Design that scales from day one

I help new founders and growing teams build design foundations that match your stage, team, and goals. Whether you're defining design's role or scaling without waste.

I help founders set up design the right way, so it supports growth instead of slowing it down.

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Raised or valued across platforms, including GoFundMe, Clever, and Human Interest.

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Raised or valued across platforms, including GoFundMe, Clever, and Human Interest.

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Donations raised. Early UX at GoFundMe Charity enabled giving at scale.

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Donations raised. Early UX at GoFundMe Charity enabled giving at scale.

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Acquisition value in K–12. Clear flows and strong brand built trust.

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Acquisition value in K–12. Clear flows and strong brand built trust.

Revenue growth from redesigned core UX proving clarity scales.

Users served. Scaled secure login and onboarding for K–12.

Industries served—finance, education, retail, healthcare, and more.

“We hire designers early not just for pixels, but to shape the product.”

Brian Chesky, Airbnb

Brian Chesky
Airbnb

“The biggest YC companies, like Airbnb and Stripe, won because of design. It’s what built trust in strangers’ homes and online payments.”

Aaron Epstein

YC partner

“As software gets easier to build, design becomes more important. Design is the differentiator in the sea of software.”

Dylan Field

Founder and CEO, Figma

“One of the most important tasks for a founder is to make sure the company builds a great product. Until you’ve built a great product, almost nothing else matters.”

Sam Altman

CEO, OpenAI

“As building gets easier with AI, design matters more. Empathy, problem-solving, standards, and taste are what make great founders.”

Aaron Epstein

YC partner

Early Teams (0→1)

Getting design right early saves time, money, and frustration. For founders with an MVP or seed-stage product, we help you understand what design really means for your business, set lightweight systems that grow with your roadmap, and align design with product and engineering from day one. This foundation prevents waste, avoids costly redesigns, and gives your team clarity and confidence to move forward.

Focus Areas:

Define design role

First hire guide

Early reusable patterns

Align with eng

Spot risks early

Start without waste

Simple intake & flows

Dev-friendly handoff

Avoid rework

Design That Scales

Define good design

Most founders don’t know what design actually means for their product. We help you define the job of design, where to start, and when to hire your first designer—so you avoid wasting time or budget.

Outcome: A clear design foundation, simple priority map, and a roadmap for your first design hire.

Set up scalable DesignOps

Even without a team, you need lightweight workflows that make design usable. We create simple intake flows, reusable patterns, and developer-friendly handoff systems—built for your roadmap, not bloated kits.

Outcome: Starter workflows, a modular design system, and founder-friendly tools for reuse.

Connect design to the business

Design should support product and engineering, not slow them down. We align design with your roadmap, reduce waste and rework, and help you spot risks before they grow.

Outcome: Aligned priorities, fewer redesigns, faster delivery, and measurable ROI.

Scaling Teams (Post-MVP)

For startups past MVP, actively scaling, and seeking investor-ready validation. At this stage, design must grow with your team, demonstrate clear business impact, and deliver the metrics investors require. We help align design with product and engineering, prevent growing pains, and establish systems that prove ROI.

Focus Areas:

Design role clarity

Define good design

Spot scaling risks

Scalable workflows

Fast team intake

Eng-ready handoff

Track design ROI

Investor reporting

Design That Scales

Define design at scale

As teams grow, misalignment creates friction. We help define design’s role across product and engineering, agree on what “good” looks like, and set up guardrails that prevent design debt.

Outcome: Clear team alignment, priorities mapped to roadmap, and early safeguards against scaling risks.

Set up scalable DesignOps

Growth demands repeatable systems. We create modular workflows, intake processes that keep up with velocity, and developer-friendly handoff systems—so design supports speed, not chaos.

Outcome: A scalable design system, an ops playbook, and workflows tailored to your roadmap.

Outcomes investors trust

At this stage, design must prove traction. We build dashboards and reporting that track ROI, reuse, and velocity—making design measurable and investor-ready.

Outcome: Metrics you can share with investors, reduced design debt, and a design strategy tied directly to business goals.

Why This Works
Tailored design foundations that scale with your stage

No One-Size-Fits-All

Every startup has different needs. Instead of handing you another UI kit, we define what design should mean for your product and team, based on your goals and current stage.

Outcome: A design foundation built specifically for your company—not a generic template.

Infrastructure that Scales

We set up systems that make design usable from day one and adaptable as you grow. These workflows align with product and engineering so design accelerates, not slows down.

Outcome: Lightweight infrastructure that grows with your roadmap and prevents costly rework.

Clarity for Your Stage

Design only works if it fits where your business is today. We focus on what matters now—whether that’s building your first design foundation or proving ROI at scale.

Outcome: Clear direction, team alignment, and measurable results tied to your stage.

Get design right, from the start or as you scale.

Book a Call →

Smart Systems to align design with product and engineering

Clarify Design

Define what “good design” means for your stage. Outline the job, scope, and success criteria of design while mapping immediate priorities and first-hire needs.

Set Up DesignOps

Create simple intake flows, reusable patterns, and dev-friendly handoffs. Tools and workflows are scaled to match your team’s current velocity.

Measure ROI

Track reuse, velocity, and reduced rework. Tie design metrics directly to product goals and investor-ready business outcomes.

Align with Product & Engineering

Connect design to roadmap and technical delivery. Establish guardrails that reduce redesigns and debt while keeping teams aligned.

Build a Modular System

Start with reusable components and usage guidance. Evolve the system as your needs expand—avoiding bloated, overbuilt kits.

Iterate & Scale

Revisit roles, processes, and systems as the team grows. Add structure only when needed, ensuring design accelerates growth instead of slowing it down.

Creating impact through bold results and lasting collaborations

3+ Years Partnership

Defined UX infrastructure early, designing for scale before visual or brand layers. Work contributed to a system trusted by 10K+ districts.

EdTech

UX Systems

Conversion Clarity

Brand Strategy

Infrastructure-Led

Engagement 20%

10K+ Districts

$1.3B in Valuation

Worked with co-founders to shape early product UX and reduce onboarding friction by 30% in under 6 months. Supported brand system during scale to $1.3B valuation.

Fintech

Retirement

Scalable UX

Operational Clarity

Activation 25%

$2.3B Valuation

"Brandon didn’t just design what we asked for—he synthesized feedback into decisions that actually moved the product forward. His strategic approach saved us from endless loops and helped lay the foundation for Human Interest’s early growth."

Roger Lee

Co-founder at Human Interest

“Brandon integrated the product vision directly into the infrastructure. His work shaped a product experience now powering learning for over 12,000 school districts nationwide.”

Tyler Bosmeny

Co-founder at Clever | Y Combinator Board Member

$500M in Donations

Built UX architecture for donation flows that helped raise $500M+. Early product design enabled real scale and real giving.

Nonprofit Tech

Behavioral UX

Platform Strategy

Conversion 18%

$500M Donations

$100M Valuation

Led art direction for a $6.5M outdoor campaign for Meet the Robinsons. Delivered a unified creative system across formats.

Entertainment

OOH

Campaign Creative

Brand Systems

Engagement 20%

Sales 10%

Selected partnerships

Elevated their B2B product with user-led design systems and marketing conversion flows. Full redesign boosted onboarding confidence and scheduling ease.