About
Jason James is a designer of products, brands, teams, and companies, repping Chicago on the West Coast. Currently, he’s Head of Design at Thumbtack – an online marketplace for local services.
Portfolio
Phone
(815) 901-1152
Jobs 2012–Present
Thumbtack
- Head of Product Design – Customers & Design Systems
- San Francisco, California
- Sept 2016 to Present
Earnest
- Head of Design
- San Francisco, California
- July 2014 to Sept 2016
Intercom
- Design Lead
- San Francisco, California
- Feb 2014 to May 2014
Kin
- Director of Design
- Chicago, Illinois
- Dec 2012 to Feb 2014
Jobs 2002–2012
Matter & Memory
- Creative Director
- Chicago, Illinois
- Sept 2008 to Jul 2010
- Associate Creative Director
- Chicago, Illinois
- Jun 2007 to Sept 2008
- Designer & Video Producer
- Chicago, Illinois
- Jun 2005 to Jun 2007
RFA
- Designer & Video Producer
- Rockford, Illinois
- Jun 2003 to Jun 2005
TCA
- Video Editor
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Aug 2002 to May 2003
Freelance
The Office of Jason James
- Independent Designer
- Chicago & Oakland
- May 2002 to Present
One Design Company
- Product & Visual Designer
- Chicago, Illinois
- Mar 2013 to May 2013
Nelson Cash
- Visual Designer
- Chicago, Illinois
- Jan 2013 to Apr 2013
Bright Bright Great
- Visual Designer
- Chicago, Illinois
- Oct 2011 to Feb 2012
Lipman Hearne
- Senior Art Director
- Chicago, Illinois
- Apr 2012 to Dec 2012
Education
Northern Illinois University
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Studied Interactive & Brand Design
- DeKalb, Illinois
Academy of Fine Arts
- NIU Study Abroad Program
- Studied Graphic & Identity Design
- Katowice, Poland
Rock Valley College
- Associate of Arts
- Studied Philosopy & Economics
- Rockford, Illinois
Accolades
FastCo. The Most Innovative Companies
- 2018 – #23 Thumbtack
FastCo. Innovation By Design
- 2016 – Honorable Mention for User Experience
FastCo. The Most Innovative Companies
- 2016 – #42 Earnest
Forbes Fintech 50
- 2015 – Earnest named one of the top 50 firms in financial tech
American Advertising Awards
- 2014 – Judge for Iowa's Regional Competition
Practice Areas
Art Direction, Brand Design, Content Strategy, Copywriting, Creative Direction, Design Management, Front-End Dev, Interaction Design, Mobile Design, Product Design, Product Strategy, UI Design, UX Design, Visual Design, Web Design
Selected Clients
Google, AARP, Notre Dame, Earnest, Intercom, Gogo Air, Chicago Design Museum, State Univ. of New York, Zondervan, Univ. of Chicago, UW-Madison, DoneDone, Kin
Values
Collaboration, Communication, Curiosity, Empathy, Excellence, Impact, Initiative, Leadership, Ownership, Precision, Resilience, Rigor, Taste