Folio's vision was clear: to create an all-in-one tool for startups, agencies, and small companies to manage clients, build portfolios, and deliver assets effortlessly — all with AI-driven speed. Unlike most early-stage projects, Folio had already done extensive market research. My mission was not to figure out what to build — it was to bring that vision to life, screen by screen, interaction by interaction.
The Challenge: Turning Deep Research into a Seamless Experience
Startups and agencies constantly juggle client demands, project assets, and portfolio creation — usually across scattered tools like email, Google Drive, and messy templates.
Folio’s Promise:
Centralize all client communication and assets in one place.
Instantly build beautiful, customized portfolios with AI — even from Zoom calls or emails.
Help early-stage teams save time, look polished, and close clients faster.
Strategy: Key User Flows I Focused On
Signup and onboarding: Simple, fast, and value-driven.
Folio Builder: Users could generate portfolios automatically based on assets and conversation history.
Client Vault: Secure storage and organization of client files, ready to be pulled into projects instantly.
Execution: Designing Without Handcuffs
Streamlined complex feature ideas into modular, user-friendly flows.
Built a custom design system to support consistency without locking creativity; flexible enough to grow with the product.
Prioritized clarity over visual gimmicks. Focusing on structure, typography, and UX logic.
My Approach:
Presented multiple design approaches for each feature to support fast, collaborative decision-making.
Conducted fresh competitive research for every major module — validating Folio’s ideas against best practices.
Maintained pixel-perfect detailing to make dev handoffs seamless and efficient.
Impact: Setting the Foundations for Growth
Though the product hadn't launched by the time I transitioned out, the internal results were clear:
The CEO and CTO personally praised the design direction and usability.
Engineers appreciated the flexibility and scalability of the custom Design System.
Folio's early build reflected a clean, cohesive user experience ready to adapt to multiple industries.