I'm Jillian Howarth — a product designer focused on making software easier to use.

I'm drawn to ambiguous problems and systems that need to make sense at scale. Most recently I've been untangling product ecosystems at Cimpress Technology. Before that I spent two years at IBM working on the Carbon Design System.

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Hey there, I'm Jillian!

A product designer and strategist based in sunny Boulder, Colorado.

As a UX designer with a background in Human Factors Engineering, I bring a unique blend of systems thinking, technical proficiency, and creative problem solving to the table. I enjoy simplifying complexity and creating unified, intuitive experiences that help teams move faster and users feel confident.

At Cimpress I split my time between product design and building their first design system. On the product side, I redesigned the workflows users relied on every day, including a major consolidation of tools that had grown too fragmented to use well. In parallel, I led the creation of Cimpress UI, driving support from leadership and migrating the organization to one consistent design language and system.

Before that I spent two years at IBM on the Carbon Design System. I established patterns to support design complexity, restructured our approach to documentation, and created resources for onboarding new designers and developers.

At every job I've ended up taking initiative on things that didn't have a clear owner. I've built research practices from scratch, documented processes nobody had written down, and become the team's go-to for design system questions. I don't wait to be assigned to something if I can see it needs doing.

Outside of work, you'll find me running D&D campaigns, growing mammoth sunflowers, and tinkering with technology.

Core Values

Systems for Scale

I care about consistency in complex product ecosystems. I'm drawn to work that brings order to complexity — reusability and coherence, even when built by many hands.

Clear, Intentional Communication

Good design is more than layout. It's in the words we choose and how we guide people through an experience. I value content that is purposeful, clear, and built to serve the user.

Comfort in Ambiguity

I'm at my best when the problem space is undefined. When there are more questions than answers, I enjoy mapping out constraints, uncovering patterns, and creating clarity from uncertainty.

Experience

2021–2026	Sr. UX Designer	Cimpress Technology
2019–2021	UX Designer	IBM — Carbon Design System
2019	Visiting Professor	Tufts University

A place for thought, writing, and play.

A collection of things I'm looking at, inspired by, thinking about, or tinkering with.

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