design - Julie Ramsey

/ design

Case Studies

Below is a curation of my favorite whimsies and shipped work, spanning product and brand. Each project holds a story I'm always eager to share. Deeper dives are available upon request.

AI UX • MOBILE • WEB

Robyn AI

I led design at Robyn, a conversational AI OS that uses emotional intelligence to unlock your best self.

Goal

I deeply resonate with Robyn's mission of using AI to deepen human connection, starting with the self. My goal was to render that vision into form through the chat UI.

Process

Leading design at an early-stage startup meant full ownership, often with overnight launches and pivots. I learned to adapt entire design systems, using AI to prototype and iterate at speed.

Results

Product.
• Designed AI chat and home UI
• Emotional insights screens
• Paywall flows
• Onboarding flow
• Auxiliary pages like settings
• Built out the design system for iOS and web

Brand Ecosystem.
I implemented the brand that carried Robyn's identity across every touchpoint, from Times Square billboards to event graphics. The visual language of soft glows and warm gradients was made to feel emotionally nuanced and deeply personal.

Role
Founding Product Designer

Contributions
iOS App Design
Web App
Design Systems

Year
2025 - 2026

Partner
Metalab

App Store: Robyn: Talk, Feel, Grow

"Julie has a knack for creating beautiful and soulful designs. She puts 120% into everything she does and commits her entire self. I would recommend Julie to anyone seeking a design partner."

— Jenny Shao, Founder & CEO of Robyn

UI UX • WEB

FTLO Travel

I helped update FTLO (For The Love Of) Travel's site to guide young, solo travelers from discovery to booking.

Context

Growing up between two countries, travel is a big part of my life. I love its transformative ability to jolt you out of autopilot and into radical awareness and boldness.

Process

Experiencing FTLO trips as a traveler has grounded my design process in real stakes. The "feel" of a trip page could be the difference between a friendship made or a worldview shifted.

Tactically, I regularly incorporate Claude Code to rapidly test wireframes and build prototypes, then iterate through screen designs and feedback cycles.

Results

Search.

• Design search-by-vibe functionality

• Restructure mega-nav

• Clarify information hierarchy on calendar search

AI Integrations.

• Shape visuals for AI-generated review summaries

• Optimize copy and metadata for AEO
• Componentize the design system for AI-assisted page building

Design Refresh.

• Improve photo accessibility at scale

• Regularly produce new page designs

• Curate photography to support the trip's joie de vivre spirit

Role
Product Designer

Contributions
Web Design, UI/UX
Design Systems

Year
2025 - Present

Live Site: ftlotravel.com

"Julie doesn't just make things look beautiful, she asks the right questions, thinks through the user journey, and finds practical solutions that move projects forward. She's organized, collaborative, endlessly curious, and always exploring new AI tools and workflows to work smarter. She quickly became an extension of our team, and I love hiring her for ongoing projects."

— Emily Nathan, Website Director at FTLO Travel

UI UX • WEB • USER RESEARCH

Post Carbon Institute

A redesign to help people navigate the social challenges of climate change.

Goal

Living in China, I've seen environmental strain firsthand, and how cultural mindset shapes conservation. Climate work needs emotional and social resilience, not just environmental.

The goal was to reimagine PCI's partner platform, Resilience.org, to make climate knowledge more personal and community-centered.

Process

User Research.
• Months of interviews with climate leaders
• Internal interviews to understand PCI's mindset and values

• User journey mapping

User Testing.
• Iterated on feedback at every fidelity stage

• Community workshop surfaced climate's social component

Design.
• Reduced registration steps

• Showcased social proof

• Personalized dashboards
• Clearer impact metrics

Results

More than a dev-ready facelift, we redesigned the event funnel around a user-community feedback loop, increasing engagement while keeping the user's experience front and center.

A personal find: discovering my love for design research. Every interview is a treasure trove of stories.

Role
Product Design Lead
Communications Lead

Contributions
Web Design
User Research & Testing
Community Workshop
Design Systems

Year
2024 - 2025

Sites: resilience.org & postcarbon.org
(changes not yet live)

"Julie was extremely smart, organized, and strategic in how she approached this project. She and her team were able to uncover our true obstacles and design pragmatic and innovative solutions. I would love to work with Julie again in the future."

— Amy Buringrud, Marketing Director at PCI

PRODUCT • MOBILE • USER RESEARCH

InTouch

A sundial & app that represents when close friends are available across timezones.

Context

Growing up abroad, most of my close friends are long-distance now. Between time differences and scheduling, serendipitous reconnections are harder to come by.

Goal

Bringing friends closer across timezones.

"I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends."
— Bronnie Ware, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying

Process

User Research.

• 10+ in-depth qualitative interviews

• Mapping emotional waveline of a friendship

• Storyboarding user journey

Visual Research.

• Moodboarding CMF direction

• Crafting the motif & language of light

• Timezone maps (ask me about the azimuthal projection)

Interaction Design.
I led design from concept to final form: carefully crafting each mobile page, tapping interaction, and safety feature.

Role
Product Design Lead
(academic project)

Contributions
App Design
Hardware Visualization
Design Systems
User Research

Year
2025

Product Deck: here

GRAPHIC • MOBILE • ENVIRONMENTAL

Nüshu

Nüshu (女书) is an endangered script created exclusively by women. To help preserve it, I designed an exhibit and educational app.

Context

With a background in applied linguistics and a love for Chinese culture, I was captivated the moment a Nüshu YouTube short crossed my feed. That one video turned into a 6-month deep dive.

Goals

1. Preserve endangered languages, 2. Give people a personal reason to learn their own ancestral languages

Process

Exploration.
Extensive study into Nüshu's history and typographic form.

UX Challenges.

• Translating vertical script → horizontal UI

• Visualizing intrinsic value > rote memorization

Visual Research.

Sketches and wireframing focusing on progressive disclosure, levels of meaning (personal, intellectual, social), and storytelling. Selection of a bold theme centered around elegant, graphic letterforms.

Role
Product Design Lead
(academic project)

Contributions
App Design
Typographical Analysis
Brand Identity
Environmental Design

Year
2025

Product Deck: here

"Julie tackles challenges with originality and dedication and always returns solutions that go beyond the obvious or stated specifications. She's a great communicator and collaborator and was a joy to work with."

— Nathan Shedroff, Project Mentor & Educator

Julie Ramsey

Résumé

Let's get in touch!

hello@julieramsey.com

Huì (惠), n. — my Chinese name; favor; kindness