Revolutionary app design for fearless founders

bringing ideas to life

If you’ve got an idea that’ll change the world, you’ll need a digital product that brings it to life - and that’s where I come in.

Your revolutionary idea deserves a revolutionary app to match.

To the rule-breakers, the change-makers, and the trailblazers: you’re ready to disrupt the world with your idea. You’re ready to innovate; to create; to shake up the status quo. The only problem? You and your team don’t have the expertise, time, and energy to design an app that’ll bring your wild idea to life. You want to bring someone on who knows their stuff and can guide you through the whole process – someone who’ll act like part of your team (but without the commitment of a full-time hire). Seems too good to be true? It’s not – I’m Julia Chesbrough, and it sounds like we’re a match made in heaven.

the Present app

Prelude

Playbook

App design made easy

Lots of startup founders look to hire a full-time designer from the beginning — but this is a huge commitment with huge costs to match. In the early days, there usually isn’t even enough work to keep a full-time hire busy…but at the same time, it’s invaluable to have a design expert at your fingertips. That’s why I do things a little differently around here: enter my design subscription service. Unlimited design, unlimited requests, unlimited revisions, quick turnarounds — with a subscription, I’ll work as a part of your team and guide you through all things UX, UI, and marketing design. It’s simple, effective, and a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire — what’s not to love?!

How it all works

book a discovery call

First up, I’ll get you to fill in a form that gives me the run-down on your project. We’ll then jump on a call to get to know each other and chat about it all in more detail. If we’re a match, I’ll send you a proposal, contract and downpayment. Once this is finalized, we’re ready to rock and roll.

onboarding

We’ll pick a date for our kick-off call, which is when the party really starts! Beforehand, I’ll send over an onboarding questionnaire — a place to put all the nitty-gritty details about your company. On our call, we’ll dive into your project and create a roadmap to follow. We’ll chat user personas, strategy, and design needs.

ongoing design

Now it’s time to get started on the big design tasks. I work closely with you (and any other founders/CEOs) to plan out what we should tackle next. As part of my work, I also chat with users, conduct usability tests, send out surveys, and gather info to help create a product that your people LOVE.

  • "Julia is an incredibly talented and dedicated Product Designer."

    Ben Grove, Design Director, Glossier

    “Her problem-solving skills and expertise in experience design are truly impressive. She quickly grasps user needs and goes the extra mile to create intuitive and engaging digital experiences. Julia's meticulous attention to detail guarantees thoughtful end-to-end user flows and carefully crafted designs. It was a pleasure working with her, and I highly recommend her for any digital design project.”

  • "Julia played an instrumental role in turning our product vision into a reality."

    Michael Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO, Prelude

    “What was most impressive about Julia was the speed with which she was able to turn complex B2B workflows into simple and powerful designs without sacrificing quality. Julia has a very collaborative spirit and takes input and feedback very well. She is never hesitant to challenge an idea or suggest an alternative. Julia is a general joy to be around!”

  • "Julia is a pleasure to work with — she's vivacious, curious, and creative."

    Lucy, CEO and Co-Founder of Sunroom

    ”Julia’s artistry comes through in her illustrations, animations, typesetting, and color decisions. I've always been able to trust that Julia can turn any screen, interaction, or flow into a magical experience. Her ability to put her head down and quickly turn around solutions to a design problem is essential in a startup environment. Julia is research and feedback driven, and is an obsessive prototyper and tester.”

  • "Working with Julia was one of the best investments we made for our business."

    Julie Schechter, CEO and Co-founder, Present

    “Julia was a true partner in creating our brand, and her strong intuitive sense was integral in helping our vision come to life. The carryover to product development was seamless, and her UX expertise made our platform stronger from the very beginning. We regularly get compliments on Julia's work, and would work with her again in a heartbeat.”

  • "Julia understands your design directions better than you know them yourself."

    Charles Lehman, CEO and Founder, Urbaneyes

    “Julia's work on our branding was absolutely invaluable to starting the company off on the right foot. Julia is incredibly thoughtful, with clear questions and well-constructed opinions. Most importantly, Julia makes beautiful and unique designs that can set you apart from the competition.”

  • First, we’ll have a video chat where you can share a bit about your project and we can get to know each other. If it seems like the right fit, then you’ll receive a proposal from me within 24 hours along with a contract and a downpayment for the first month. As soon as those have been signed and sent, we will set up a time for our Kickoff call. During that call, we will go over all of your business targets and product goals, thus creating a clear roadmap for the work ahead.

    • In the first month, I conduct an entire audit of your current product and write up a report on my findings. This audit includes screenshots and first impressions of your product as it stands, talking to current or prospective users, and hearing from you on your business pain points. In the report, I summarize my findings and offer suggestions for improvements.

    • We then move on to ux strategy work, where we create user personas and high-level user journey maps. This allows us to build the right foundation to make product decisions off of in the future months to come.

    • Before the end of the month, we take this audit report as well as the ux strategy work and create a roadmap to propel your company towards extraordinary growth. All ux/ui designs I create going forward will be rooted in this initial phase. You’ll be glad we did it!

    • Skilled, communicative, and experienced designers are rare and require salaries of at least $120,000 per year, along with benefits and 401k matching. However, early-stage startups often don't need a full 40-hour week of design, leading to payment for unused hours. The subscription model addresses this issue as clients can cancel anytime.

    • In the early-stage startup world, two main priorities are conserving cash and finding product-market fit. Hiring a subscription designer offers a cost-effective solution without compromising design quality.

  • Maintaining a guided, helpful, and collaboration design process for each of my clients is incredibly important to me. Since I offer a subscription model, I have many clients that I work with long term. For this reason, I only take on a small handful of projects per year. This allows me to invest fully into every project that I’m part of, without being pulled in too many directions.

  • Nope! It’s just me designing. In fact, it’s just me running my entire business. This keeps my costs low and allows me to maintain a very embedded approach for each project I work on.

  • After your downpayment clears, I'll work with you to choose the date for our kickoff call. From there, my invoices will be recurring on a monthly cycle. You can expect to receive them one week before the end of each month, serving as a proactive payment for the following month's services. Just a friendly reminder that unpaid invoices will lead to a temporary pause on your account until the invoice is settled. Rest assured, I'm here to guide you through the process and ensure a seamless experience.

  • Since the service I provide requires my time, there is no way for me to get those hours back once they’ve been spent. For that reason, I do not offer refunds.

For the trailblazers

For the trailblazers

App design for founders who mean business

not for the faint-hearted