Illustrated headshot for Jan De Wilde.

Hello, I'm Jan.

Jan De Wilde (he/him). I'm an interaction designer and web developer experienced in product design for large-scale web applications, creating design systems, and leading UX/UI teams.

Based in Amherst, MA USA.

I'm looking for my next opportunity · Get in touch

Cover letter

Hi,

I'm looking for my next opportunity. You can find out more about my work experience, education, look at some of the work I've done, or find out a little more about me. Better yet, you could just continue reading.

Designers come in many varieties. So here's my attempt to give you an idea if I might fit in or not. I am a generalist. Therefore my experience is varied: conducting research, applying UX techniques, information design, data visualization, graphic design, usability testing, leading teams, and more.

What I like to do best, and most of, is to help clients create systematic approaches to their UI needs. Since web pages are not pictures, there is plenty of design that's beyond "visual": usability, performance, accessibility, ...

To account for that complexity, I work in the browser with code as quickly as I can. A good example of this would be the prototype I made for the MIT Childcare Center Scholarship.

If you need a designer…

  • who can narrow the gap between your designers and developers
  • who has experience creating design systems
  • who knows how to code

I'd like to hear from you.

Thanks for reading,

Jan

Work Experience

Download my resumé as a PDF. On a related note, have a look at my work.

 – 
Principal UX engineer
Unstack
Component development and CSS architecture for the Unstack CMS and eCommerce platform.
 – 
Stay-at-home dad
Home
Newborn + pandemic = stay-at-home dad. Well, that was unexpected. The pandemic, not the kid.
 – 
Senior UX specialist
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Systems & Technology
Worked as lead designer and front-end developer embedded in teams working for the Executive Vice President and Treasurer, Facilities, the brain+cognitive sciences department, the Atlas Service Center, Human Resources, and Information Systems and Technology.
 – 
UX/UI team lead
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Systems & Technology
Worked on the LMOD Learning Management System for the MIT community. My responsibilities: team management, research, product design, interaction design, UI design, usability testing, front-end development, documenting, tooling, hiring.
  • Lead a UX/UI team of six embedded in a project team of fifteen people
  • Conceived, designed, and implemented new product features
  • Communicated and collaborated with the backend lead and quality assurance/customer outreach lead ensuring we were aligned
  • Selected and interviewed applicants for open positions
  • Created CSS best practice guidelines and started a component library/design system embodying those guidelines
  • Created asset and tooling pipeline
 – 
Freelance designer & front-end developer
Self-employed
Client and self-initiated projects. Digital archeologists can have a look at my old portfolio site.

Education

 – 
Licentiaats (≈ Masters) Degree in Painting
Sint-Lucas Beeldende Kunst, Gent, Belgium
 – 
Printmaking (Evening Classes)
Sint-Lucas, Gent, Belgium
 – 
Sculpture in Stone (intensive one-year course)
Loods 13, Gent, Belgium

About me

I've lived in six countries. Regrettably, none of them with particularly good weather. I enjoy trail and hill running, double basses, and spending time in my workshop—though the repair of toys is most of what has transpired there in recent times. One day, I'll read novels again.

Also, I can hypnotize chickens.

Recommendations

Jan is a highly effective leader within the User Experience team, providing design and technical mentorship to his teammates, and effective UX, interaction design, graphic design, and development to his project teams.

He demonstrates the value of having a person who can combine solid design skills with a good understanding of the technology and the medium. He expands his efforts to meet the needs of his team.

His work for the Executive Vice President and Treasurer and brain+cognitive sciences department was very well received by the stakeholders.

Giles logo on a wall.
Chris Giles
Digital Communications + UX manager
MIT IS&T
 – 

Jan takes ownership of the work assigned him and takes pride in producing great results. He leads our team's thinking in several areas, such as accessibility and style frameworks.

Jan has taken on a more systemic, consistent, and repeatable approach to visual and interaction styles across our applications. He provides leadership in these areas for the rest of the team.

Jan is our best paratrooper. He already has saved several projects' necks during my short time here.

I value highly Jan's contributions to the team and to design at IS&T. I can count on him to speak his mind and push my ideas to be better yet he's easy to work with.

Headshot of Chris Jackson.
Chris Jackson
UX manager
MIT IS&T
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