KJ

001 / INTRO

Building designorganizationsand productsthat makecomplexbusinesses work.

VP of Design & Research with 15+ years leading design through acquisitions, growth, transformation, and scale across startups, marketplaces, platforms, and enterprise.

Portrait of Kenneth Jansson
Years
15+
Companies
7
Acquisitions
2

002 / SELECTED WORK

  • VP of Product Design across CLEAR’s Travel and Identity businesses, leading design strategy, product experience, and the design organization across consumer, member, and enterprise experiences—from digital products to physical touchpoints.

    TRAVEL & IDENTITYTrust & SafetyPlatform
    CLEAR mark

    Context

    CLEAR sits at the intersection of Travel and Identity, connecting digital products with physical experiences and serving consumers, members, and enterprise customers. My role is to bring those experiences together through a coherent product and design strategy.

    Highlights

    • Set design strategy across CLEAR’s Travel and Identity businesses
    • Lead and scale the Product Design organization
    • Guide product direction across digital and physical experiences
    • Partner with Product, Engineering, Security, Legal, and Business Leadership

    Outcome

    Building a design organization and experience that makes a complex business feel simple, trusted, and seamless across every touchpoint.

  • Head of Product Design and UXR for the leading restaurant discovery and reservation platform that connects diners with top dining experiences. The platform helps millions of users explore restaurants, make informed decisions, and seamlessly book tables with confidence. Part of American Express.

    HOSPITALITYTwo-sided
    Resy mark

    Context

    Resy is a two-sided hospitality marketplace connecting diners, restaurants, and the broader American Express ecosystem. I led product design through a period of growth and transformation, spanning the customer experience, restaurant products, and the design organization.

    Highlights

    • Set design strategy across consumer and restaurant experiences
    • Led and developed the product design organization
    • Shaped product direction across discovery, reservations, and restaurant tools
    • Connected Resy’s experience with the broader American Express ecosystem
    • Partnered with product, engineering, and executive leadership on strategy and growth

    Outcome

    Building the design organization and product ecosystem to move Resy beyond reservations and become a more connected platform for restaurants, diners, and American Express members.

  • Head of Product Design for a leading hiring marketplace that connected talented professionals with top employers. The platform helped thousands of candidates discover opportunities, showcase their skills, and navigate the job search with transparency and efficiency.

    TALENTSaaS
    Hired mark

    Context

    Hired was a two-sided talent marketplace connecting companies with highly skilled professionals. I led product design across both sides of the marketplace, while helping evolve the product strategy, design organization, and experience through a period of growth and transformation. Hired was acquired by Adecco Group.

    Highlights

    • Set design strategy across candidate and employer experiences
    • Led and developed the product design organization
    • Shaped the marketplace experience across discovery, matching, and hiring
    • Used research to understand and balance the needs of both sides
    • Partnered with product, engineering, and executive leadership on marketplace strategy

    Outcome

    Creating a more coherent marketplace experience while building the design organization and product practices to support Hired’s next stage of growth.

  • I joined Shutterstock to lead the 0→1 design and launch of Offset, a new premium creative brand. As the business evolved, my remit expanded to lead product design across Shutterstock’s core e-commerce experience, shaping how millions of customers discover, license, and purchase images, video, and music.

    COMMERCEMarketplaceBrand
    Shutterstock mark

    Context

    Shutterstock is a global creative marketplace spanning images, video, and music. I joined to launch Offset, a new premium brand, then expanded my role to lead product design across the core e-commerce experience.

    Highlights

    • Led the 0→1 design and launch of Offset
    • Defined the experience for a new premium creative brand
    • Led design across search, discovery, licensing, and purchase
    • Unified experiences across Shutterstock’s content verticals
    • Partnered with product, engineering, and business leadership on e-commerce strategy

    Outcome

    Created a new premium business while evolving the core commerce experience across a global creative marketplace.

All work

  • 01CLEARVP of Product Design · 2026 — Present
  • 02WeedmapsVP of Design & Research · 2026 — 2026
  • 03ResyDirector of Product Design · 2021 — 2026
  • 04HiredDirector of Product Design · 2019 — 2021
  • 05WorkframeDirector of Product Design · 2017 — 2019
  • 06ShutterstockPrincipal Product Designer · 2013 — 2017
  • 07Huffington PostSenior UX Designer · 2011 — 2013

003 / Approach

I lead design where the business is complex, the customer needs are diverse, and the stakes are high — connecting product, research, and organizational strategy to create measurable impact.

01

Insight-led

Make customer insight and evidence a core input to business and product decisions — creating clarity around where to invest, what to build, and why.

02

Organizational

Build the structures, talent, operating models, and culture that allow design organizations to perform at their best as they scale.

03

Strategic

Partner with executive and cross-functional leaders to shape strategy, then turn it into products and experiences that create value for customers and the business.

004 / About

Building teams. Shaping strategy. Staying curious.

Location
Brooklyn, NY
Currently
VP of Product Design, CLEAR
Discipline
Product Design · UX · UXR
Experience
15+ years
Verticals
Marketplaces · E-commerce · SaaS · Editorial

Ken is a VP of Product Design with 15+ years leading design through growth, transformation, and scale across startups, scale-ups, and enterprise.

His work spans two-sided marketplaces, platforms, commerce, SaaS, and editorial, from early-stage products to experiences serving millions of people. He leads multidisciplinary teams across Product Design, UX, and Research, connecting customer insight, product strategy, and business goals.

He thrives where multiple audiences, incentives, and systems have to work together—using design to create clarity for customers and leverage for the business.

005 / Contact

Let's talk.

I’m always interested in thoughtful people, ambitious products, and complicated problems. If you’re working on something interesting, say hello.