Janet Gonzales
About

Hi, I'm Janet

I'm an entrepreneur at heart. I've worked with a lot of startups, so I know what it takes to build something from scratch. Today I design UX, websites and brand identities for teams and agencies, and I'm not afraid to get in it with you. I split my time between Austin, Portland, San Francisco and Salt Lake City.

Book a call →
The backstory

I've been the

startup collaborator

I've worked alongside a lot of startups. I know what it takes to build something from scratch, and I'm not afraid to get in it with you.

20+
Startups worked with
5
Years building brands
How I work

Four things I promise

01

Strategy before style

We start with your goals, your audience and your numbers. Pretty comes second, and it lands harder because of it.

02

Bold on purpose

Big color and big type, each picked for a reason, so your brand is hard to scroll past.

03

Your biggest fan

Real enthusiasm, honest feedback and updates you never have to chase.

04

Built to launch

Guidelines, templates and a site you can actually edit, so you leave ready to run with it.

In the community

Where you'll find me

Your Climate Startup's First UX Hire, San Francisco Climate Week, April 24, 2026

SF Climate Week

With Rebecca Hathaway, I gave “Your Climate Startup's First UX Hire” at SF Climate Week 2026: when early-stage climate teams need UX, who to hire first and how to get the most out of that first designer.

See the talk →
Sunny Side Up: Designing Climate Tech MVPs with Purpose + Play, PNW Climate Week, July 14, 2026

PNW Climate Week

With Rebecca Hathaway, I gave “Sunny Side Up: Designing Climate Tech MVPs with Purpose + Play” at PNW Climate Week 2026, on building first products that are useful, joyful and ready to learn from.

See the talk →
The KERI Suite Knowledge Base home page on a laptop

Internet Identity Workshop

At IIW43, the twice-yearly gathering for digital identity, I shared the KERI Suite Knowledge Base that Mark Scott and I built to give people a clear place to start with KERI.

Visit the knowledge base →
Designers gathered around a table at an AIGA Portland event

AIGA Portland

I serve as Secretary on AIGA Portland's board, helping keep the chapter organized and Portland's design community connected.

About AIGA Portland →
Speaker on stage at a Portland Design Month event

Portland Design Month

I co-founded Portland Design Month with the rest of the AIGA Portland board: a month-long celebration of the city's design community, with events and workshops all over town.

Portland Design Month →
Janet Gonzales smiling in front of a colorful mural

Arts University Bournemouth

AUB interviewed me about earning my MA Graphic Design online from the US, graduating with Distinction, and how it sharpened my creative edge, from freelance brand identities to a glowing wayfinding system that gets people outside after dark.

Read the interview →
Off the clock

Things you should know

✦
Serial idea-haver and startup collaborator
✦
Never met a color I was too scared to use
✦
Your team's favorite hype person, on and off the clock
Janet peeking out from behind a mural of green aliens
Spot the alien

Let's bring your bold vision to life

Book a call →