Hey there! I'm Joseph.

I’m a multidisciplinary designer and researcher in Austin, TX. I recently earned a Master's degree from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design. Previously, I worked on news content experience at AllSides, confidently tackling complexity and controversy to combat polarization and boost media literacy. In my spare time, I'm busy getting lost in the woods, buying overpriced matcha lattes, and encouraging my friends to achieve their dreams.

I think a lot about applying big ideas to even the smallest details. Humans have the same core needs as our hunter-gatherer ancestors, but we face informational and systemic complexity many orders of magnitude greater. My design approach aims to strike a balance that helps humans flourish in this strange new world.

‍I am currently open to work. If you have a project you'd like my input on, shoot me an email at josephratliff.design@gmail.com!

A photo of Joseph Ratliff giving a presentation while holding a book

A designer who understands both Figma and the Wall Street Journal

Coming from a background in international relations and journalism, I’ve worked on multidisciplinary teams to design informational user interfaces, fine-tune interactions, and concisely communicate complex technical concepts.

A lifelong learner who uses AI as a thought partner

I’m always learning new things, and I've used AI to rapidly learn and apply new skills, tools, and methodologies. For example, I recently used Claude for data visualizations in Python and ChatGPT for haptic prototyping in Protopie.