Working together

Most teams don't need "a designer." They need one of two things: someone to own design direction day to day, or someone experienced to help them think clearly at key moments.

I work in two distinct ways. They solve different problems. Picking the wrong one usually means frustration on both sides, so it's worth being honest about which one actually fits.

Fractional Head of Design

This is for teams that need real design leadership, but not (or not yet) a full-time hire.

I'm embedded with the team. I take responsibility for direction, quality, and momentum, not just advice from the sidelines. Think of it as having a Head of Design, just not five days a week.

What this looks like

I own the design direction and hold the bar on quality, across product and system, not just individual screens. I work closely with product and engineering (and "closely" actually means closely, not "we have a weekly sync"). I lead whoever's doing design work, review what's shipping, and unblock the decisions that are stuck. And I still do hands-on design where it matters—which is usually more often than people expect.

Sometimes this includes things no one is excited to own. Honestly, that's usually where the real work is.

This is ongoing ownership, just part-time. Typically a steady ~two days per week, over a longer stretch. The goal is to give you senior design leadership without the full-time commitment, until (or unless) you want one.

When this tends to fit

You don't have senior design leadership, but the product is getting complex. Design quality is drifting as the team grows. Founders are spending too much time arbitrating design decisions. Product, design, and engineering aren't quite pulling in the same direction, and someone needs to fix that.

What this is not

It's not project-based. It's not "extra hands." It's not short-term UX cleanup.

Advisory

Advisory is for teams that don't need a Head of Design, 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 just want clarity before committing to something bigger.

What this is not

It's not execution. It's not people management. It's not ongoing ownership of outcomes.

Which one fits

If you're deciding, this usually helps:

  • If you want ownership → Fractional Head of Design
  • If you want judgment → Advisory
  • If you want progress through execution → Fractional
  • If you want clarity before committing → Advisory

If you're unsure, that's normal. Many teams start with advisory and move into a fractional setup 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 only take on a small number of fractional roles at a time. Advisory is more flexible, but still selective.

If this sounds like it might fit, the next step is just 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.