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TJ Nelson

I help product teams figure out what they’re actually building, and why.

Designer, strategist, and builder. 10+ years across startups and enterprise.

  • LinkedIn
  • Substack
  • Instagram

Clients I've worked with

Microsoft
AWS
Dropbox
Cisco
Adobe
Group Pass Management

Confidence over speed

Group Pass Management at RainFocus

Group owners register, book and plan on behalf of the people they bring. I led the design of the tools that let them do it with confidence, then rebuilt it as an iOS prototype to show the thinking. 

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Building with Character

Why Product Philosophy Matters Now More Than Ever

This Product Hive talk highlights my work and passion for creativity and product building. Explore my projects to see my process in action.

Think Big, Start Small

Six years of building event software that keeps up with the people who run them.

1M+ attendees

Showed up in 2020, in the first five months of virtual

5 → 13 designers

A team built on chapter critiques and team discussion

55% fewer

Implementation Hours

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Greatest Hits

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A Guided Admin Experience

31% Decrease to Implementation Hours

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Creating a Feedback Culture

60% Increase in Client Interactions

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My Newsletter

Each month, I publish Philosophy & Design—a newsletter that explores important questions about how we work, lead, and live well—drawing from books, podcasts, and everyday learnings.

My Work

A mix of case studies, team trainings, and documentation

Recommendations

Kind words from a few people I've worked with

Britton

Senior Director of Product Design at BEN

Britton Stanfill

TJ is a very talented UX designer with an incredible work ethic. He was one of my first students, and he immediately stood out, being a person of the highest quality. He was determined to do whatever it took to learn and master the necessary skills of Product Design. It comes as absolutely no surprise that he has been successful in his career as a product designer.

He is an avid learner, he works hard, and he is a talented UX Designer. In addition to all of this, he has excellent soft skills and is fun to be around.

  • LinkedIn
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Co-founder & CEO at Proactive Health

David Bullock

TJ has been critical to our team's success. He has taken on the most difficult projects. He has a way of taking something very complex and distilling it down into a simple, yet beautiful design. He moves fast and has shown considerable leadership qualities. He stepped up to fill a gap: to lead and mentor the team even when nobody asked him to. TJ would make a great addition to any product team or leadership position.

  • LinkedIn
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Product Manager at Akoya

Stephanie Jerome

TJ and I worked together through a mentorship program that he created and facilitated. TJ has a talent for identifying areas of strength and growth opportunities in individuals. He then takes those strengths and growth opportunities and focuses learning and skill development around it. He helped me to think about networking in new, more effective ways. Because of TJ's mentorship, I feel more confident and able to tackle the deep waters of career mobility. He empowered me with tools that I can use throughout my life. I recommend him as a mentor for anyone trying to get into product leadership.

  • LinkedIn

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© 2026 by TJ Nelson Design

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