In this special, live episode from the Config conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Jesse James Garrett recounts his significant career co-founding Adaptive Path, pioneering foundational processes in software design, and navigating strange waters as his company was sold to Capital One. Just as he was finding his footing as a design executive coach, he got a cancer diagnosis that reshaped his view on work and life. Now on the other side of cancer, he shares what he learned.
About Jesse James Garrett
I started out in user experience before it even had that name — in fact, some would say I’m one of the people who helped give it that name. I co-founded a design agency, Adaptive Path, which was the first company to use that term to describe its work, and went on to international renown for helping to pioneer the field of UX. My book The Elements of User Experience (also the first book to use that term in its title) has been considered a foundational text for UX designers for nearly 20 years, and is used in college courses around the world.
My book and my company had influence far beyond anything I ever dreamed of, helping to establish the practices and philosophy that would become what we now call user experience design. I’ve traveled all over, teaching and public speaking, from huge conference keynotes to engaging with local communities around the world (Hello, Grand Rapids!) as our field grew and matured.
I’ve seen a lot over the years: I’ve been a designer, I’ve managed designers; I’ve worked in agencies, I’ve worked in house; I’ve led project teams, corporate initiatives, departments, and an entire company. I’ve worked with tiny startups all the way up to global giants, across industries ranging from media and entertainment to health care and financial services to non-profit and community organizations.
