Back to the LeaderboardThe Design Leadership Index

Jason Mesut

Founder of Resonant Futures and Design Partner at Group of Humans; creator of the 'Shaping Design/Shaping Designers' frameworks

SeniorLeads from the backHybrid schoolOrgSystemsProduct
He works the people-protection axis directly — coaching and equipping designers to reskill and reposition as AI reshapes the practice, rather than replacing them.

Signature win. Built and sustained the 'Shaping' visual frameworks over ~19 years, giving thousands of designers and teams a way to map their skills, self-reflect, and chart a path through an uncertain, AI-shaped future.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources
Craft25 years leading UX/service/product design at LBi, Foolproof and Plan Strategic; craft now expressed as judgment about people, careers and futures rather than pixels.7
CommunicationProlific writer/speaker (Medium 'Shaping Design', SmashingConf, IxDA, Leading Design); his entire body of work is making design legible through visual frameworks — pure clarity thesis.9
BusinessLong agency leadership and a sustained consulting/coaching practice (Resonant, Group of Humans), but impact is org/talent development rather than documented product P&L outcomes.6
EducationHis signature contribution: 19+ years of Shaping Designers/Shaping Teams frameworks and coaching that help designers self-reflect, reskill and navigate uncertain futures — the people-protection axis embodied.9
InnovationPushes the practice forward via futures design and reusable diagnostic frameworks; AI engagement is real but framed as helping people reposition, not hands-on AI building — elevate-type innovation, not hollow.7

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts
OverallI'd work for them52
CraftRaised my craft bar48
CommunicationMade the case for design62
BusinessMade design matter to the business41
EducationTaught me something I still use62
InnovationShowed me a new way to work48

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

first-hand · reviewed before publishing
No stories yet.