Formerly at Dyson / Milwaukee, WI

Reduce
the noise.

Brand strategy, web design, and automation from a one-person studio. I design it. I build it. It works.

BrandingWeb & AppsSystems
Start a ProjectSee the work↓

Selected work.

Ruck AuthorityBrand + Web + Content
The complete guide to rucking. Brand identity, custom site, and content strategy from scratch.
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DysonDigital Design, 5 Years
Global web, e-commerce, campaigns, and design systems. Five years of work I can’t show you.
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State Line DharmaWeb Design
Site for a Buddhist-inspired recovery community on the WI/IL border. Welcoming, clear, easy to find a meeting.
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Recovery CalendarWeb App + AI
Free tool to find and track recovery meetings. AI-powered search, sobriety tracking, cross-device sync.
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Mission DeckFull-Stack Web App
Personal command center for freelance work. CRM, invoicing, AI assistant, and more in one system. Built solo.
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Explore the archive11 years of client & personal work2010 — 2020
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The Lab | Side Projects & Experiments

ResumakerAI resume builder
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Eat, IdiotAI calorie counter
(opens in new tab)→
What I Build

Three ways I can help.

01
Brand System
Everything that makes you recognizable.
Your brand is the first thing a customer judges you on. In seconds. I build systems that are consistent, distinctive, and built to scale: logos that work at 16px and 16 feet, type and color that your team can actually use, and guidelines that don't end up in a drawer.
Right for you if

You're starting fresh, rebranding after growth, or your current logo came from Fiverr and nobody remembers it.

  • Logo system (primary + variations)
  • Color palette + typography
  • Brand guidelines PDF
  • Social + print templates
  • Usage rules your team can follow
Start with Brand →
02
Web & Apps
Custom-built. No templates. No gaps.
I design it and build it. No handoff gap, no miscommunication. Custom websites and web apps with tools baked in: calculators, booking flows, client portals, dashboards. Built to perform and easy for your team to update without calling me.
Right for you if

Your site is embarrassing you, built on a template that can't do what you need, or you have a specific tool your customers are asking for.

  • Custom design + full build
  • Integrated tools & calculators
  • CMS setup (edit without a dev)
  • Performance + SEO foundation
  • Shopify / ecommerce
Talk About Your Site →
03
Systems & Automation
Kill the manual work killing your week.
Proposals, follow-ups, reporting, onboarding docs. The repetitive work eating your hours can be automated without hiring a developer. I audit your workflow, build the tools, and train your team.
Right for you if

You're doing the same tasks over and over, your team is copy-pasting data between tools, or you know AI should be helping but don't know where to start.

  • Workflow audit + opportunity map
  • Custom AI tools + automations
  • Connect your tools so they talk to each other
  • Auto-generate reports, emails, or content
  • Team onboarding + training
Audit My Workflow →
Why This Works

One person.
No handoff.

Most projects don't fail because the team was too small. They fail because too many people touched them.

I'm the strategist, the designer, and the developer. When you tell me the brief, I'm the one who hears it. When the site ships, I'm the one who built what you saw in the mockup. That's not a limitation. That's the point.

You talk to the person doing the work.
No account managers relaying your feedback. No game of telephone between design and development.
What you approve is what ships.
The same person who designed it builds it. Nothing gets lost along the way.
Faster timelines, less overhead.
No coordination meetings, no back-and-forth between departments. One person, moving fast.
How It Works

Simple on purpose.

01
Discovery
We talk about the actual problem, not the symptom. The thing underneath it. Usually one focused call.
02
Strategy
Before anything is designed, we align on direction. What it should say, who it's for, what success looks like.
03
Design + Build
This is where it gets made. You see real work in progress. Feedback is invited early, not at the end.
04
Launch + Support
Everything ships. Nothing disappears into a folder. 30 days of post-launch support included.
Frequently Asked

Good questions.

joel.design is a one-person design studio in Milwaukee, WI that builds brand identities, custom websites, and automation systems for small businesses and startups. I design it and build it. No agency handoff, no gap between what you see and what gets built.

Most websites take 4-8 weeks from kickoff to launch. I handle design and development myself, which cuts out the handoff delays you’d get at an agency. Complex web applications or tools may take longer depending on scope.

Automation eliminates the repetitive manual work draining your team. Data entry, report generation, content formatting, answering the same customer questions. I audit your workflows, identify what can be automated, and build custom systems that save hours every week.

Yes. I work with clients nationwide. Most collaboration happens over video calls and shared workspaces.

Fill out the short form at the bottom of this page. Tell me what you're working on and I'll get back to you within 24 hours with honest thoughts on whether I'm the right fit and what a project might look like.

Tell me about your project.

A few quick questions so I can understand what you need and whether I'm the right fit. No sales calls. I'll follow up within 24 hours with honest thoughts.

or

I'll get back to you within 24 hours.