Hi, I’m Jake – a multidisciplinary designer and founder. I design products, brands, and experiences that help us get more out of life.

Press

20 on the Rise: Designers, from Gusto, Peerspace, and the Rising Tide Society.
Honeybook’s Top 20 Designers of 2018
Fast Company
VentureBeat
Product Hunt’s The Best Product Launches of 2017
UX Collective’s 50 Essential UX Portfolios (2019 Edition)

Grown in San Diego, I come from an academic background in cognitive psychology by way of UCLA. I spent some time working in independent film acquisitions during those years but immediately gravitated towards startups when I discovered design.

I moved to San Francisco early in my career to join a founding team exploring tools for creativity, where I designed Cassette. There I discovered design thinking and made it a core philosophy to drive my design process, working alongside a CEO from the d.school and advising from David Kelley.

After Cassette’s exit to Evernote, I focused on consulting with startups for some time before eventually joining Plato to head product design. I've had the opportunity to help a wide range of teams evolve their businesses with design over the past 5+ years, designing consumer & business products in domains ranging from renewable energy to biotech, cancer therapeutics, design services, tools for creative work, event ticketing, fashion and e-commerce. I've led design at 5 Y Combinator-backed startups, designed successful products from the ground up, launched two #1 products on Product Hunt, and been through my fair share of startup failures and acquihires.

Outside of my work, I place a high value on creativity, learning and relationships. As a lifelong musician I’m always consuming music. These days travel, mindfulness, food, art, architecture, and a healthy dose of matcha and leisure sports (currently: tennis) keep me going.