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About

I'm an ambitious generalist with design at the core. Over the years I've learned to code, research, and think about business, and I'd rather find my own path than follow a well-worn one.

I think of myself as box-shaped: deep expertise across a few core disciplines, broad knowledge filling in around them, and empathy running through all of it. A genuine ability to understand the language, constraints, and goals of whoever I'm working with.

I'm the 6th man: not always in the spotlight, but reliable enough that teams move faster because of it. Stepping into strategy, systems, branding, or code as needed, seeing the full picture, and making sure every detail serves the larger vision. Lately that includes learning how to work with AI thoughtfully, finding where it genuinely helps and where it gets in the way.

James in the Pyrenees
James' Travels
James Madson
Wavy Lines

Things I've always cared about and tried to bring to every project. If the work isn't useful, nothing else really matters — but if it's also clear and built to last, that's when it starts to feel right.

I love solving a real need with something beautiful. Working with a great team to get there makes it better every time. I try to think big, move fast, and care about the details — always with an eye toward actually helping the people using it.

Services

Clients

  • Brands

  • Hoka One One
  • Kirkus
  • Reuters
  • Stack Overflow
  • UGG
  • Xprize
  • John Lewis
  • Copic
  • Nonprofits

  • American Press Institute
  • Global Training Network
  • Metrics for News
  • REI Cooperative Action Fund
  • St. Jude Children's Hospital
  • The Furniture Society
  • Agencies

  • Clearleft
  • 10Up
  • Eightfold
  • Tallwave
  • Toptal
  • Twenty Ideas

Background

Digital Health Platform Under NDA
2024–Present · Remote

Lead Designer Current

Leading design on a first-of-its-kind digital health app. Focused on system design — using new AI tools to design the systems around the work, including tooling strategy and frameworks that let a small team move with precision and speed.

St. Jude Cloud St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
2019–2025 · Remote, Memphis

Lead Product Designer

Led design across a full web platform redesign and multiple zero-to-one products — including genomics tools, clinical data portals, and internal dashboards. Managed design systems and mentored junior designers.

NatureQuant NatureQuant
2019–Present · Remote

Design Director

Led and executed design across product and brand for a nature-exposure health tech startup. Directed brand identity, built the design function from scratch, and shipped NatureDose and NatureScore consumer apps. Currently working on GIS mapping visualizations using Felt and ArcGIS.

ORCAS Oregon Center for Applied Science
2007–2010 · Seattle

Product Designer

Designed product experiences across a portfolio of consumer apps including Moodhacker, Jauntly, and CBT-based wellness programs. Led branding, UI, and UX, conducted user research, and wrote front-end code for UI.

Freelance Independent
2008–Present · Remote

Designer & Creative Director

Ongoing independent practice spanning product design, brand identity, data visualization, and front-end development for clients including Reuters, Stack Overflow, St. Jude, REI Cooperative Action Fund, and XPRIZE.