Design + Development + Strategy
Jeff Chausse
15 years of product design expertise—delivered in code, not pictures
I pair the taste and judgment of a career product designer with modern AI-powered building skills, to rapidly transform ideas into elegant, production-quality software.
I started my career in web development before moving into design. When AI erased the border between the two, my career was transformed as both skillsets merged into one.
By designing and building in real code from day one, I help teams outrun organizations ten times their size.
About me
I trained as a software engineer before following a passion for front-end craft into product design, where I've spent my career since. I've led design teams, modernized enterprise platforms used by hundreds of thousands of people, built and shipped design systems, and driven measurable outcomes for the businesses behind them. AI-powered development tools have reunited the two halves of my background and changed everything about how I work. I now design and build in real production code at a pace that, just a year ago, would have required an entire cross-functional team. This is a new kind of role, and the industry hasn't quite decided on a name for it yet. But I'd rather just do the work than worry about titles. Point me at your hardest problem, and I'll show you what's possible.
Core expertise
- AI-powered design & development
- Team leadership & talent development
- Design systems & DesignOps
- Interaction design & visual design
- User research & testing
Tools & technologies
Case studies
A track record of transforming products and design teams at startups, studios, and enterprises
Skillcraft
2025 - Present
Consulting Design Engineer
AI-enhanced assessment authoring at Skillcraft
How I designed an AI-accelerated authoring platform that removed the founder bottleneck at a bootstrapped skill assessment startup—delivering a 10x efficiency gain in assessment creation.
Quickbase
2020 - 2025
Product Design Manager
Leading design transformation at Quickbase
How I transformed both a 20-year-old platform and its design team—building collaboration, driving efficiency, and proving design's strategic value in an engineering-led company.
Forrester
2014 - 2019
Manager, Principal UX Designer
Reimagining Forrester's client portal & native mobile experience
How I led the modernization of Forrester's flagship client portal and launched their first native mobile research apps—turning a dated desktop-first experience into a mobile-first ecosystem that tripled weekly active users.
Harmonix Music Systems
2008 - 2011
Web Director
RockBand.com and beyond: Leading the web team for a legendary game studio
My origin story as a manager—learn how I built and led a multi-disciplinary team to create boundary-smashing websites for one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.
Solo projects
My journey into AI-powered full-stack design and development began with several personal projects. Much more than a hobby project, Trésora — a commercial App Store and Google Play app — is the clearest demonstration of what I'm capable of designing and building on my own.
Trésora
2026
Cross-platform native app
Trésora: A lifestyle app for antique and vintage collectors
A native iOS and Android app for antique and thrift collectors — an end-to-end product spanning shop discovery, AI-powered identification, and collection management.
Sympheo
2025
Web-based learning platform
Sympheo: A classical music appreciation app
A 90-lesson classical music appreciation app — built solo as an experiment in learning to design and build in a new way.
Experience
A diverse history of design and development leadership
As Skillcraft's sole designer and front end builder, I created an AI-native authoring platform in eight weeks—cutting assessment creation from months to days and generating $2M in qualified enterprise pipeline, including meetings with six Fortune 500 prospects.
In a whirlwind nine months, I played key roles in nearly a dozen major agency projects for clients like Liberty Mutual, TJX, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston – as Digital Technology Director, a critical member of the agency's then fledgling Interactive team.
Groove Networks(acquired by Microsoft)
Senior Web Developer
December 1999 - April 2006
Recommendations
“As a manager, he strikes the perfect balance between being involved and giving autonomy—offering guidance when needed, advocating for his team's decisions to leadership, and creating space for independent ownership. He's great at providing high-level career and process advice, as well as diving into the smallest visual design details.”
Aarohi Shah
Former direct report, Quickbase
“Jeff brings a blend of great leadership, design expertise, and a keen eye for detail. He guided our team through major initiatives, and personally collaborated and guided me through projects like Quickbase AI with his vision and clarity. As an experienced designer himself, Jeff's feedback was always insightful and practical, helping us deliver truly user-centered solutions.”
Anton Kharboush
Former direct report, Quickbase
“Jeff has both an eye for talent and a gift for putting team members into roles where they excel. He has the humility to let his team run with their ideas and the insight to know when to chime in with timely and important design considerations along the way.”
Fish McGill
Former direct report, Harmonix
Get in touch
Whether you're building a team or building a product, I live for hard problems and short timelines. Let's connect.