James Smet

Product Design Manager & Systems Thinker

I design systems, teams, and products that turn ambiguity into clarity.

Design Manager at Vagaro. Player/coach — I lead teams and still design deeply. My work sits at the intersection of leadership, systems thinking, and intentional craft.

View my workAbout me

The player/coach approach

Most design managers choose: lead the team or do the work. I do both. My best work happens when I'm close enough to the problem to make real decisions—and far enough back to see the full picture.

Systems, not screens

I design for coherence and scale. Every component, flow, and pattern is part of a larger system. If it doesn't fit the system, it's a debt—not a solution.

Clarity is the work

Whether I'm writing a brief, running a critique, or designing a flow—I'm always asking what's unclear. Ambiguity is the enemy. Clarity is the product.