He's got the well-earned respect of the entire team, not just his fellow UXers. Because he's built such trust with Product, Engineering, Legal, and Design, Jake brings a solid understanding of technical requirements and guardrails around any project, allowing the design process to proceed efficiently.
Jake is open-minded and asks fantastic questions, always focusing on what's most important to users. His design ideas are elegant, organized, and well-executed—and he's flexible when it comes to tradeoffs and taking a phased approach. He's also calm, funny, and grounded—an absolute pleasure to work with in any situation!"
Tess Feldhausen, UX Content Strategist and Designer
“I had the pleasure of working with Jake during his time as a UX Designer at TaxAct, where he partnered with several of my Product Managers. Jake's ability to connect with customers with genuine empathy allowed him to uncover meaningful insights that shaped our products. His talent for storytelling translated these insights into compelling narratives that built customer empathy across our organization.
What particularly impressed me was Jake's collaborative approach with his product and engineering partners to craft solutions that balanced customer needs and technical feasibility to help achieved business goals. Not only that, he was always open to feedback, quick to support teammates, and his positive energy elevated everyone around him.
His combination of technical excellence, emotional intelligence, and collaborative spirit makes him a tremendous asset to any team.”
Van Cline, Product Leader
“You are a great team player, you are very easy to work with, you are keen, very detail oriented which is great because you tend to ensure you really understand the problem or a situation so you act best of your abilities. You get that positive vibe and make the moment alive, it is fun to have you around.
You always, I mean always had my back! You encourage every team member to voice their opinions and listen so deeply. I learned a lot from you the main one being the power of "being heard", It's miraculous!! You are a Designer for the team but you play multiple roles right from Product, design, Researcher, Sales, Marketing, and Therapist too!!
You have a great relationship and trust with customers and every stakeholder.”
Swathi G., Product Manager
I've had the pleasure of working closely with Jake while at TaxAct and can, without reservation, speak highly to his outstanding skills in UX design/research and team leadership. Jake excels at bringing the team together to tackle complex problems, fostering a collaborative environment that has consistently led to increased engagement from the team. His ability to involve engineers and other stakeholders throughout the entire design process has continued to lead to better outcomes for our end-users.
One of Jake's standout qualities is his expertise in teaching UX best practices - He not only possesses a deep understanding of the field but also has a unique talent for explaining his thought process in a clear and accessible manner. As a product manager, I have learned a lot from Jake about the importance of clear communication, and how to do it well. Jake also goes above and beyond by leading design-thinking workshops within the team and the department. His commitment to fostering creativity and innovation is evident in these sessions, where he guides the team through a structured and insightful approach to problem-solving. Selfishly, I'd hope to continue to working with Jake for as long as possible, but I'd also be the first to recommend him for any UX leadership role. Thanks for making work fun, Jake!
Jackson Echols, Product Manager @ Dodge Construction Network
Every Good Design Tells A Story
Good thing I know a thing or two about storytelling. In fact, I teach storytelling.
Here’s a taste of my work.
