Hi. I’m Jess. I am a design and product professional with an enthusiasm for understanding people, their motivations, and their needs.

I have always been interested in collecting and telling individuals’ stories and am now passionate about understanding and interpreting these to develop and improve products, services, and experiences.

I specialize in service design, product discovery and strategy, rapid experimentation, and business model innovation in corporate and regulated environments.

  • Jess is a tremendous leader and really drives innovation. She is exceptional at developing user experiences and building out customer journeys. She has an ability to drive thought provoking outcomes that have tangible measurable results. She is a great team player with great leadership skills. Was lucky to have worked with her!

    - Senior Director, Customer Strategy, Xcel Energy

  • Jess is a true innovation and design thinking rock star. She was the leader behind the development and success of Xcel Energy's HCD team. Her ability to inspire a team - using sound process - to achieve positive outcomes is without question. She worked on some of our biggest challenges at Xcel Energy and achieved real results. She is a leader of teams - not just a doer. Any corporation or consultancy looking to add an HCD leader would be lucky to have her.

    - Senior Director, Innovation, Xcel Energy

  • Jess is a fantastic leader that I had the privilege of working under. She has a unique ability to understand her staff at a deep level, get the best out of them everyday, and create an environment of positivity and psychological safety.

    Team Member, Xcel Energy, XCELab

  • Jessica is a flat-out terrific design thinker. She can lead complex projects, teach promising aspirants, and inspire skeptical executives with equal skill. I've worked alongside her for three-plus years and, not coincidentally, have done the best work of my life. If you have a difficult, human-centered challenge to solve, your odds will improve immediately if Jessica Dugan leads the effort.

    - Founder & Partner, Peer Insight

  • Wealth of Knowledge’ is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Jess. She is among the best in the business when it comes to championing user-centered solutions. Emphasizing listening to learn, Jess served as a valued team leader and quickly won the respect of our business partners. Jess thrived in her ability to effortlessly flex between approaches to extract the most value. Jess earns my highest recommendation as a design thought leader and team player, organizations looking for the best would be lucky to have her.

    - VP, Innovation, UnitedHealthcare

  • Jess taught me so much about the kind of leader and manager I'd like to become. She built a balanced and high-achieving team at XCELab, and was the heart of a team culture that valued connection, humanity, and doing quality innovative work.

    Team Member, Xcel Energy, XCELab

  • You and your team provided tremendous value and have forever changed how many think through designing better ways to do things with people at the center of it all. You really have made a lasting impact with sharing, educating and showing employees and others how to think differently when solving challenges.

    - Director, Innovation and Transformation, Xcel Energy