About

Julia Hertrich

Design lead
Branding
UX/UI design
Editorial and infographics
Concept
Prototyping

Designer for brands, reports and digital products. I combine concept, design and production – for web and print, from the first workshop to the finished report or clickable prototype.

Cases: 18
Years of experience: 18
Fragments: 46

What I do

I design identities, websites and apps that people understand and enjoy using.

Often both at once: a brand and the digital product it lives in. For Hochschulsport Campus Luzern, for example, the brand book, merchandise and the mobile sports programme all came from one hand.

How I work

With a product approach: first understand what needs to be achieved – then design.

I work closely with clients, developers and experts, show drafts and prototypes early and improve them in short rounds.

Roles

Design lead
Art direction
UX/UI design and information architecture
Branding and graphic design
Concept and workshops

Career

In the profession since 2008, first as a staff designer at Y&R Zurich, Serranetga and Snowflake – from a classic advertising agency to digital agencies.

Freelance since 2015, alongside part-time positions, at Liip in software development since 2016. Freelance for agencies such as Unic, Freundliche Grüsse, Snowflake, Webguerillas and xeit, for clients such as Samsung, Colgate, Migros, Kuoni and Franke.

In addition, website concepts for insurers, IT providers and technology companies that are under non-disclosure agreements and are not shown here.

Things I have learned so far

Beautiful is not enough. Without the question, design is decoration.

A grid that lasts ten years makes me happier than a poster that hangs for ten days.

A good brand eventually stops needing me. That is when I have done my job.

The best work happens in year three with the same people.

How I work with AI

AI is a tool to me, like Figma or InDesign. I use it for variants, text length checks, image research, prototypes and research. That means more proposals per brief and shorter turnaround.

Typography, grid, image selection and sign-off remain handwork. Whatever goes out, I have checked.