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Jared Spool

Founder of Center Centre / UIE and 'Maker of Awesomeness'; one of UX's most influential educators and speakers

ExecutiveLeads from the frontHybrid schoolResearchOrgAI

He is moving the whole UX profession through the AI transition with a people-first thesis — that AI makes skilled designers more essential, not less — backed by hands-on AI curricula for practitioners.

Signature win. Built the modern vocabulary for proving design's business value (cost of frustration, design metrics) and founded a school plus a 33,000-person leadership community to reskill UX practitioners.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources

CraftFive decades holding the UX quality bar; his usability research methods and 'cost of frustration' lens center the end-human, not pixels.8

CommunicationOne of the field's most prolific keynote speakers and writers; his entire career is making design legible to non-designers and making the business case.10

BusinessPioneered design-ROI frameworks (cost of frustration, problem-value metrics, design metrics that matter) that translate UX into dollars for executives.9

Education[Education recalibrated toward editorial baseline] Founded Center Centre design school and runs the 33,000+ member Leaders of Awesomeness community; reskilling and elevating practitioners is his core mission.8

InnovationFrames AI as a 'UX resurgence' that makes designers more essential and teaches practical AI workflows — elevate-not-hollow stance; lighter on hands-on AI building himself.7

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts

OverallI'd work for them100

CraftRaised my craft bar95

CommunicationMade the case for design119

BusinessMade design matter to the business107

EducationTaught me something I still use95

InnovationShowed me a new way to work83

Verified peers only — one tap with LinkedIn. Names stay private; we show role and industry. Bars are illustrative until the participation backend is live.

Stories

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