Jonas Leupe

Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Jonas. Designer and maker, but more than that, a systems thinker who happens to work with form, story, and feeling. I don’t chase aesthetics for their own sake. I build things that serve clarity, resonance, and direction.

My work sits at the intersection of brand, strategy, and digital product, though the real thread is helping ideas come into the world with care and conviction. I’ve done that for founders, filmmakers, and design leaders alike.

I’m not built for output for output’s sake. I need to be in the field, solving something real, something that asks for presence. That’s when I come alive.

Where are you currently based? (And do you work remotely, hybrid or on-site?)

I live in Brugge and almost always work from home. My desk is literally in the middle of our house. That's no coincidence, I want to feel life while I work. No white room on the top floor, but a place that lives. That helps me remember why I do this, and for whom.

What does an average workday look like for you?

My day used to start late. Nowadays I aim to get up around five o'clock. I noticed that I didn't have enough time in my days. That early start gives me space. Coffee, breakfast, meditation. Then focus work. I save meetings for the afternoon. And in the evening it's time for family, unless I'm in a flow.

Are you more of an organized type or a chaotic type and (how) does that affect your workday?

Both. Neither. Depends on what the work calls for.

I keep my tools and files clean (almost obsessively) so my mind has room to roam. The chaos lives in the thinking: the long walks, the forever expanding pile of notebooks, the audio memos that sound like riddles. But when it’s time to execute, I move with focus and precision.

I’m not the guy for static workflows. Structure exists to support momentum, not to constrain it. Some days I need discipline. Other days, I need to wander. I’m learning to listen and let that decide.

What is your favorite moment of the day while working?

That moment just after that first coffee. Music on. A design starts to live. Then I know again why I do this.

What tools do you use daily and why?

Figma, Framer and Illustrator are my mains. They’re fast, flexible, and really get the job done. I like tools that stay out of the way and let the idea breathe.

I also use Apple Notes obsessively. Not because it’s perfect (it’s not), but because it’s everywhere I am. Most of my thinking starts there, in fragments. It’s where chaos gets permission before it becomes clarity.

But honestly? I’m everywhere. I probably use every tool available at some point. Whatever the medium, whatever the format, I’ll adapt. Give me a clear problem, and I’ll figure it out whatever the tool. I won’t be the expert right away, but if it can translate an idea, I’ll make it look like it belonged there all along.

Nowadays, ChatGPT, Midjourney, Visual Electric, Runway, Flora, Perplexity, Google VEO … they’re part of the mix too. Not just to speed things up, but to see further, test faster, go weirder. I like to treat tools like languages. I don’t need to speak them all fluently, I just need to say something that resonates.

Do you have a certain workflow or routine that helps you stay focused and creative?

Not really a set rhythm, but I know my triggers. Techno for production, Chopin for writing. Inspiration usually comes through beauty. A Volvo commercial, for example. Or Jony Ive announcing IO with Altman. I've rewatched that last one here a dozen times already. No joke.

Can you tell us something about your workspace?

Think of a three-meter-long table, in the middle of the loft. It's just behind the couch, surrounded by a large Ficus and two hands full of plants. Plants. Never enough plants. Next to me I have two gigantic windows that provide natural light. Just like plants, we can never have enough of them there. A place that feels almost like an artist’s studio, so to speak. And plants, did I mention plants?

Do you have items or surroundings that help you get into the creative zone?

Our whole home is kind of built on that. Modularity, light, breathing space. My wife and I are both makers, so our home is also our studio.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Conversations. Movies. Twitter, Threads, YouTube. Pinterest, lots of Pinterest. Books that have nothing to do with design. Long car rides. Oh my, long car rides. It usually hits while I’m driving. Just motion, rhythm, and space to think sideways. Could be while listening to a podcast, or just me wandering. A sentence lands, a visual clicks. And all of the sudden, a new connection reveals itself. Not to mention long showers, by the way.

Do you have any rituals or habits to keep your inspiration going?

Walking without a cell phone. I am seriously considering ditching my iPhone for an Apple Watch. Less stimuli, more attention.

What has been one of the biggest obstacles in your career so far?

My inner critic, by far.

I have a clear, sometimes overwhelming sense of where things are headed. I don’t think people will be “on the web” in five years. They won’t open laptops, browse websites, click through menus. They’ll speak to their device, and it will answer. The interface will dissolve. So when I’m asked to design something that feels tied to the old model, something in me resists.

Because I want the work to matter. Even if people can’t point to it. Even if they never realize why it felt right. If it’s hollow or irrelevant, I can’t fake my way through it. That tension between what I believe is coming and what I’m asked to make today… that’s the obstacle. And the invitation.

How did you overcome that?

I’m still in the middle of it, tbh. But I’m starting to let go of the idea that the role I’m meant for is already out there, waiting.

I’m in the process of shaping slowly. By sharing, having conversations, putting thoughts into the world, and seeing who they resonate with. I try to consciously choose projects that align with that vision. Not just creatively, but emotionally. If it doesn’t feel like it matters, I don’t force it.

And when I start drifting, I go still. I need that. Time to meditate, root myself again. To come back to what’s real, what is now. That’s where clarity lives.

What is an important lesson you have learned as a designer?

That design is rarely about design. It is about listening. About asking the right questions. Design is communication, translated into form. It also does something. It contributes to clarity, trust, direction. It is rarely about how something looks visually. Style is just an accent. But what you are trying to say, has to make sense first.

What is a project that you are very proud of? Why?

One I keep coming back to is the second edition of Pricing Design with Dan Mall.

From the visual identity to the experience of reading, buying, or simply browsing, we wanted it tofeel clear, calm, and generous. No friction, no noise. You can even read the entire book for free on the site. That wasn’t an afterthought, it was the point.

Dan’s thinking around pricing for designers is sharp and deeply considered. The design had to reflect that. Carry the same confidence without posturing. Honest, thoughtful, useful.

It aligned with the kind of work I want to keep doing. Work that respects the audience, that carries meaning quietly, and that leaves something behind you might not be able to explain, but you still feel.

Do you have a project or moment that went completely wrong? What did you learn from it?

Definitely. I said yes to a project that seemed rationally perfect. Clear budget, tight deadline, ambitious client. But my gut told me otherwise. I ignored that signal, resulting in endless rounds of feedback, confusion about expectations, frustration on both sides. Since then I know: your first intuition is rarely wrong.

Looking back on your journey so far, what would you advise yourself 5 years ago?

Slow down. Stay with your gut. And build something that makes sense to you, not to some algorithm here or there.

What do you still dream of as a designer?

I want to help design what comes after screens. I want to shape the systems we’ll talk to, the objects we’ll trust, the experiences that will feel intuitive because they care.

And more than anything, I want to feel it matters. That what I’m making adds to the world instead of just decorating it. That I’m not just responding to the brief, but nudging the future.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee. Although I have to admit: I don't really like the taste. Without sugar, I could barely swallow it. But I keep drinking it. Not for the caffeine. Not for the taste. But for the moment. For the atmosphere. For the romance. For the ritual. As if every cup of coffee is a scene from a movie that has yet to begin.

Working early or late?

Early. Recently. And it seems to work.

Solo or team?

Solo with a network. I don't need a team to build, but I do need people to reflect, to doubt, to share. Alone is fast. Together is richer.

Book or podcast?

Audiobook.

Favorite design account on Instagram or Twitter?

Instagram I have moved away from. But @saturday on Twitter remains a favorite.

Where can people see more of your work?

• jonasleupe.com

• Twitter or Threads (@jonasleupe)

• LinkedIn.

Or just email. Inbox is more real than feeds.

Is there anything else you would like to share with aspiring designers?

Don't start with the work. Start with the way you want to live. Everything you make, everything you say yes to, will ultimately shape your days. And your days shape your life. So don't just ask yourself 'what do I want to design?', but also: 'how do I want to feel while designing?'. Make sure you stay curious. That you learn to look instead of just scrolling.

Make things that you want to keep. Not for a portfolio, but because it sets something in motion. And perhaps most importantly: be gentle with yourself. Especially in a world that constantly tells you to do more, faster and better.