Designing for, reflecting on, human experience.

The WIP* digital garden of Jen Goertzen.

Summer 2025

Starting something new.

I first published the “WIP Garden” a year ago but then didn’t have the time or space to tend to it. I got as far as setting aside space in which I might grow personal work, but no further. Since then I’ve moved countries, started a new job, and, most importantly for me, found my way back to creating for the sake of creating.

Over the last months I’ve found some momentum in creating and I’m looking forward to sharing more of that with you here. It’ll be slow—I prefer creating over sharing, if I’m honest—but the garden is here now and I want it to grow.

Illustration of a person standing in snow, their shadow falls long, long away from them. Birch trees stand nearby with long shadows like blue ribbons on snow.

Notes

Reflections on design, design in life, and life in design. Ranging from first scribbles to thoroughly edited drafts.

View all in the Garden →

Projects, lists, outlines

Logs and snapshots of parts of my work and world, standalone but hopefully never static.

"Up to speed" book
Project

Library

Some books I've read, recommended, and abandoned.

Words Are My Matter

Words Are My Matter

Ursula K. Le Guin

Braiding Sweetgrass

Braiding Sweetgrass

Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Wild Places

The Wild Places

Robert MacFarlane

Dare to Lead

Dare to Lead

Brené Brown

English Pastoral: An Inheritance

English Pastoral: An Inheritance

James Rebanks

East of Eden

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

Bird By Bird

Bird By Bird

Anne Lamott

A Drop of Corruption

A Drop of Corruption

Robert Jackson Bennett

* Welcome to my work in progress.

You may have noticed there is more promise of content than actual content. I'm trying a new approach to this website where I'm sharing pieces sooner, even when incomplete—website included. I hope you'll come back to see how it's grown.

Contact

Talk to me

jen@jengoertzen.com

Work with me

A design consultancy called Caribou.

Find me

Explore this space