Julie Villain
Julie Villain
Rio de Janeiro / Brazil
Website Designer & Developer
Services
Squarespace Design and Dev, Website Tweaks, Design and Strategy Intensives
Course Taken
Standout Squarespace
01
Hi! My name is Julie Villain and I’m a Website Designer & Developer based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
02
Outside work you will often find me on the beach or in the forest with my son, trying a new vegetarian recipe in the kitchen, at my favorite acai place, or on my meditation mat with a cacau in hands...
03
But on a typical workday, I am usually working on building warm and minimal websites for creatives, artists and small businesses. Letting myself be inspired, and alternating between my handwritten notes on my notebooks and my too many tabs open on my computer screen.
04
My day usually starts with reading a book in bed to my toddler
05
Most of the time I am working on designing and building websites for my clients, refining my process to make it more supportive
06
What are your first memories of the Internet?
I clearly remember the sound of the modem when we would connect to the internet at home. We had a very limited amount of time, and I had to share with my brother - I remember using the simple chat platform, caramail, to speak with my friends.
07
What is the best part about the process of building websites for you?
I honestly love almost every step of the process. I’m always inspired by getting to know a new client, listening to their story and vision, and imagining what we could create together and how their website could genuinely support their business.
I also love the research and exploration phase, when everything feels possible and I get to uncover the direction that feels just right. Then there’s the part where I can really get into my zone: taking all the ideas, shaping them into a thoughtful design, and bringing that design to life as a meaningful, functional website in Squarespace. There’s something pretty amazing about seeing all those pieces come together.
08
What is your favorite stretch or pastime in between coding?
Reading a good book or magazine in my hammock, spending time in nature, or having some quality time with my son. I also love going thrift shopping for furniture and finding those little hidden gems.
09
How would you describe your Standout Style in 2-3 words? Minimalist. Feminine. Earthy. Modern.
10
Which Standout workshops do you find yourself incorporating most often on your website projects?
There are so many I love to play with, and I enjoy keeping up with the Code Toolkit. I often come back to subtle typography animations, horizontal scrolling, optimized slideshows, and custom headers to make a site feel more intentional.
11
What makes your work standout?
I think it’s really about taking the time to understand my clients and their vision, and creating something that feels like them. I’m naturally drawn to warm, minimal and type-driven design, with lots of intentional space and thoughtful little details. I want my websites to feel calm, welcoming and a little bit unexpected — like an online home rather than just a website. I also love exploring different styles and pushing myself creatively with each new project!
12
What are some of your proudest works you've worked on?
The Prairie Edit - Client ProjectWebsite →I’m really proud of the website I created for The Prairie Edit, a cut flower garden and studio based in the UK, run by Anastasia. Her audience is mainly florists and creatives, so we wanted to balance a grounded, earthy feeling with something more luxurious and rare — reflecting the exceptional quality of the flowers she grows. Working with her beautiful imagery was also such a joy.
Among other workshops, I used the Focus List Carousel to create a seasonal growing calendar showing what’s growing in her gardens throughout the year.
I learned that finding the right combination of imagery, typography and small interactions is key to communicating the feeling and value of a brand without needing to over-design it.
13
What are the biggest takeaways from the Standout programs?
It never ceases to amaze me to see how much we can create with Squarespace, and all the opportunities that open up when we keep pushing its boundaries. It feels like nothing is really impossible — even on a platform, we can bring ambitious and unexpected design ideas to life, which feels really liberating!
I also love how comprehensive the program is. It’s not just about design or Squarespace, but about building a better business and becoming a better designer.
And the community is definitely another big takeaway. It’s so inspiring to see designers sharing, supporting and cheering each other on along the way.
14
What is your dream website project?
I’d love to work with an interior designer or architect whose work has a really strong sense of place and personality. I’d love the challenge of translating a physical space and their creative vision into an online experience.
I’d also love to work with a boutique hospitality or nature stay — somewhere where the landscape, architecture, interiors and little details all come together to create a feeling. Those are the kind of websites where I could really have fun with beautiful imagery, storytelling and subtle interactions to make you want to be there.
