Interaction designer
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Résumé
Where I’ve worked, what I’ve built, and who I’ve teamed up with.
2020 → 2025
Abacum
Director of Design
I joined financial planning startup Abacum as the sixth employee and founding designer, building the product and brand foundations from scratch. I scaled a multidisciplinary design team, introduced systems and rituals that sustained quality during rapid growth, and drove product vision work that aligned leadership and inspired innovation. Over five years, design grew from a one-person function into a central driver of company culture and Series B growth.
2020 → 2025
Abacum
Director of Design
I joined financial planning startup Abacum as the sixth employee and founding designer, building the product and brand foundations from scratch. I scaled a multidisciplinary design team, introduced systems and rituals that sustained quality during rapid growth, and drove product vision work that aligned leadership and inspired innovation. Over five years, design grew from a one-person function into a central driver of company culture and Series B growth.
2020 → 2025
Abacum
Director of Design
I joined financial planning startup Abacum as the sixth employee and founding designer, building the product and brand foundations from scratch. I scaled a multidisciplinary design team, introduced systems and rituals that sustained quality during rapid growth, and drove product vision work that aligned leadership and inspired innovation. Over five years, design grew from a one-person function into a central driver of company culture and Series B growth.
2019 → 2020
N26
Lead Designer
As one of three design leads at European neobank N26, I headed the Barcelona team during a period of rapid growth. I built and supported a group that was collaborative yet autonomous within their squads, fostering both craft and ownership. Beyond my team, I introduced practices that raised UX quality across the organization and bridged innovation work with product delivery.
2019 → 2020
N26
Lead Designer
As one of three design leads at European neobank N26, I headed the Barcelona team during a period of rapid growth. I built and supported a group that was collaborative yet autonomous within their squads, fostering both craft and ownership. Beyond my team, I introduced practices that raised UX quality across the organization and bridged innovation work with product delivery.
2019 → 2020
N26
Lead Designer
As one of three design leads at European neobank N26, I headed the Barcelona team during a period of rapid growth. I built and supported a group that was collaborative yet autonomous within their squads, fostering both craft and ownership. Beyond my team, I introduced practices that raised UX quality across the organization and bridged innovation work with product delivery.
2015 → 2019
IDEO
Principal Designer
At the San Francisco office of global innovation consultancy IDEO, I partnered with clients across industries to redesign public services and explore the future of retail, mobility, and finance. I combined systems thinking, rapid prototyping, and strong storytelling to help teams move from vision to implementation. This included a five-month residency at La Victoria Lab in Lima, Peru, where I worked with Intercorp to explore new opportunities in finance and helped the lab mature its innovation practice.
2015 → 2019
IDEO
Principal Designer
At the San Francisco office of global innovation consultancy IDEO, I partnered with clients across industries to redesign public services and explore the future of retail, mobility, and finance. I combined systems thinking, rapid prototyping, and strong storytelling to help teams move from vision to implementation. This included a five-month residency at La Victoria Lab in Lima, Peru, where I worked with Intercorp to explore new opportunities in finance and helped the lab mature its innovation practice.
2015 → 2019
IDEO
Principal Designer
At the San Francisco office of global innovation consultancy IDEO, I partnered with clients across industries to redesign public services and explore the future of retail, mobility, and finance. I combined systems thinking, rapid prototyping, and strong storytelling to help teams move from vision to implementation. This included a five-month residency at La Victoria Lab in Lima, Peru, where I worked with Intercorp to explore new opportunities in finance and helped the lab mature its innovation practice.
Philosophy
What good design means to me—and how I try to put it into practice every day.
🔍 User Focus
Design is all about people. Solving real user problems ensures a product is useful, not just trendy. By understanding workflows and designing with actual user data, we create experiences that work—and provide teams with alignment, clarity, and motivation.
🔍 User Focus
Design is all about people. Solving real user problems ensures a product is useful, not just trendy. By understanding workflows and designing with actual user data, we create experiences that work—and provide teams with alignment, clarity, and motivation.
⚖️ Deliberate Decisions
Design is decision-making. I invest in thoughtful design upfront, guided by clear principles and refined through multiple feedback cycles. This prevents most UX problems and gives teams clarity on what—and just as importantly, what not—to iterate toward.
⚖️ Deliberate Decisions
Design is decision-making. I invest in thoughtful design upfront, guided by clear principles and refined through multiple feedback cycles. This prevents most UX problems and gives teams clarity on what—and just as importantly, what not—to iterate toward.
💥 Productive Friction
Great design doesn’t happen in isolation. Inspired by Paul Saffo’s Strong Opinions, Weakly Held, I work with people who share a mission but aren’t afraid to challenge each other. Diverse perspectives and constructive friction reduce bias and leads to better decisions.
💥 Productive Friction
Great design doesn’t happen in isolation. Inspired by Paul Saffo’s Strong Opinions, Weakly Held, I work with people who share a mission but aren’t afraid to challenge each other. Diverse perspectives and constructive friction reduce bias and leads to better decisions.
🧤 Tangible Thinking
Design is more than the outcome—it’s a process. It doesn’t require perfect clarity but helps evolve ideas and communicate them more intuitively than words alone. As a designer at heart, I approach any challenge through the design process and help others do the same.
🧤 Tangible Thinking
Design is more than the outcome—it’s a process. It doesn’t require perfect clarity but helps evolve ideas and communicate them more intuitively than words alone. As a designer at heart, I approach any challenge through the design process and help others do the same.
About
Hey, I'm Julian—the human behind the pixels.
📝 Bio
I’m an Interaction Designer who’s spent the past 15+ years shaping experiences that are inclusive, intuitive, and delightful. Along the way, I’ve lived and worked across three continents, led design teams, co-founded a startup, and prototyped in people’s living rooms.
📝 Bio
I’m an Interaction Designer who’s spent the past 15+ years shaping experiences that are inclusive, intuitive, and delightful. Along the way, I’ve lived and worked across three continents, led design teams, co-founded a startup, and prototyped in people’s living rooms.
📝 Bio
I’m an Interaction Designer who’s spent the past 15+ years shaping experiences that are inclusive, intuitive, and delightful. Along the way, I’ve lived and worked across three continents, led design teams, co-founded a startup, and prototyped in people’s living rooms.
❤️🔥 Likes
• Architecture
• Indie games
• Post cards
• Summer nights
• Lists
❤️🔥 Likes
• Architecture
• Indie games
• Post cards
• Summer nights
• Lists
❤️🔥 Likes
• Architecture
• Indie games
• Post cards
• Summer nights
• Lists
🙅 Dislikes
• Dubbed movies
• Inconsistencies
• Packing luggage
• Poorly cut bread
• Porridge
🙅 Dislikes
• Dubbed movies
• Inconsistencies
• Packing luggage
• Poorly cut bread
• Porridge
🙅 Dislikes
• Dubbed movies
• Inconsistencies
• Packing luggage
• Poorly cut bread
• Porridge
Copyright © 2025 Julian Kraan. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2025 Julian Kraan. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2025 Julian Kraan. All rights reserved.