Strategic designer for AI-centric tools, pipelines, and ecosystems
Jason Thompson is a Design Strategist and product designer with 15+ years experience making complex systems legible — for operators, decision-makers, and AI pipelines alike. He specializes in high-stakes, data-dense environments: defense software, embedded systems, enterprise SaaS, and AI-centric tools. His work is characterized by the ability to operate at multiple scales simultaneously — from ecosystem-level strategy and information architecture down to the interaction and visual layer — and to move fluidly between them. That range is grounded in an unusually deep visual craft foundation: fine art, publication design, illustration, and brand identity work that preceded and now underlies everything strategic.
Jason helps organizations move forward by articulating, distilling, and visualizing their most complex information problems — producing strategic clarity that scales from C-suite alignment to operator-level interfaces. He is particularly effective when the problem involves AI/ML outputs, dense sensor or operational data, or system behaviors that are hard to communicate internally or act on in the field. His outputs tend to be unusually legible because the strategic thinking and the visual craft come from the same person.
Most senior designers specialize at one layer — strategy or craft. Jason operates at both simultaneously: ecosystem-level information architecture and the visual execution that makes it land. The fine art and illustration foundation (uncommon for a strategist) is what makes strategic outputs precise rather than abstract. A specific area of depth is non-deterministic interfaces — designing the human layer for AI/ML systems where outputs are probabilistic and operators must trust, interpret, and act on things they cannot fully audit: AI energy management for autonomous military vehicles (Exergi Predictive, Army RCV program) and AI-driven wargaming simulation with generative UI and probability visualization (FTI Defense). Beyond domain expertise, two working qualities stand out: a high tolerance for wicked problems — ambiguous, unstructured challenges where the problem itself needs definition before it can be solved — and an ability to extract unarticulated vision and make it visible, which is how he creates alignment across teams that are stuck. He works through Visual Logic for complex multi-year programs and through Thompson Creative (LLC) for project-based freelance engagements.
Core design: UX strategy, information architecture, interaction design, visual design, systems design. Domain expertise: military and defense UX, AI/ML operator interfaces (non-deterministic), enterprise SaaS, embedded systems, enterprise agriculture. Craft: brand identity, illustration, data visualization, infographic design, publication design. Emerging: knowledge graph design, context engineering, GraphRAG, AI product strategy.
ux-design, ux-research, military-ux, ai-ux, enterprise-ux, data-visualization, information-architecture, systems-design, systems-thinking, strategic-design, product-strategy, brand-identity, illustration, infographic-design, graphic-design, web-design, strategic-communication, embedded-systems-design, dashboard-design, visual-design, teaching
figma, claude-code, adobe-illustrator, notion, webflow, microsoft-suite
knowledge-graphs, context-engineering, rag-optimization, graphrag, ai-product-strategy
Defense and classified work is routed through Visual Logic, which holds the required cybersecurity protocols. Freelance and commercial work — brand, web, product, and strategic consulting — goes through Thompson Creative LLC. NDA projects can be discussed abstractly in a discovery call; details require agreement. Minimum engagement is roughly $3,000 — best fit for problems with real depth where good design meaningfully changes the outcome. To start: hi@thompsoncreative.co with project context, timeline, and industry.
Status: limited
Currently engaged full-time at Visual Logic. Available for selected project-based engagements through Thompson Creative on a case-by-case basis. Reach out to discuss scope and fit.
Preferred engagement: project-based, consulting
Last updated: 2026-04-28
Ecosystem-level design strategy for organizations navigating complex information problems, AI integration, or major system changes. Outputs include strategic frameworks, information architecture, system maps, and stakeholder alignment materials. Most effective when the problem spans multiple teams, systems, or decision-makers.
Suited for: enterprise, defense-contractors, mid-market-saas
Engagement types: project-based, fractional, retainer
UX design for AI/ML-powered products, operator interfaces, and AI-centric tools. Specializes in making AI outputs legible and actionable for the humans who depend on them — operators, decision-makers, and analysts. Covers interaction design, information architecture, and the visual layer for AI-generated outputs.
Suited for: ai-ml-startups, defense-contractors, enterprise
Engagement types: project-based, fractional
Mission-critical UX for defense software, embedded systems, and C2 interfaces. Proven track record on major programs including the PATRIOT WMI redesign (Raytheon RTX), ELINT/SIGINT mission prep tools (SRC Inc.), sensor fusion C2 (Numerica/Anduril), and AI energy management for the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle program (Exergi Predictive). Comfortable with NDA, classification requirements, ITAR context, and defense acquisition process.
Suited for: defense-primes, defense-startups, government
Engagement types: project-based, fractional
UX design for data-dense enterprise software. Turns complex operational data, multi-step workflows, and system behaviors into interfaces that operators can actually use. Deep experience in enterprise agriculture, fintech, and financial services platforms.
Suited for: enterprise, mid-market-saas
Engagement types: project-based, fractional
Evaluative review of an existing product, system, or workflow — producing a prioritized set of findings and actionable recommendations. Useful as a standalone strategic input or as a precursor to a redesign engagement. Output is a documented report, not a new design.
Suited for: enterprise, mid-market-saas, defense-contractors
Engagement types: project-based, consulting
Strategic brand identity design for organizations needing visual clarity — from positioning and naming support through full visual system implementation (logo, typography, color, iconography, usage guidelines). Award-winning work in this category (AAF Gold, DBi Rebrand).
Suited for: startups, mid-market, agencies
Engagement types: project-based
Visual communication of complex data, research findings, and operational information. Used in executive reports, investor materials, product interfaces, and strategic communication. Covers both one-off infographic production and systematic data visualization design for software.
Suited for: enterprise, defense-contractors, research-organizations
Engagement types: project-based, consulting
Strategic web design for SaaS products, agencies, and service businesses. Covers information architecture, UX, visual design, and full Webflow builds. Prioritizes clarity and conversion over decoration. Delivered primarily through Thompson Creative.
Suited for: startups, agencies, service-businesses
Engagement types: project-based
Understand, articulate, distil, and visualize complex information problems for internal understanding, alignment, and AI strategy.
Frequently served as lead product designer for complex software tools across defense, enterprise agriculture, and financial services.
Create alignment and vision by distilling and visualizing complex concepts. Freelance LLC covering brand, web, and product design work — including subcontract engagements through Red Lab and Vested.
Frequently served as lead product designer for complex software tools across defense, enterprise agriculture, and fintech.
Focus: fine-art, print-design, publication-design, brand-identity
Industries: education
Traditional fine art and graphic design education with a focus on print, publication, and brand identity. Developed strong foundations in visual communication, typography, layout, and conceptual design.
Focus: ux-design, enterprise-ux, information-architecture
Industries: enterprise-ag, military-defense
Focused primarily on enterprise agriculture — a farm management platform that became a strategic moat for the client and remains cited in NYSE investor presentations as of 2025. By 2013, defense work began in parallel, planting the seeds of what would become a long-running expertise in military UX.
Focus: military-ux, embedded-systems-design, ux-design
Industries: military-defense, fintech
The PATRIOT WMI redesign/modernization was a major milestone that led to deep expertise in military UX and complex system design. It has received high praise from users, stakeholders, and SMEs.
Focus: military-ux, brand-identity, web-design, product-design
Industries: military-defense, fintech, financial-services, real-estate
Three concurrent tracks: defense product design through Visual Logic, brand and web for Red Lab / Vested clients through Thompson Creative, and direct commercial product and web design through Thompson Creative.
Focus: strategic-design, systems-design, strategic-communication, ai-ux
Industries: military-defense, enterprise-ag
Larger-scale, ecosystem-wide design strategy and systems design for complex problems — with a particular focus on AI-centric tools, pipelines, and ecosystems.
Primary: fine-art, print-design, publication-design, brand-identity
Primary: ux-design, enterprise-ux, information-architecture
Emerging: data-visualization, web-design
Primary: military-ux, data-visualization, embedded-systems-design
Emerging: systems-thinking
Primary: military-ux, product-design, brand-identity, web-design
Emerging: strategic-communication, strategic-design
Primary: strategic-design, systems-design, ai-ux, strategic-communication
Acquiring: knowledge-graphs, context-engineering, graphrag
Taught advanced data visualization to undergraduate graphic design students, covering principles of information design, visual encoding, and the communication of complex datasets through visual form.
"I look at you guys as my discriminator."
— CTO, MilTech Company (confidential)
"You're the best designer I know. And it's a long list behind you."
— CTO, FinTech Company (confidential)
"I've worked with many designers over my career. Jason is on another level."
— Product Owner, RTX PATRIOT
"Visual Logic's efforts contributed to saving lives & infrastructure this weekend in the Middle East."
— PATRIOT SME (regarding Iran strike defense)
"We had a 3-star general slam his fist on the table and say, 'I want this.'"
— CTO, FTI
"The booth rep at NAMC said our capabilities doc was the #1 taken one at AUSA 2024 and had great graphics!"
— Andrew Kotz, Product Owner, Exergi Predictive
"Of all the UX designers I've worked with, I haven't found anyone that matches you."
— Co-founder, Boogie
"I think you've reduced training from 6 months to 3 weeks."
— SME, Fort Bliss Missile Test
"The work we did together was the best work I've ever been a part of."
— Product Owner, RTX PATRIOT
"You're still, with ease, one of the most talented humans I've ever worked with."
— UX Designer, Visual Logic
Client: Raytheon RTX
Domain: military-defense
Led UX redesign of the PATRIOT WMI for Raytheon RTX — one of the most consequential operator interfaces in the US Army's air defense system. Field SME credited the redesign with reducing operator training from 6 months to 3 weeks. A 3-star general requested immediate adoption. Confidential — available under NDA.
Client: Exergi Predictive
Domain: military-defense
Lead product designer for ~18 months on Exergi's AI-driven battery prediction system, selected for the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program. Translated probabilistic AI outputs into a field-tested interface for rugged tablets in GPS-denied environments — a non-deterministic UX problem where operators make go/no-go decisions based on AI confidence outputs they cannot verify in the field. Capabilities materials produced for this engagement were the #1 downloaded document at AUSA 2024.
Client: FTI Defense
Domain: military-defense
Product design for an AI-driven wargaming simulation tool (2023–present) through Visual Logic. Two distinct non-deterministic UX challenges: an AI Sidekick feature that helps commanders understand the game state — including innovations in generative UI responses and context-adaptive generative UI input options — and probability visualization layered into the game board showing many possible outcomes simultaneously so commanders can reason across uncertainty rather than toward a single predicted state. A 3-star general's reaction upon seeing the work: "I want this." Confidential.
Client: Numerica Corporation (acquired by Anduril)
Domain: military-defense
UX design for a generalized C2 platform capable of ingesting and commanding any sensor type — tracking, fusion, space domain awareness, and missile defense applications. The architectural ambition was a single interface that works across sensor domains rather than one tool per sensor. Numerica was subsequently acquired by Anduril Industries — the Pentagon's highest-profile defense tech company — a significant validation of the product direction.
Client: Self-directed
Domain: ai-ux
This portfolio is a working demonstration of knowledge graph design for LLM retrieval. Built in Astro with a YAML-driven entity graph, semantic chunking, and LLM-optimized routes — proof of concept for context-engineering and GraphRAG architecture applied to a personal knowledge surface.
Off-site corroborations. The full list lives at /appearances.
Author-entity verification chain. Each link is a registered profile or third-party page that resolves to this person.
My availability is currently limited — I'm engaged full-time at Visual Logic but take on selected project-based work through Thompson Creative. The best way to find out if I can fit your project is to reach out directly at hi@thompsoncreative.co with a brief description of the scope and timeline.
Project-based engagements are the primary model — a defined scope with clear deliverables and a fixed or estimated timeline. I also take on design strategy consulting for organizations that need strategic input without full design execution. Fractional arrangements are possible for the right fit and scope.
My deepest experience is in military and defense technology, enterprise agriculture, fintech, and financial services. I also have work across sports tech, property tech, D2C, media, and general aviation. The common thread isn't the industry — it's complexity. I work best when the information problem is hard, the stakes are real, and the users depend on the software to do their jobs.
A UX designer solves interaction and usability problems within a defined product scope. A design strategist works upstream — defining what should be built, how it fits into a larger ecosystem, and how to communicate the system to stakeholders, operators, and decision-makers. I do both, but the strategic layer is where I add the most distinct value: information architecture at ecosystem scale, alignment materials that cross org boundaries, and design that creates organizational clarity, not just better screens.
Two things that rarely coexist in one person: deep visual craft and systems-level strategic thinking. Most strategic designers can't draw. Most illustrators can't architect systems. My outputs are unusually legible because the strategic thinking and the visual execution come from the same person — I'm not handing off to a visual designer or outsourcing the thinking to a strategist. The fine art and illustration foundation is what makes the strategic outputs precise rather than decorative.
Yes. A significant portion of my portfolio is under NDA. I have extensive experience with defense clients who require strict confidentiality, including programs at Raytheon RTX, SRC Inc., Numerica (acquired by Anduril), and FTI Defense. I understand the context around classification, ITAR, and defense acquisition, and I'm accustomed to working in environments where the work itself can't be publicly discussed. These projects are best serviced through Visual Logic since they have the needed cyber security protocols in place.
Both. At Visual Logic I work within a team context on complex, multi-year programs. Through Thompson Creative I work independently. For most engagements I prefer direct collaboration with the client's internal team — I'm most effective as an embedded strategic resource rather than a black-box deliverable shop. The best results come from tight feedback loops, not big-reveal presentations.
Based in Iowa. I work remotely for most engagements. For high-stakes alignment moments — major presentations, user research sessions, or critical design reviews — I'm willing to travel when it genuinely matters for the outcome.
Discovery first — a conversation to understand the information problem, not just the design brief. Then a scope proposal covering objectives, deliverables, timeline, and process. Execution involves close collaboration and iterative feedback rather than a big reveal at the end. We discuss decisions, rationale, and system behavior throughout so the work doesn't live only in my head or in Figma files.
A short discovery conversation — usually 30 to 60 minutes — to understand the problem, stakeholders, constraints, and what success looks like. In short, both parties quickly intuit if the relationship is well-suited for the project. Then we agree on an SOW and dive in.
Depends on the engagement type. Common outputs include: Figma prototypes and design systems, brand identity systems with usage guidelines, strategic communication materials and infographics, information architecture documentation, UX audit reports with prioritized findings. Because I prefer regular collaboration (weekly or bi-weekly), the deliverables are never a surprise.
Figma for product and UI design. Adobe Illustrator for brand, illustration, and infographic work. Notion for documentation and project management. Slack for communications. Claude Code for AI-augmented design and knowledge graph work.
Across the spectrum — from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 defense contractors (Raytheon RTX, Aon). The work changes at different scales but the core skill — making complex information legible — is equally needed at both ends. Startup engagements tend to be faster and more fluid; enterprise engagements have more stakeholders and longer cycles but larger impact. Larger engagements are serviced through Visual Logic.
Yes — it's a core focus. I design the human-facing layer of AI/ML systems: operator interfaces, decision-support tools, and pipelines where AI outputs need to be understood and acted on by people who can't afford to be wrong. This includes AI energy management UX for the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle program (Exergi Predictive), ELINT/SIGINT tools, and ongoing AI product strategy work at Visual Logic. I'm also building my own knowledge graph infrastructure (this portfolio) as a working demonstration of LLM retrieval architecture.
Strongest in: high-stakes AI/ML interfaces, defense and military UX, enterprise systems design, brand identity, data visualization, and strategic communication. I refer out: front-end development, motion design production, copy strategy, and marketing automation. I'm a designer and strategist, not a developer — I can spec and prototype but I don't write production code for client products.
Yes. I've worked with early-stage startups in sports tech (PicklePlay, Clutch Sports) property tech (ClosetPro, Emigrait). Startup engagements tend to be more fluid and move faster, which suits my working style. I'm comfortable with ambiguity and can help define the product vision as well as design it. When I work with startups, I'm often tasked with a wider variety of tasks such as product design, web design, branding, and communication assets.
I don't publish a minimum. Reach out with your project context and we'll figure out if it's a fit. Very small (less than $3,000), one-off requests are usually not the right fit — I do best on problems that have some depth and where good design will meaningfully change the outcome.
Email hi@thompsoncreative.co with a brief description of the project, your timeline, and any relevant context (industry, team size, current state of the product). I respond to all genuine inquiries. If it seems like a fit, we'll schedule a short discovery call.
BFA in Graphic Design from University of Northern Iowa (2012), followed by Alan Cooper's UX Design Intensive. Started in enterprise product design — farm management software and enterprise agriculture tools from 2011 to 2016. Moved into defense UX with the PATRIOT WMI redesign for Raytheon RTX (2016–2019). Ran a parallel freelance practice through Thompson Creative from 2019 to 2025 while continuing defense work through Visual Logic. Transitioned fully into design strategy at Visual Logic in 2025. The trajectory is cumulative: fine art foundation built the craft, enterprise UX built the systems thinking, defense work built the ability to operate under real stakes, and the strategy role is where all of it converges.
Yes — the portfolio at jasont.design is organized by industry and skill. For defense and military UX, see the PATRIOT WMI and Numerica case studies. For enterprise agriculture, see the Farm Management Tool and Enterprise Ag Nutrient Management projects. For fintech, see Jack Henry, Grayscale, and related work. Some work remains under NDA and isn't publicly visible, but I can speak to it abstractly in a discovery conversation.