Interaction Designer
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Work
Work
Work
Select case studies
Résumé
Résumé
Résumé
Where I’ve lived and worked
2020-25
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.
2020-25
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.
2020-25
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.
2019-20
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.
2019-20
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.
2019-20
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.
2015-19
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.
2015-19
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.
2015-19
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
Philosophy
Philosophy
What good design means (to me)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
About
About
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 © 2026 Julian Kraan. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2026 Julian Kraan. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2026 Julian Kraan. All rights reserved.