.about

The person
behind .jess.

Jess Jones wearing green glasses and a tie-dye shirt, smiling at the camera

Jess at her desk with Mac Studio, dual monitors, and a comic book desk mat

Hi, I'm Jess.

I'm a web designer, tech mentor, and the founder of DotJess. I work with purpose-driven organisations and small businesses who want a digital presence that actually does something.

Based on Wonnarua Country in the Hunter Valley, NSW. I work with clients across Newcastle, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cooranbong, Far North Queensland, Perth, and internationally. I think in systems: how a site functions, who it's for, and how the person behind it will maintain and grow it over time.

I'm Autistic, and that shapes how I work in ways I consider strengths. I'm precise, I care about clarity and fairness, and I notice the things others miss. When a specific answer is available, that's what you'll get.

Alongside DotJess, I work as Lived Experience Workforce Lead & Systems at Neurokindred, an Autistic-led social enterprise. That role shapes everything I build here, particularly around neuroaffirming design and digital infrastructure for communities that have historically been underserved by tech.

Tech should reduce barriers. That's the thread through everything, from how I write a contact form to how I run a mentoring session.

integrity connection authenticity justice nature create & educate

.hyperfocuses

The stuff that lights me up.

Outside of work (and sometimes during it), these are the things I could talk about for hours. Fair warning.

Ash the blue cattle dog sitting on a rainbow-painted picnic table, tongue out and smiling

Ash

This is Ash. Blue cattle dog, permanent shadow, and the reason I can never eat in peace. She loves kids, the bush, and swimming in anything deeper than a puddle.

Close-up portrait of a nankeen kestrel with brown and cream feathers against a blue sky

Bird photography

Nankeen kestrel. I shoot birds with a Nikon P900 and a lot of patience.

Golden sunset over a flat paddock in the Hunter Valley, silhouetted trees on the horizon

Sky gradients

Sky gradients are a whole thing for me. The footer on this site changes colour with the real sky. Obviously I had to.

Eastern osprey perched on driftwood above crashing waves, looking over its shoulder

Raptors

Eastern osprey. I love raptors, and this was the shot of a lifetime.

Rainbow lorikeet perched among pink eucalyptus blossoms

Beautiful birds

Rainbow lorikeet in the flowering gum. They remind me of my Oma, who called the birds to her every day.

Jess holding a Nikon P900 camera by a dam at sunset, reflections on the water

The bush

My local happy place. The bush, the dam, and whatever birds show up.

Cartoon of a person in overalls and green glasses being told by a doctor: See? You can't be autistic

Autism

I research it, I read everything I can find, I live it. This one is personal and professional and everything in between. I write about it on Camouflage Tie-Dye.

Newcastle Knights

Game day uniform. Every Knights match is from the couch with Ash and the big screen. My wardrobe is Knights merch, tie-dye, and pop culture shirts. That's it.

Jane Eyre

Autistic-coded, strong-willed, independent thinker, likely queer. I own 50+ editions and will talk about her at any opportunity. You've been warned.

A ring-tailed lemur lounging on the grass in Planet Zoo

Simulation games

Planet Zoo, Planet Coaster 2, Jurassic World Evolution 3, Two Point Hospital. Known rules, clear boundaries, systems in action. My autistic brain loves every second.