Your startup design partner
Your startup design partner
Your startup design partner
Working with Seed → Series B SaaS founders to solve design challenges — so you grow with confidence.
Working with Seed → Series B SaaS founders to solve design challenges — so you grow with confidence.
Trusted by teams and founders at ↓
Trusted by founders at ↓
Trusted by teams and founders at ↓
What this partnership changes
More than
a designer.
Design becomes a decision-making tool, beyond execution
Fewer opinion loops, more strategic clarity
Clear ownership and priorities across the team
Less rework, more momentum
Confidence in what to build next
What this partnership changes
Design becomes a decision-making tool, beyond execution
Fewer opinion loops, more strategic clarity
Clear ownership and priorities across the team
Less rework, more momentum
Confidence in what to build next
Why founders
bring me in
You vibe-coded your MVP. You tested prototypes. You raised your first, maybe second, round.
Now your product needs to evolve—but things are getting messy.
You vibe-coded your MVP. You tested prototypes. You raised your first, maybe second, round.
Now your product needs to evolve—but things are getting messy.
You're facing:
You're facing:
◇ Shipping fast, but priorities keep shifting
◇ Design decisions that depend on opinions, not strategy
◇ Teams that lack a shared direction
◇ Speed is high, but confidence is low
◇ Pressure to show product momentum before the next raise
◇ Shipping fast, but priorities keep shifting
◇ Design decisions that depend on opinions, not strategy
◇ Teams that lack a shared direction
◇ Speed is high, but confidence is low
◇ Pressure to show product momentum before the next raise
This is where things break—what used to work doesn't scale.
This is where things break—what used to work doesn't scale.
That’s where
I come in.
I work as an embedded design partner, close to founders and product leaders, helping teams make better decisions—faster.
Not as a contractor handling tasks. As a strategic partner shaping direction.
I work as an embedded design partner, close to founders and product leaders, helping teams make better decisions—faster.
Not as a contractor handling tasks. As a strategic partner shaping direction.
Fractional Design Leadership
I bring design leadership into your startup at the stage you need it most — stepping in as your Head of Design until you’re ready to hire full-time.
I bring design leadership into your startup at the stage you need it most — stepping in as your Head of Design until you’re ready to hire full-time.
You’ll get hands-on design leadership, strategic workshops and weekly touchpoints.
You’ll get hands-on design leadership, strategic workshops and weekly touchpoints.
How we work together
How we work together
This partnership flexes based on what your team needs most—not a fixed scope.
This partnership flexes based on what your team needs most—not a fixed scope.
Phase 1
Business Onboarding
We align on your business model, product vision, and immediate priorities.
1 - 2 weeks
Phase 2
Strategic Foundation
We clarify product goals, align stakeholders, and establish design systems and frameworks.
3 - 4 weeks
Phase 3
Continuous Partnership
Embedded strategic guidance, hands-on execution, and team support—prioritized by impact.
ongoing
Phase 1
Business Onboarding
We align on your business model, product vision, and immediate priorities.
1 - 2 weeks
Phase 2
Strategic Foundation
We clarify product goals, align stakeholders, and establish design systems and frameworks.
3 - 4 weeks
Phase 3
Continuous Partnership
Embedded strategic guidance, hands-on execution, and team support—prioritized by impact.
ongoing
Investment
Includes:
✅ Weekly strategic sessions
✅ Impact-based design work (prioritized together)
✅ Team workshops and alignment sessions
✅ Ongoing mentorship for your team
✅ Direct access via Slack/async channels
€5,000 - €8,000
€5,000 - €8,000
monthly
Minimum 3-month commitment
Not billed hourly. Not scoped by deliverables. Priced for strategic partnership.
What people say
What people say
"Carol's structured approach helped us assess pains and gains at each step of the journey, which was instrumental in shaping our shared understanding of where the product stands and where it needs to go.
Her process gave us the tools to communicate more clearly about how we currently use our product, where it falls short for users, and how it should evolve. What we gained wasn’t just a visual artifact, but a foundational alignment across teams. "
Dorian Schlede
Lead Solution Engineer at BeamAI
"Carolina is an exceptional leader, collaborator and innovator.
Carolina helped the Coaching Lab team connect the dots between product and customer needs through her strong facilitation skills and impactful workshops.
It’s rare to work with someone who can truly work in a co-creative way and maintain the speed and delivery needed for a fast-growing, technology company."
Rosie Evans-Krimme
Director Innovation Lab & Behavioural Science
"Carolina is one of the most remarkable creative minds and thought leaders in design and UX leadership.
Her deep understanding of business challenges and her ability to seamlessly navigate between strategy and execution is truly impressive and sets her apart."
Svenja Haus
Managing Partner at crispycoaching
"Every digital artifact Carolina touches becomes beautiful and easy to grasp at a first glance. She succeeds in making complicated information easy to understand for everyone.
Carolina is an expert facilitator who deeply cares that every participant knows clearly what is expected and feels safe. And with her hands-on mentality she is always able to deliver fast results when needed."
Christoph Poyault
Strategy & Leadership Team Coach
"I highly recommend Carol as a UX Designer. She is not only a highly skilled designer but also a pleasure to work with.
She approaches every project with a high level of expertise and attention to detail. Her ability to manage and oversee projects is exceptional."
Juljan May
Director of Engineering
"I had the chance to work with Carolina, and it was a great experience.
I really appreciated her calm approach and her ability to think outside the box. She created a supportive, collaborative environment that made it easy to do our best work."
Cristina Ilenescu
Service Designer at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
"Carol's structured approach helped us assess pains and gains at each step of the journey, which was instrumental in shaping our shared understanding of where the product stands and where it needs to go.
Her process gave us the tools to communicate more clearly about how we currently use our product, where it falls short for users, and how it should evolve. What we gained wasn’t just a visual artifact, but a foundational alignment across teams. "
Dorian Schlede
Lead Solution Engineer at BeamAI
"Carolina is an exceptional leader, collaborator and innovator.
Carolina helped the Coaching Lab team connect the dots between product and customer needs through her strong facilitation skills and impactful workshops.
It’s rare to work with someone who can truly work in a co-creative way and maintain the speed and delivery needed for a fast-growing, technology company."
Rosie Evans-Krimme
Director Innovation Lab & Behavioural Science
"Carolina is one of the most remarkable creative minds and thought leaders in design and UX leadership.
Her deep understanding of business challenges and her ability to seamlessly navigate between strategy and execution is truly impressive and sets her apart."
Svenja Haus
Managing Partner at crispycoaching
"Every digital artifact Carolina touches becomes beautiful and easy to grasp at a first glance. She succeeds in making complicated information easy to understand for everyone.
Carolina is an expert facilitator who deeply cares that every participant knows clearly what is expected and feels safe. And with her hands-on mentality she is always able to deliver fast results when needed."
Christoph Poyault
Strategy & Leadership Team Coach
"I highly recommend Carol as a UX Designer. She is not only a highly skilled designer but also a pleasure to work with.
She approaches every project with a high level of expertise and attention to detail. Her ability to manage and oversee projects is exceptional."
Juljan May
Director of Engineering
"I had the chance to work with Carolina, and it was a great experience.
I really appreciated her calm approach and her ability to think outside the box. She created a supportive, collaborative environment that made it easy to do our best work."
Cristina Ilenescu
Service Designer at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
"Carol's structured approach helped us assess pains and gains at each step of the journey, which was instrumental in shaping our shared understanding of where the product stands and where it needs to go.
Her process gave us the tools to communicate more clearly about how we currently use our product, where it falls short for users, and how it should evolve. What we gained wasn’t just a visual artifact, but a foundational alignment across teams. "
Dorian Schlede
Lead Solution Engineer at BeamAI
"Carolina is an exceptional leader, collaborator and innovator.
Carolina helped the Coaching Lab team connect the dots between product and customer needs through her strong facilitation skills and impactful workshops.
It’s rare to work with someone who can truly work in a co-creative way and maintain the speed and delivery needed for a fast-growing, technology company."
Rosie Evans-Krimme
Director Innovation Lab & Behavioural Science
"Carolina is one of the most remarkable creative minds and thought leaders in design and UX leadership.
Her deep understanding of business challenges and her ability to seamlessly navigate between strategy and execution is truly impressive and sets her apart."
Svenja Haus
Managing Partner at crispycoaching
"Every digital artifact Carolina touches becomes beautiful and easy to grasp at a first glance. She succeeds in making complicated information easy to understand for everyone.
Carolina is an expert facilitator who deeply cares that every participant knows clearly what is expected and feels safe. And with her hands-on mentality she is always able to deliver fast results when needed."
Christoph Poyault
Strategy & Leadership Team Coach
"I highly recommend Carol as a UX Designer. She is not only a highly skilled designer but also a pleasure to work with.
She approaches every project with a high level of expertise and attention to detail. Her ability to manage and oversee projects is exceptional."
Juljan May
Director of Engineering
"I had the chance to work with Carolina, and it was a great experience.
I really appreciated her calm approach and her ability to think outside the box. She created a supportive, collaborative environment that made it easy to do our best work."
Cristina Ilenescu
Service Designer at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
Trusted by teams and founders at ↓
Trusted by founders at ↓
Trusted by teams and founders at ↓
Let’s solve your design challenges!
Let’s solve your design challenges!
Not ready for ongoing partnership?
Not ready for ongoing partnership?
Start with an Opportunity Scan (€349) to diagnose what needs attention first.
Start with an Opportunity Scan (€349) to diagnose what needs attention first.