Multiple lenses. One conviction.

I'm Jason Sonderman, Director of UX — a strategic design leader, global team builder, and operational innovator who believes the best solutions emerge when you refuse to look at a problem from only one angle. With 20+ years leading design teams across four countries, I specialize in scaling UX organizations and implementing AI-accelerated delivery models.

That conviction didn’t come from a framework — it came from twenty years of leading design teams across India, Poland, Belgium, and the US, from studying Scripture through traditions that don’t always agree with each other, and from enough failed assumptions to know that the most dangerous thing in a room is a single perspective. My faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation. My practice — in theology and in UX — is to hold multiple lenses simultaneously and see what the intersection reveals. To most, that makes me a different kind of design director and strategic leader. I’d like to think it makes me a more useful one.

As Director of UX at ARCOS, I’ve built a global team and operational framework from the ground up — including an AI-accelerated delivery model that moves from discovery through design to draft front-end code entirely within the UX team. This represents a strategic approach to UX operations that extends beyond traditional design thinking into executable innovation. That’s not a trend I’m chasing. It’s a considered belief that the tools we use should extend our thinking, not replace it.

My leadership philosophy centers on scaling design organizations, implementing robust UX operations, and creating sustainable delivery models that align with business objectives. I’ve successfully managed teams of 8+ designers across international offices, established UX governance frameworks, and developed budget strategies that demonstrate clear ROI for design investments.

If that sounds like the kind of UX leadership and strategic direction your organization needs, I’d like to talk.

See the work →

“…Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

— David Bowie

Yellow toned shot of Jason smiling while outside

A distressed tv screen filter on Jason holding a coffee cup

My Values

These aren’t rules I follow. They’re how I think. They came from years of leading creative teams, learning from failure, and paying attention to what actually makes collaboration and craft work. I’ve held onto these because they’ve held up.

There are no bad waves

We can’t control the speed or size of the wave — we can only commit to riding what comes. Great leaders don’t wait for perfect conditions. They take what’s given and see it all the way through.

Can’t be halfway

Partial investment produces partial results. I expect full commitment from myself and I work to create conditions where teams can bring their whole selves to hard problems.

No simple problems

When you think you’ve defined a problem, dig deeper. The real challenge is almost always underneath the presenting one. This is why research isn’t optional — it’s the foundation.

Failure is an outstanding teacher

Innovation lives beyond the edges of what’s known and safe. I push teams toward the edges, not away from them — with the conviction that what you learn from a failed attempt is often more valuable than a cautious success.

Break things to make better things

Nothing is too sacred to question, including our own assumptions. If something can’t survive being taken apart and rebuilt, it was flawed to begin with. This applies to systems, processes, and designs alike.

No mistakes, only opportunities

A mistake is a good idea in the wrong context. When I see a team member stumble, the question isn’t what went wrong — it’s what we can learn and build on.

Yes, and…

Borrowed from improv, essential to leadership. When someone brings an idea into the room, validate it and build on it. The magic in any collaboration lives in the space between perspectives.

Be a great listener

Really listen. Not to formulate your response, but to understand. Every person in the room has seen something you haven’t. That’s the whole point of having a room.

Don’t bail on your partner

Support your team. Sometimes that means being the loudest voice; sometimes it means being in the background. Either way, you show up fully and you don’t leave people hanging.