About

Designer, artist, swimmer, cyclist, whatever-my-interest-ist.

Photo of Jen Goertzen, woman looking into camera, smiling, she has long red hair and is wearing glasses

A little context about me

What I “do”

Professionally, I do product design. For over 13 years, I’ve worked as a designer and leader in a range of organizations across a wider range of industries. Read about my experience.

Personally, I do many things1. The hobbies I’ve done most consistently over my life include swimming, cycling, drawing, and reading. As the seasons change (over the year and in life), I pick up and put down a variety of other interests. You can see what’s on now-ish on my Now page.

How I arrived to product design

Always interested in creating things and solving problems (art class nerd, math class enthusiast), I dabbled in industrial design before studying graphic design—like many designers, I will always have a soft spot for a well-crafted (or should I say “drafted”) blueprint. Following college I discovered UX as a growing discipline and fell in love with the combination of creating something from nothing and problem solving. From there, a restless curiousity and need to keep growing pushed me to develop as a product designer, sometimes researcher, and leader.

Where is home

Home, for me, has distinct seasons and forests of birch trees.

I grew up in the country near a small city, Steinbach, Manitoba and moved to Winnipeg (the big city) during college. I’ll always have a strong nostalgia for living in the country and bitterly cold winters.

In Summer 2024, my partner and I moved to Montréal, Québec, after living in Berlin for 6 years. It doesn’t feel like home just yet, but it feels good.

Miscellaneous bits

The odd accomplishment

A selection of things I've done that I'm proud of.

Completed my first half-Oceanman (5km swim) in 2024.

Displayed commissioned pieces in two restaurants.

Completed a full Ironman in Lousville, Kentucky in 2016, as well as a handful of half-ironman distance races and other triathlons of varying distances.

Look at my dag

Yeah, I want everyone to know my dog. In part, because my dog wants to know everyone. Meet Pepper, our li’l extrovert.

Photo of a mini australian shepherd standing in a dirt yard, relaxed, tongue hanging out

1. I believe that designers should have hobbies that aren’t only design. It makes us better designers and more resilient as people—an important thing in today’s tech landscape.

Contact

Work with me

A design consultancy called Caribou.

Find me

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