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Hi, I'm Joshua

Amsterdam-based problem solver turning business strategy into results-driven digital experiences. Self-taught, versatile, and fluent in growth hacking, design thinking, and getting shit done.

Joshua Bar-El
Joshua Bar-El

About me

I love creating digital experiences. I've dabbled in video, motion, and graphic design, but what excites me most is building great websites. I don’t have a traditional design or development background, although I did learn a lot about persuasive communication and design during my uni days. What I know about creating, I’ve learned by doing.

In 2020, I created a redesign of the website for bunq—a unicorn-status fintech startup from Amsterdam—and submitted it to their team. This landed me a role as their website owner. Through years of trial and error, I refined my skills—building design systems, creating content, developing frontend projects, and automating processes. I approach challenges with a hacker’s mindset, finding creative and resourceful ways to get things done. As Paul Graham stated, “someone who can make a computer do what he wants—whether the computer wants to or not.”

Along the way, I mastered growth hacking and design thinking, which has enabled me to lead the growth of bunq's marketing website during its scale-up phase. Today, I’m the Senior Website Owner at bunq. To me, this journey proves that the ability to learn and adapt is the most valuable skill one can have. My eagerness to learn has shaped me into a swiss-army knife, and that’s exactly what sets me apart from others.

Design philosophy

It's not that complicated. Real design is not art, despite what you might see in some portfolios. Design is a tool to guide users toward a goal. I started out wanting to make the most aesthetic designs possible. My ego was in the way. Being a good designer means perfecting the process: starting with why, focusing on the target audience, and creating something intuitive through iteration and validation.

I always put the user first. Often, that results in a design that feels simple—and that's intentional because it works. No need to reinvent the wheel. What matters is creating products that achieve their goals efficiently. That’s what I deliver.

Portfolio

bunq

2020 - Present

Leading the growth and transformation of bunq's marketing website during its scale-up phase. Designed and built scalable systems, optimized user experiences, and developed a user-centered platform that aligns with business goals. As Senior Website Owner, I take end-to-end ownership, bridging strategy with execution to drive results.

Bruno Sitton

2024

Collaborated with Bruno to create a personal brand website that emphasizes his strong visual content. We developed a streamlined, minimal design focused on showcasing his work. I handled the design and built the site in Framer, while Bruno provided the copy and visuals.

PROXY Amsterdam

2024

Designed and built a quick landing page to promote PROXY's ADE event in collaboration with Alpha Industries. The page featured a promotional video and an integrated ticketing system, supporting an event attended by over 400 people.

Contact

Have a question or want to work together? Feel free to send a quick email to joshuabarel@gmail.com, or reach out on LinkedIn.