Design & Product Strategy Advisory

Monthly retainer for ongoing strategic design & product guidance. Get the senior design leadership you need without hiring a full-time Head of Design.

3-month minimum · Rolling monthly thereafter

Strategy with a Difference

Bi-Weekly Design Reviews

Strategic feedback on your design work;

👉 15-20 minute video walkthrough of your Figma files

👉 Written feedback document with specific recommendations

👉 Strategic commentary on alignment with business goals

👉 Behavioural design insights where relevant

Frequency: Every 2 weeks

Format: Async (no meeting required)

Monthly Strategy Call

Live strategic planning and problem-solving;

📆 60-minute video call with Founder/Heads of Product

📆 Agenda set by you 48 hours prior

📆 Deep dive on priorities, roadmap, challenges

📆 Follow-up email with action items and recommendations

Frequency: Once per month

Format: Live call + written follow-up

Ongoing Slack/Email Access

Strategic advice as questions arise;

💬 Direct access to me in dedicated Slack channel or email

💬 Response within 48 hours (business days)

💬 Quick strategic guidance on day-to-day decisions

💬 Focused, actionable responses

Frequency: Ongoing throughout month

Quarterly Strategic Review

Deeper strategic planning every 3 months;

🚀 Review past 90 days of progress

🚀 Identify strategic priorities for next quarter

🚀 Present recommendations deck (8-10 slides)

🚀 90-minute planning session

Frequency: Every quarter

Format: Presentation + strategic planning session

Value Best Placed

This retainer model works best for companies that have:

✅ Achieved product-market fit

✅ Series A or B funding (£3-10M raised)

✅ 20-100 employees

✅ Design team of 2-10 people

✅ Need strategic direction, not just execution

✅ Product-led or product-centric business model

You're a good fit if:

💁‍♂️ Design decisions are reactive rather than strategic

💁‍♂️ Product roadmap lacks clear design direction

💁‍♂️ User feedback isn't translating into design decisions

💁‍♂️ Design team exists but lacks strategic leadership

💁‍♂️ You're scaling and design debt is accumulating

This is strategic advisory, not design execution. I don't provide:

❌ Design mockups or prototypes

❌User research execution

❌Project management

❌ Developer handoff work

❌ Same-day or emergency responses

If you need design execution, I can recommend excellent designers.

But if you need strategic clarity on what to build and why, that's where I help.

You're NOT a good fit if:

🙅‍♂️ Pre-seed stage (too early, no budget)

🙅‍♂️ Primarily need design execution

🙅‍♂️ Can't afford £4,995/month for strategic guidance

🙅‍♂️ Need full-time hands-on management

Getting Started

  • - 30-minute discovery call to understand your challenges

    - If good fit, send proposal and contract

    - First month payment upfront

    - Kickoff call to establish working rhythm

  • - First bi-weekly design review (Week 2)

    - Monthly strategy call (Week 3-4)

    - Ongoing Slack/email access throughout

  • - Continue bi-weekly reviews

    - Monthly strategy calls

    - Ongoing access

    - Building strategic frameworks together

  • - Quarterly strategic review

    - Evaluate progress and fit

    - Continue rolling monthly or pause with 30-day notice

What Makes This Different

Every recommendation tied to revenue, efficiency, or measurable outcomes. I speak product and business language, not just design.

Business Impact Focus

I apply cognitive psychology principles where relevant, understanding how users actually think and behave, not just how they should.

Behavioural Psychology 

20 years leading design at scale. I focus on the strategic decisions before design begins, not execution after.

Strategic Not Tactical

FAQ

  • Strategic design advisory needs time to deliver meaningful value.

    Three months allows us to:

    - Understand your business and team deeply

    - Identify and address root strategic issues

    - Implement frameworks and see initial impact

    - Build sustainable design decision-making capability

    After the initial 3 months, you can continue monthly or pause with 30-day notice.

  • Approximately 8-10 hours spread across the month:

    - 2 hours per bi-weekly review (4 hours total)

    - 2 hours for monthly strategy call (including prep)

    - 2-3 hours for ongoing Slack/email throughout month

    - 1 hour for quarterly review (averaged monthly)

    This focused time is designed for strategic guidance, not hands-on execution.

  • I've found bi-weekly async reviews + monthly live calls creates the best rhythm. It gives your team time to implement feedback and avoids meeting overload. We can adjust the format in the first month if needed.

  • The retainer is scoped for consistent strategic guidance, not variable project work. If you occasionally need deeper engagement, we can discuss additional hours or a project-based engagement.

  • We'll define success metrics together in the kickoff call. Typically:

    - Design team velocity and confidence

    - Alignment on strategic priorities

    - Measurable business outcomes (conversion, retention, etc.)
    - Quality of design decisions being made

    We review these quarterly.

  • Yes. After the 3-month minimum, you can pause with 30-day notice. Many clients continue because the strategic guidance becomes invaluable as you scale.

  • Primarily, I work with the founder, Head of Product, or design leader. I can include designers in strategy calls or reviews if valuable, but I'm not managing the team day-to-day.

Let's Discuss Your Design Strategy Challenges

Book a free 30-minute discovery call to explore how strategic design guidance could help your company. No pitch, no obligation, just a conversation about your biggest design challenges and whether I can help.

Book Discovery Call