Hi,

I'm John, a Denver-based product designer. I build design systems, WCAG 2.1 AA accessible products, and the interfaces people use to work with AI. I've spent 17 years in gov-tech, automotive, healthcare, and finance, improving people's lives through thoughtful, compassionate design.
Available For Hire

INSPIRATION

Human-Computer Interaction Was A Common Theme In My Childhood Movies

While some depictions were dark, or even dystopian, there was usually a sense that, with the right kind of design and influence, computers had the potential to be truly helpful, responding with a semblance of empathy and understanding.

That excitement inspired me to earn an individualized Bachelor of Science in Web Application & Multimedia Design and never really left. The work that still pulls at me is the same: making the machine on the other side feel more human.

My Work

(By Industry)

Government Technology

I designed interfaces for permitting, licensing, and land-management software used by state, county, and city governments

Designing for applications built through many acquisitions meant inheriting products built by other teams with their own components, patterns, and accessibility debt. My work was the solution: mapping each acquired interface against our design system, deciding what to absorb versus rebuild, and getting the merged UX to a consistent, WCAG 2.1 AA compliant surface.

In my most recent work, I used AI tooling to generate design-system-connected prototypes for user testing and dev handoff, shipped component, pattern, and token refinements by PR, and built working AI interfaces in React and Supabase for internal review and sales demos.

Contributions

AI-assisted prototyping connected to design-system tokens and components, component patterns for LLM and agentic interfaces, design-system architecture and governance, component library design and documentation, post-acquisition interface integration and pattern reconciliation, accessibility standards implementation and remediation (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508), interaction and interface design, advanced prototyping, UX engineering (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).

Role

Senior Product Designer | Accela
2022–2026

design-system tokens
gov-tech platforms
300M+
residents served by the platform I designed for

Agencies Served By My Work

City of Seattle logoLos Angeles logoNew York City logoCity of Cleveland LogoSan Francisco Logo

Automotive

I designed the interfaces and support systems for an efficiency and safety-boosting automotive technology

My work for Derive Systems enabled the successful launch of their technology on over 40,000 vehicles—including Comcast, the third largest fleet in the U.S.

Contributions

Interface and interaction design, design-system creation and management, product strategy, product naming and branding, qualitative research and testing, sales and onboarding demos, advanced prototyping, video production, design documentation, and writing.

Role

Senior UX Designer | Derive Systems
2018–2022

Healthcare

I’ve worked on a variety of healthcare solutions, from hospital and physician portals, to wellness and exercise trackers

Inspired by a vision of how design could revolutionize the healthcare industry and save people's lives, I dedicated much of my career to that pursuit. I've worked with some of the largest hospital networks in the U.S., had my work featured in The New York Times, and contributed to collaborations between IBM and Apple.

Contributions

Interface and interaction design, design-system creation and management, UX engineering and front-end development, product strategy, product naming and branding, qualitative research and testing, advanced prototyping, video production, design documentation, and writing.

Role

Senior UX Designer | Welltok
2015–2018

UX Designer/Engineer | Datū Health
2013–2015

Web Designer/E-Marketing Specialist | Lumeris
2009–2012

Finance

At Markit Digital in Boulder, Colorado, I worked on dozens of projects for many of their largest U.S. and international clients

Working in finance taught me a tremendous amount, from visualizing large data sets, to working with multiple clients at once on one of the largest design teams in Colorado.

Contributions

Interface and interaction design, prototyping, advanced data visualization and charting, direct client relations, overseeing and guiding development for junior designers

Role

Designer | Markit Digital
2012–2013

Other Notable Clients

Apple Inc.IBMCharles SchwabThe Globe And MailWells Fargo AdvisorsChipotle

Fundamentals

Accessibility First

Accessibility-first is about designing in a way that no one feels different or excluded, should never be an afterthought, and invariably produces products that are better for everyone. (synonymous with mobile first)

Design In Context

Understanding how a product fits into people's lives is essential. Talking to and observing people in context is the best way to discover if your design truly works and how it can improve.

Be Honest

It's important to provide clarity about what a product can and cannot do. Being honest is also about being unafraid to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and always being open to learning from others.

Radical Transparency

The first line of defense against cascading mistakes are your colleagues—they should feel empowered to participate in the design process early and often.

Skills & Interests

Fluent in

  • Multi-platform interaction design
  • Design-system management & implementation
  • Advanced prototyping
  • UX engineering 
(HTML, CSS, Javascript, FE frameworks)
  • Accessibility-first design
  • Design research and documentation

Design-Related Hobbies

  • 3D printing
  • Cooking
  • Video game design
  • Digital archiving

Extensive Experience With

  • Video production
  • Motion graphics
  • 3D modeling and animation
Download My Resume (PDF)
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Copyright © 2026 John Sellars.
All rights reserved.

Contact

Thanks for writing! I'll respond as soon as I can.

All the best,

–John
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