Working together

Every team I work with is different, but the engagement usually takes one of two forms: either I'm embedded as your design partner, or I'm advising from a slight distance. Which one makes sense depends on what you actually need, ownership or judgment. If you're not sure, that's a fine place to start a conversation.

Design Partner

This is for companies that need someone senior to own the design work. In most of these engagements I'm the only designer in the company, the de facto head of design, whatever the contract calls it. In others I work alongside an existing design team on the problems that cut across everything: coherence, systems, quality.

I've done this as the founding designer at a five-person startup that grew to twenty, and I've done it embedded with established product teams. The common thread is ownership. I take responsibility for the design work, not just the design opinions.

What this looks like

I design and refine the core flows that make or break the product, set the design direction, and raise the bar on quality across everything that ships. Depending on where the company is, that often extends into brand and visual identity, design systems, user research, and shaping the product roadmap alongside founders or product leads.

I work closely with product and engineering, daily, and in the actual work rather than from the sidelines. When the work needs specialist help, I find and manage the right contractors. When the team is ready for its first full-time design hire, I lead that process too.

When this tends to fit

You're early and need someone senior to own design from day one. Or you have a product already but design quality is drifting and nobody's holding the bar. Or founders are spending too much time making design decisions that someone else should own. Or your design team is heads-down shipping and needs a partner who keeps the whole picture coherent while they do.

How it usually works

Some engagements start at two days a week and stay there. Some start full-time and taper as the team grows. Some start as "maybe six months" and turn into three and a half years. I'd rather figure out the right shape together than lock it in upfront.

Advisory

Advisory is for teams that don't need a design partner, but do need experienced judgment they can trust.

Think of it as having a senior design leader in the room, without them being in the room every day. You're not looking for someone to own outcomes. You're looking for someone to pressure-test your thinking and tell you what they actually see.

What I do as an advisor

I pressure-test product ideas and give direct feedback on work in progress, the kind that's useful, not the kind that just sounds smart. When founders are stuck between options or second-guessing themselves, I help them decide and move on. And I name risks early, including the uncomfortable ones that everyone's tiptoeing around.

Advisory is deliberately light, focused, and bounded. Usually a mix of calls and async feedback, designed to reduce noise, not add more meetings.

When this works well

You want a sparring partner, not an owner. Big decisions are coming up, new product, platform shift, reorg. Internal debates are dragging on without resolution. Or you want clarity before committing to something bigger.

Which one fits

If you're deciding, this usually helps:

  • If you want ownership → Design Partner
  • If you want judgment → Advisory
  • If you want progress through execution → Design Partner
  • If you want clarity before committing → Advisory

If you're unsure, that's normal. Many teams start with advisory and move into a deeper partnership once the need is clearer. Some stay advisory forever. Both are fine.

If you're curious about what I'm actually like to work with day-to-day, how I communicate, what I value, what drives me nuts, I wrote a longer piece on working with me.

One constraint worth mentioning

I take on at most three design partner engagements at a time. Advisory is more flexible, but still selective.

If this sounds like it might fit, the next step is a short conversation to figure out which way of working actually makes sense, or whether I'm the wrong person altogether. No pitch, no pressure. Just clarity.