Composition & hierarchy
One clear focal point, a logical reading order, balanced whitespace.
competing focal points, clutter, a buried key message.
Julius KahlbrandtAward-winning Creative Director · Brand, Packaging, UI/UX & AI Design
Open to conversations
Brands, dashboardsand AI visuals that work.
I design brands and packaging that sell, dashboards teams actually use and AI visuals that are ready to publish. 13 years for Porsche, Deloitte and Coca-Cola, across Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand.
- Based in Hamburg, Germany
- Remote-experienced with teams in Australia, New Zealand & the US
- German · English · Spanish · French
I combine strong design fundamentals — composition, typography, colour and hierarchy — with hands-on generative AI. I create, direct and critically evaluate AI imagery and video, and I know when an image is ready to publish.
PorscheCoca-ColaHenkelEnBWDeloitteAG1GRAZIACarlsbergmoebel.deBakers DelightPeter Schmidt Group
Results you can count.
Three things I deliver, measured across brands, products and dashboards. Click any number to see the project behind it.
Brand & packaging that sells0revenue since the brand launchHEJ Natural1 monthfrom launch to sold outSUNS Care0followers across social channelsHEJ Natural
Visual AI & content · ORIGAIN, 2026
An entire brand. Prompted, directed, curated.
My own high-performer retreat concept, built end to end with generative AI: concept, copy, logo, imagery, brand world and video, edited into a 12-slide pitch deck.
RoleFounder, vision and strategyYear2026TypeOwn concept
Generating… 0%
Built with
FigmaLayout and pitch deck
ChatGPTConcept, copy, images
RunwayGen-4.5 · Gen-4 Aleph video
FigmaLayout and pitch deckHow I structure a prompt.
Every ORIGAIN asset started as a structured prompt and went through several rounds of direction. Each prompt is built from the same five parts, so changes stay deliberate and results stay comparable.
>
Directing the image
Version 1 said “gym”, not “retreat”.
Technically clean, but the story is wrong. An athlete alone with a barbell could be any fitness ad.
DirectionPremium, editorial, golden hour. Result: technically right, story wrong.
Version 2 adds a coach.
Same light, same setting, same athlete. One change, and the image now tells the story of guided, personal training.
DirectionChange one variable only: add a coach. Keep light, setting and athlete.
Then it moves.
The opening image of the deck, brought to life as a Runway Gen-4.5 clip and checked frame by frame for motion, anatomy and light.
ReviewFrame by frame for motion, anatomy and light before it went into the deck.
Image, version 1
The retreat, in motion
Fixed in the edit.
The full generated shot had a flaw that is easy to miss on a first watch: one guest walks across the surface of the pool. Instead of publishing it, I cropped the clip to a 4:5 social format that keeps the story, the fire, the ocean and the people, and leaves the error out.
- Caught in a frame-by-frame review
- Criterion: craft & realism, physically impossible motion
- Fix: reframe instead of regenerate, ready for Reels and Stories
12 slides · PDF
See the full ORIGAIN pitch deck.
Concept, brand world, persona story and the retreat experience, all generated and directed with AI. Happy to walk you through it.
Quality criteria
How I judge visual quality.
Six criteria I apply to every review: my own work, my team's, or AI-generated output. I also review copy and cultural fit in German, English and Spanish.
1 fails3 usable with fixes5 ready to publish
Typography
Legible, correctly spelled text and a consistent type scale.
garbled or misspelled generated text, too many type styles.
Colour & contrast
A purposeful palette and enough contrast for text to read.
text on busy imagery, low contrast, off-brand hues.
Brand alignment
Correct logo use, tone and visual language of the brand.
a generic stock look, distorted logos, inconsistent style.
Accessibility & usability
Readable at the target size, a clear call to action.
tiny copy, weak calls to action, meaning carried by colour alone.
Craft & realism
Believable light, materials and product details.
warped packaging, anatomical errors, broken perspective.
Your turnScore it yourself.
Rate this retreat image on three criteria, then compare with my review.
Composition & hierarchy
Brand alignment
Craft & realism
My verdict: strong craft, wrong story. It reads as a gym, not a retreat. Fix: change one variable and add a coach, see version 2 above.
Case study
Striking at first glance. Failing on detail.
A self-initiated AG1 key visual. The raw generation had no usable typography, a clumsy crop and broken copy on the pouch. I scored it against my six criteria and rebuilt it step by step. Drag to compare.
Raw generationFinal
2.2average score, up from 2.2
Fixed
- Garbled product copy on the pouch
- Flat, muddy colour and low contrast
- Off-centre, cropped staging
- Typography system: headline, claims and CTA in German
Next iteration
- Neon palette and a recoloured pouch
- Small vertical copy on a busy background
- Illegible seals and badges
- Rebuild in AG1's own system: deep green, off-white, white space
From critique to data
Feedback a model team can act on.
Design critique is only useful to engineers when it is structured. I write every finding twice: once as a designer would say it, once as an annotation with criterion, failure mode, severity and a hypothesis for the cause.
Design critique
The brand name is misspelled as “ORGAIN” in the profile header and under the logo. A reader would not notice at a glance, but it breaks trust the moment they do.
Annotation for the model team
{
"asset": "origain_social_profile",
"region_px": [1188, 626, 1292, 666],
"criterion": "typography",
"failure_mode": "brand_name_misspelled",
"severity": "blocking",
"score": 1,
"hypothesis": "small-scale text drifts from the prompt string",
"fix": "render brand text as an overlay; add to eval set as a negative example"
}
Design critique
The logo mark is drawn slightly differently on cap, shirt and bottle. Each looks fine alone; together they read as three different brands.
Annotation for the model team
{
"asset": "origain_merch_set",
"regions": 3,
"criterion": "brand_alignment",
"failure_mode": "logo_inconsistent_across_items",
"severity": "major",
"score": 2,
"hypothesis": "model redraws the mark per object instead of reusing it",
"fix": "composite one master vector; test consistency across a multi-object prompt"
}
Design critique
Neck labels show illegible pseudo-text instead of the wordmark. Small, but exactly the kind of detail a premium brand gets judged on.
Annotation for the model team
{
"asset": "origain_merch_set",
"regions": 2,
"criterion": "craft_realism",
"failure_mode": "pseudo_text_on_small_labels",
"severity": "minor",
"score": 3,
"hypothesis": "fine text on fabric below legible resolution",
"fix": "mask label areas; place the wordmark in post"
}Style taxonomy
Turning taste into categories.
To steer a model, “premium and calm” has to become attributes it can learn. Here is the ORIGAIN opener, broken down. Hover or tap an attribute to see where it lives in the image.
Lighting
Composition
Palette
Mood
Medium
The same attributes become labels for annotation, filters for evaluation sets and building blocks for prompts.
AG1 · Commissioned freelance work
Inside a premium system.
RoleFreelance designerDurationSep 2024 – Dec 2024ToolsCanva, Figma
Social media content and merchandise for AG1 in the German market, built with Canva and Figma inside the brand's science-driven system.
- Built in AG1's own system: deep green, warm off-white and the brand serif.
- Prize and product in one frame: the bag shown in use, not as a packshot.
- A setting whose greens echo the brand palette.
- German copy that leads with the odds: 1 of 20 bags.
AG1 Upgrade.
A self-initiated, unpublished carousel for the new formula. Six slides build trust step by step, from announcement to scientific and social proof.
Data visualisation
Dashboards people actually use.
UI/UX for Power BI dashboards in Germany, the US, Australia and New Zealand. From stakeholder interviews and style guides to trained users who find their numbers faster.
0dashboard usage at EnBW
0bakeries on one KPI system at Bakers Delight
0countries: Germany, the US, Australia and New Zealand
Porsche · Freelance Senior UI/UX Designer, 2021–2023
Reporting that drives faster decisions.
RoleSenior UI/UX Designer, freelanceDurationSep 2021 – Jan 2023ScopeGlobal styleguide, dashboards, 1:1 coaching incl. the US team in Detroit
Redesigned the reporting tools and sales dashboards that track marketing spend, revenue and global KPIs.
- Created a global UI/UX styleguide for consistent dashboard design.
- Data is evaluated much faster and business decisions are made more efficiently, per client feedback.
- Ran global 1:1 coaching sessions for knowledge transfer.
Demo data for presentation, under NDA.
Deloitte · Manager, AI & Data · client work under NDA
Dashboards for the German automotive industry.
How I structure design work in complex, multi-stakeholder projects: from prioritised use cases to trained users, with feedback loops designers, developers and business teams can act on.
1
Tickets
All use cases captured as tickets and prioritised.
2
Stakeholders
Interviews with the most important users.
3
UX
Functional design from use cases, interviews and the component library.
4
Challenge
The functional design is re-challenged with stakeholders.
5
UI
Final dashboard; component library extended where needed.
6
Power BI & training
Implementation and training in the regular sprint routine.
Feedback and refinement repeat in an iterative loop until the design is signed off.
Inputs
- Design principles
- Stakeholder workshops
- Corporate branding
- Existing reports
Review process
- Figma comments, widget by widget
- Wireframes as a start for Power BI prototypes
- Real data in Power BI beats demo data in design
Deliverables
- Corporate styleguide
- Power BI artefacts and dashboards
- Component library
- Coaching and knowledge transfer
Selected dashboards.
Remote design lead for Fusion5 clients in Australia and New Zealand, 2020–2023, plus direct work for EnBW and Porsche. Demo data where under NDA.
Porsche Dash
Social analyticsAudience, engagement and model performance in one view: KPI tiles, a world map by model and demographic breakdowns.
Design noteOne screen for audience, engagement and model performance, so the social team sees what drives interest in each model at a glance.
STRAND
Australia & New Zealand · via Fusion5Merchandising report for a bag retailer: sales, category and inventory by store, channel and country.
Design noteSales, category and inventory share one filter logic, so merchandisers switch views without losing context.
Bakers Delight
Australia · via Fusion5 / optimum.consultingKPI dashboards for a franchise with 700+ bakeries.
“The new and intuitive dashboards save several hours of work, and users find the data much faster.”
EnBW
Germany · team of 12–15Status quo analysis, UI/UX audit, user interviews and knowledge transfer for energy trading dashboards.
“The new design of the dashboards is perfectly tailored to our needs. The usage rate has increased by 25%.”
Spotify data story
Power BI showcaseThe interface mimics the Spotify player: play controls and the track bar double as page navigation, so exploring the data feels familiar.
Design noteThe player is the navigation. Familiar controls make exploring the data feel like using the app.
Open the live Power BI version
optimum.consulting / Fusion5
Australia · team of 5–10Redesigned and developed Power BI dashboards for the consultancy's clients, with a reusable style guide.
Design noteA reusable styleguide lets the consultancy roll out consistent dashboards to every client, faster.
Let's work together
Need dashboards your team actually opens?
From stakeholder workshops to a styleguide and trained users. Let's talk about your data.
Return on design
Good design gives time back.
When dashboards are clear and design systems are reusable, people find answers faster and stop rebuilding layouts. That time goes back into their core work. This is how my work raises productivity and the return on every project.
- +25% usageEnBW dashboards after the redesign
- Several hours savedper week for Bakers Delight dashboard users
- Faster decisionsPorsche evaluates sales data much faster
What time saved is worth
An illustrative estimate. Move the sliders to match a team.
4,140hours back per year
€269,100of time returned to core work
Based on 46 working weeks.
Brand systems · Head of Design / Creative Director, 2016–2019
HEJ Natural. Built from day one.
RoleHead of Design / Creative DirectorDurationJan 2016 – Oct 2019TeamLed 4–8 people plus external agencies
At Goodlife Company I was responsible for the entire brand development of the fitness food brand: identity, packaging, advertising, social media and digital, while leading the in-house design team and external partners.
0products launched
0retail locations
0revenue since inception
0followers across channels
Brand identity and strategyPackaging and range architectureCampaigns, TV commercial, photo shootsE-commerce and UI/UXTeam leadership
Hired, trained and led the design team, took part in company-wide decisions on policy and strategy, and directed the TV spot. HEJ ranked among the top 3 fastest-growing German food companies.
One system, five product lines.
Logo, product-name typography and layout stay fixed; colour and imagery change with every flavour. Bars, bites, crispy bars, granola and protein powder stay instantly recognisable as one brand.
A social-first brand.
Content strategy for millennial consumers, with influencer collaborations and one visual language across product, lifestyle and event content.
- 1.5M+ followers across channels
- Influencer collaborations, e.g. FIBO 2018
- Press: GQ, GRAZIA and EDEKA praised taste and design
Brand identity and packaging
Crunchtime.
An everyday office snack for coders. The identity speaks their language: CSS syntax on the label, a monospaced typeface and 8-bit pixel icons as flavour codes.
- Corporate identity and brand development
- Packaging and product design
- Meta ads and a mobile shop draft
{CT}0
// the office snack built for coders
Debug your hunger.
.office_booster { flavor: 'wild-blueberry'; }
/* why coders love it */
01Max. focus for long sprints
02No sugar crash before the deploy
03Made in Germany
git commit -m "snack"
Brand, packaging and product
SUNS Care.
1 monthto sell out100%recyclable
A premium sunscreen made in Germany, in 100% recyclable Green PE and FSC-certified materials. Registered with the DPMA.
Corporate identityBrand developmentPackaging designProduct developmentSustainable materialsTrademark registration
Let's work together
Launching a brand or a new pack?
I take brands from the first sketch to the shelf, and to the feed. Tell me what you are building.
Editorial · Graphic Designer, 2012–2013
GRAZIA Germany.
RoleGraphic DesignerDurationNov 2012 – Oct 2013ScopeEditorial layouts, illustration, relaunch
Layouts and illustrations for the weekly fashion and lifestyle magazine, plus support for its German relaunch. Daily typography, grids and image hierarchy on tight weekly deadlines.
Editorial design and layoutIllustrationMood boards for shootsRelaunch
AI-focused version
There is more: dashboards, brands and packaging.
This link shows my visual AI work first. The full portfolio covers 13 years of brand, packaging and data visualisation.
What I do
Five disciplines, one designer.
Generative AI & visual contentUI/UX & data visualisationBrand developmentPackaging designArt direction
Generative AI & visual content
- AI imagery and video, directed and curated
- Critical review against clear quality criteria
- Social media content and key visuals
- ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, Runway, Canva AI
UI/UX & data visualisation
- Dashboard and data visualisation
- Business intelligence and Power BI consulting
- Workshops, user interviews and personas
- Conception, wireframing and UI design
Brand development
- Logo design and corporate identity
- Brand strategy and consulting
- Naming and brand architecture
- Design thinking and workshops
Packaging design
- Relaunches for Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and Henkel
- Modular range systems for FMCG
- Shelf impact and POS
- Sustainable materials and production
Art direction
- Layouts and communication experiences
- Concept and management of photo shoots
- Campaigns and TV commercials
- Quality control of design and production
Art Directors ClubGermany
Arts degreewith distinction
Top 3fastest-growing German food companies, with HEJ Natural
DesignRushfeatured among the best confectionery packaging designs
How I work
Four principles, every project.
01
I make quality measurable.
Six criteria on a 1–5 scale turn “I like it” into feedback a team can act on, like the AG1 key visual rising from 2.2 to 3.0.
See the evidence 02I bring business and engineering to one table.
At Deloitte and Porsche I review dashboards widget by widget with developers and coach users worldwide, so designs survive implementation.
See the evidence 03I decide with users and data, not taste.
User interviews and an audit came before every EnBW redesign. The result: 25% higher dashboard usage.
See the evidence 04I build teams that ship.
At HEJ Natural I hired, trained and led a team of 4–8 plus external agencies, from launch to 70+ products in three years.
See the evidenceIndustry experience
Nine industries, one way of working.
From luxury cars to protein bars: I have designed for regulated corporates, fast-moving consumer brands and early-stage start-ups, in Germany, the US, Australia and New Zealand.
Automotive & mobilityEnergyFMCG, food & beverageHealth, wellness & beautyRetail & e-commerceConsultingMedia & publishingTech, SaaS & Web3Non-profit
Automotive & mobility
Sales and marketing dashboards, styleguides and e-mobility brands.
PorscheBMWDeloitte automotive clientDREEMSrecharged cars
Energy
Energy-trading dashboards, UI/UX audit and user research.
EnBW
FMCG, food & beverage
Brand building, packaging systems, range architecture and relaunches.
HEJ NaturalCoca-ColaCarlsbergHenkelAG1Crunchtime
Health, wellness & beauty
Supplements, sun care, fitness and retreat concepts.
AG1SUNS CareORIGAINProtein ProjektPersonal training
Retail & e-commerce
KPI and merchandising dashboards, web shops and platform relaunches.
Bakers DelightSTRANDmoebel.deGRACE CUBESREVolution Ride
Consulting & professional services
GenAI and data products, Power BI design systems and client delivery.
DeloitteFusion5optimum.consulting
Media & publishing
Editorial design, magazine relaunch and a media-group platform.
GRAZIAProSiebenSat.1
Tech, SaaS & Web3
Product design, brand and UI/UX for software and blockchain start-ups.
tradist NFTCrypto Leaguedashperts
Non-profit & health research
Pro bono brand, website and mentoring.
applause charityME/CFS Research Foundation
Tech stack & languages
The tools behind the work.
FigmaAdobe Creative CloudChatGPTClaudeMidjourneyRunwayPower BITableau+ 12 moreDE · EN · ES · FR
Design
FigmaAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopAdobe InDesignAdobe LightroomCanva
Generative AI
ChatGPTClaudeMidjourneyDALL-ERunwayCanva AIFigma AIMicrosoft Copilot
Data & BI
Power BITableauExcel
Collaboration
ConfluenceJiraMiroMicrosoft TeamsSlack
Languages
GermanNative
EnglishC1
SpanishC1
FrenchB1
Charity
Design for good causes.
Pro bono brand and UI/UX work for organisations I believe in.
applause charity
Wellington, New ZealandA charitable trust that connects kaimahi, community workers serving their whānau, with free or discounted goods and services from local businesses and volunteers. I joined as volunteer brand manager and design mentor during the first lockdown.
- Brand development and corporate identity
- Style guide, website and UI/UX
- Marketing materials and social media
- Coordinating and mentoring the design team
“Julius is absolutely brilliant! He is our brand manager and has expertly completed a suite of collateral in just six months.”
ME/CFS Research Foundation
Hamburg, GermanySince 2022 the foundation has promoted and funded biomedical research into ME/CFS and Long COVID, advised by an international scientific board. I support the team of patients, relatives and volunteers with my design work.
- Logo identity and brand development
- Naming and consulting
- Website UI/UX, desktop and mobile
Career at a glance
13 years, one throughline.
PDF · CV + selected work · 8 pages
2025 – nowDeloitte · Manager, AI & Data2019 – 2025Freelance Design Lead2016 – 2019Goodlife · Head of Design2014 – 2015moebel.de · Art Director2013 – 2014Peter Schmidt Group2012 – 2013GRAZIA2010 – 2013Diploma, with distinction
Apr 2025 – now
Manager, Artificial Intelligence & Data
Deloitte, GermanyDesign direction for GenAI and data products, from user research to validated UI/UX concepts, structured design reviews and stakeholder workshops.
Oct 2019 – Mar 2025
Freelance Design Lead, Brand, UI/UX & Dashboards
Self-employed · Germany, Australia, New ZealandRunning my own studio work and ventures alongside client projects, often in parallel.
- Studio & ventures
- Feb 2019 – presentdashperts.de, founderUI/UX dashboard consultant and data artist: helping businesses visualise dashboards for data-driven decisions.
- Dec 2019 – May 2023STUDIO 45, Design ManagerDigital creative agency for brands, online shops and software; led design direction for campaigns, packaging and branding, and coordinated freelancers.
- Sep 2020 – Aug 2022tradist NFT, co-founderNo-code platform to create and sell NFTs; designed the product in under six months, brand identity, UI/UX and investor meetings; trademark registered with the DPMA.
- Selected clients
- Sep 2024 – Dec 2024AG1Social media content and merchandise in the AG1 brand system, created in Canva and Figma; AI key visuals reviewed against quality criteria.
- Feb 2023 – Mar 2025EnBWTeam of 12–15. Dashboard redesign after a status-quo analysis, UI/UX audit and user interviews; +25% usage.
- Sep 2021 – Jan 2023PorscheGlobal UI/UX styleguide and redesigned sales and marketing dashboards; worldwide 1:1 coaching.
- Dec 2020 – Apr 2023Fusion5 / optimum.consulting, Australia & New ZealandRemote design lead in a team of 5–10 for Power BI client dashboards, incl. KPI dashboards for Bakers Delight (700+ stores), a merchandising report for STRAND and a reusable styleguide.
- Dec 2020 – Apr 2023applause charity, New ZealandVolunteer brand manager and design mentor: identity, styleguide, website and collateral.
Jan 2016 – Oct 2019
Head of Design / Creative Director
Goodlife Company, GermanyBuilt HEJ Natural end to end, from launch to 70+ products in 5,000+ locations within three years; part of the leadership team.
Sep 2014 – Dec 2015
Art Director
moebel.de | ProSiebenSat.1 Media SERelaunched corporate identity and web design; led the design team and art direction for TV commercials.
Oct 2013 – Aug 2014
Packaging Designer
Peter Schmidt GroupPackaging relaunches for Coca-Cola, Carlsberg and Henkel.
Nov 2012 – Oct 2013
Graphic Designer
GRAZIA, GermanyEditorial layouts, illustrations and the relaunch for the German market.
2010 – 2013
Diploma in Communication Design, with distinction
Design Factory InternationalLeadership
Client and stakeholder liaisonStrategic planningTeam leadership and developmentDecision makingConflict resolutionDesign thinking and workshops
Beyond design: a nature-loving person who enjoys surfing, arts, discovering cultures and learning new languages.
What clients and colleagues say.
12 voices from LinkedIn and references.
“Julius impressed with his creativity, expertise and communication skills. He worked closely with business departments and the developers to create good-looking and user-friendly visualizations that met the requirements and expectations. Julius is reliable and professional.”
“Julius is a highly creative, independent and overall fantastic UX/UI designer and a real benefit to my team. He is always communicative, open for feedback and able to express his ideas in a comprehensible way.”
“Worked with Julius a couple of times and need to say: He is visionary, extremely professional, super ambitious and never loses joy while working. A truly inspiring and focused character with a playful easiness to bring his ideas to paper.”
“Highly skilled creative director, passionate about branding, lots of experience working in different industries including food, fashion, software, furniture and more. Couldn't recommend Julius more.”
“It was always a pleasure to work with Julius. His designs and concepts were always convincing and followed a holistic approach, which considered both the user perspective and the business side.”
“This guy really is inspiring! A fresh mind with a fresh visual style. As a colleague, he is someone that you could always rely on. As a client, he's the one to hire. Gets your job done and makes it seem effortless.”
“Creativity is Julius' great passion that shows in everything he does. He also has an extraordinary talent for creating a working environment that makes people happy and productive.”
“Absoluter Experte in seinem Bereich. Seine Resultate haben meine Vorstellungen jedes Mal übertroffen. Ganz klare Empfehlung für jeden, der sich nur mit der qualitativ hochwertigsten Lösung zufriedengibt.”
“We valued him as an excellent and extremely committed manager. He actively promoted cooperation, informed and supported his employees comprehensively at all times.”
“Mr Kahlbrandt has an excellent and in-depth knowledge of the field, which he always knew how to implement in a highly profitable way for our company.”
“Mr Kahlbrandt was at all times ready to take on responsibility, even with difficult tasks, and brought his work with skill and energy to a successful completion.”
“Julius is absolutely brilliant! He is our brand manager and has expertly completed a suite of collateral in just six months. Julius is professional, thorough, and talented.”
Collaboration
Want to be the next reference?
I am always happy to talk about brand, data visualisation and AI design.
Open to conversations
Let's create.
