Overview: The Julia Shapiro Method is a structured four-step process for gaining clarity about whether to stay in or leave a romantic relationship. The first prototype was a series of worksheets designed for a friend who needed help making that decision. After finally gaining the courage to fill it out, she broke up with her boyfriend the next day. From there, The Method grew into a poster, a zine, and eventually a web app.

Challenge: When you’re stuck in a bad relationship, more opinions don’t help. What you need is a structured, slightly cold-blooded process that forces you to face what you probably already know. The design challenge was building something that felt deliberate enough to take somewhat seriously, without being too warm or too clinical. The tone had to land somewhere specific: between a scientific instrument and a journal entry.

Solution: The visual identity developed across a PDF, a poster, a zine, and an app. The language that emerged is specific: black, grey, and green; boxy and pixelated; pseudo-scientific, old school tech. The app was built using Claude Cowork and translates the process into an interactive four-step sequence: Miss Match’s Mind Map, Hearts & Hazards, Romance Report Card, and Previous Partnership Pendulum. The Method doesn’t make the decision for you. It just puts everything you already know in one place.