Strategic product & brand design for startups
your one stop shop
Your big idea deserves a product that breaks the mold.
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 a product 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.
Product & brand design made easy
Most early stage teams are not ready for a full time designer, but they still need high quality design to build and grow. That is where I come in.
I offer three simple ways to work together. A subscription for ongoing design and unlimited requests. A 30 day sprint for fast, focused execution. A maintenance plan for light updates as you grow.
Clear pricing, no hidden fees, and high quality work that moves your product and brand forward.
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 pick a kick off date and I send you a simple onboarding questionnaire. On our call, we go through your project, your users, and your goals. From there, I create a clear roadmap based on the package you choose. Sprint, subscription, or maintenance, you will know exactly what comes next.
ongoing design
This is where the real work happens. I handle your design tasks with speed and clarity while keeping you in the loop on progress. I talk to users, test ideas, refine your brand or product, and deliver clean, thoughtful design that helps your company grow.
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We start with a short video chat so I can understand your goals and get a feel for your product or brand. If it feels like a good fit, I send your proposal within 24 hours. Once the contract and first payment are complete, we schedule your kickoff call and build out your roadmap.
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In the first month, I conduct an optional ux 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.
If you haven’t gotten to the product development stage yet, then we start with your branding. Together, we’ll go through a series of exercises to help determine your target demographic, your visual design inspiration, and your brand goals. With this knowledge, I’ll be able to craft a brand identity (think logos, colors, typography, illustration, etc.) to match your ideal vision.
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 (optional) audit report, your brand identity, 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!
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Skilled, communicative, and experienced designers are rare and require salaries of at least $150,000 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The sprint is a focused, high speed engagement for clients who want fast results. Once we lock in your start date, we kick off with a strategy call and I map out your entire sprint timeline. For the next 30 days, I focus fully on your brand or product. You get structured weekly deliverables, 2 video calls per week, fast feedback cycles, and a final handoff with everything you need to launch. It is the fastest way to get high quality design with a clear beginning and end.
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After your big project or sprint is complete, the maintenance retainer gives you ongoing support at a lighter pace. You get two calls per month plus design hours you can use for updates, new screens, small improvements, content, or anything your product or brand needs to stay consistent. It is perfect for teams who do not need a full subscription but still want a dedicated designer who knows their business.
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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
