Jill Tague (she/her) is a UX and product designer and founder of Design and Travel LLC. After years designing digital products at financial institutions like Edward Jones, Capital One, and Boeing Employee Credit Union, she turned a layoff into a launchpad — and hasn’t looked back.

Jill’s travels have taken her from the rainforests of Costa Rica to the cobblestoned streets of Estonia, and what changed her wasn’t the scenery. It was the trash on the ground, the makeshift shacks, and the powerful street art that appeared in Tallinn when Russia invaded Ukraine. Those moments of discomfort and beauty cracked something open in her — and made her a more honest, grounded, and empathetic designer.

In her talks, Jill explores how stepping outside comfort and privilege reshapes how we design for real people — not idealized users. She believes the best UX research sometimes happens when you’re humbled by the world around you.

She’s on a mission to convince designers that gratitude and discomfort are two of the most underrated tools in their kit.