Small group coaching
for UX design leaders
“Jesse’s Design Leadership Studio was like nothing I’ve ever been through. Working with other leaders makes you quickly realize that you’re not alone—they are going through the same things you are! Hearing and sharing with them really helps you shape your perspective.”
Applications now open for
Summer 2025 Design Leadership Studio
Leadership can be very lonely—especially for UX design leaders. Few of your cross-functional peers face the same challenges you do, and there’s often no mentor to turn to when your own leadership abilities and practices come into play.
But you don’t have to be alone.
Drawing on the best of both design practice and coaching methodologies, I’ve developed a structured group coaching program to help user experience leaders connect, seek support, and share their wisdom in a safe and confidential environment. This is Design Leadership Studio.
“Design Leadership Studio was such a helpful experience for me. It was a beautiful blend of guided reflection, group discussion, and one on one support that pushed me ever-so-slightly out of my comfort zone so that I could work through a few things that were holding me back. I’ve done a few different coaching engagements and this one was the most impactful, by far.”
“Jesse has such thoughtful insights for everybody on the call. Each session ends up being such a meaningful conversation because you learn from their situations as much as your own. I use concepts from these sessions in my work every single day.”
In design education, studio courses rely not on lectures or textbooks, but on collaborative exploration of problems and possible solutions in an open environment, while students pursue the goals of their own individual projects.
Design Leadership Studio brings this philosophy to the domain of leadership skills development. In place of the much-critiqued “critique”, however, we’ll be creating an environment of mutual support, in which your fellow participants are your sounding boards, blind-spot watchers, and problem-solving advisory team.
It’s a 6-week deep dive designed to get to the heart of your leadership issues. Each session is a lively and fast-paced mix of one-on-one coaching and facilitated group dialogue. Working directly with me—and alongside a small group of other design leaders—you’ll be sharing challenges, brainstorming approaches, and contributing your own perspectives.
“In Design Leadership Studio, leaders are given a rare opportunity to prioritize their own growth and needs, fostering a supportive environment filled with camaraderie and understanding from peers who truly ‘get it.’ This unique space allows for personal reflection and collective empowerment, making it an invaluable experience for any leader.”
Summer 2025 Design Leadership Studio
- 6 live Zoom sessions over 6 weeks
- Every Tuesday, June 24 through July 29
- Groups of 3-5 design leaders (Principal IC through C-level)
- 60 minute sessions
- Multiple timeslots available (same time each week)
- Private Discord channel exclusively for your group
- Certificate awarded upon completion
- $750 USD
- Applications close June 13
“Jesse is an OG interdisciplinary creative—a deeply experienced systems thinker who can truly hold a mirror up to the nature of design and designers. The Studio is a cathartic joy sprinkled into my workweek. Come with curiosity and openness, and you are sure to leave with some usable wisdom.”
Participation is by application only, to support the highest quality group matches and to avoid conflicts of interest. Seats are extremely limited for this offering, and regrettably some who apply may not find a spot.
Through this program, I’ve helped dozens of design leaders just like you take action on their biggest leadership challenges. Based on their experiences, Design Leadership Studio provides a resource on your leadership journey not quite like anything else out there.
“It’s amazing how well Jesse addresses important themes from team comments. Every session concludes with specific, doable actions that promote cohesion and advancement. This work had a significant impact on my career.”
“Jesse’s Design Leadership Studio was an amazing experience that allowed us to share our frustrations and learnings, and receive valuable feedback from Jesse and each other. Every time we met, we would realize that we were not alone in experiencing these issues. After each session, we came out as transformed leaders, armed with new ideas to move forward.”
“The light structure of the Studio makes for a collaborative environment to address the issues of each participant in a very deliberate way. Though we didn’t know each other at first, we quickly became comfortable enough to show vulnerability and to speak candidly.”
“Jesse’s expert facilitation, plus the way he’s structured the sessions, mean there’s a lot of room for self exploration and discussion in a compact series of sessions. It really shows how the best learning happens in a group of peers.”
“Design Leadership Studio was eye-opening. Hearing the experiences and challenges of fellow design leaders first-hand helped me through my own. It brought me into a community I felt was missing, and it continues to provide community even after its conclusion. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Jesse!”
If Design Leadership Studio isn’t right for you, you can also check out my roundtable series, find out more about my private leadership coaching practice and read client testimonials.
Jesse James Garrett 