Crown & Mane

I partner with early-stage startups navigating product ambiguity through focused 8 to 12 week engagements designed to identify and address specific pain points in existing products.My lean UX sprints combine formal research methodologies with rapid iteration, helping teams move from uncertainty to clarity by uncovering real user problems and validating solutions before committing significant development resources. Engagements can extend based on findings, ensuring we thoroughly address the challenges we uncover while maintaining momentum and focus.Deliverables:Heuristic Evaluation Reports – Expert analysis of your existing product against established usability principles, identifying friction points, inconsistencies, and opportunities for improvementCompetitive Analysis – Comprehensive documentation comparing competitor products, identifying industry best practices, and spotting market gaps that inform strategic positioningUser Flows & Journey Maps – Detailed visualizations of the user's process, experience, and interactions across various touch-points, highlighting pain points and opportunities for interventionUser Stories – Concise narratives describing specific user goals and expected outcomes, structured to guide development priorities in agile backlogsProblem Statements & Hypotheses – Clear definitions of core problems to be solved, framed as testable hypotheses that can be validated during development and user testingMind Maps & Brainstorming Outputs – Documentation of collaborative ideation sessions exploring a wide range of potential solutions and strategic directionsLow-Fidelity Prototypes & Wireframes – Quick visual representations of potential solutions used to test concepts and gather early feedback before significant development investmentFunctioning Prototypes – Interactive, early versions of the product that simulate key user flows and features, allowing real users to test core functions and validate design decisionsThis approach helps startups operating in ambiguity gain clarity on what users actually need, ensuring product decisions are grounded in evidence rather than assumptions.

I work with early-stage startups as an embedded founding designer in 4 weekly sprint blocks. Typical projects span a 12 to 24 week engagements, taking on all the key design responsibilities of a Founding Product Designer.We cover everything from product strategy and user research to visual design and design system implementation. My approach centers on agile iterations and lean UX principles, focusing exclusively on core functionality that solves the main user problem while eliminating unnecessary features. Each week delivers tangible progress through rapid build-measure-learn cycles that validate assumptions with real users and mitigate the risk of building features nobody wants.Weekly Deliverables:Product Strategy & Feature Prioritization – Strategic decisions on what to build first, defining the minimum feature set that delivers genuine user value while remaining feasible within current resources and timelinesUser Research & Validation – Continuous user interviews, usability testing sessions, and feedback analysis that test hypotheses about product-market fit and guide iterative improvementsLow-Fidelity Wireframes & Concepts – Rapid sketches and early prototypes exploring different approaches to core user flows, optimized for speed and learning rather than polishHigh-Fidelity UI Design – Intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that prioritize usability and clarity, ensuring the MVP is easy to understand and valuable enough to warrant user engagementInteractive Prototypes – Clickable prototypes for weekly testing cycles, enabling fast validation of design decisions before committing development resourcesDesign System Foundations – Scalable component libraries and style guides built incrementally, establishing patterns that support rapid iteration without creating technical debtDeveloper Handoff Specifications – Clear annotations, asset exports, and implementation guidance that enable efficient development with minimal back-and-forthAnalytics & Feedback Integration – Designed feedback mechanisms including in-app surveys, analytics event tracking, and user input channels that inform data-driven iterationWeekly Progress Reports – Documented learnings, validated assumptions, and strategic recommendations that keep stakeholders aligned and focused on what truly matters to usersThis approach ensures your MVP launches quickly with the essential features users actually need, while building the foundation for sustainable product growth through continuous, user-driven refinement.

We partner with early-stage SaaS companies through structured 4-week design sprints over 12 to 16 weeks, delivering rapid, iterative solutions that drive measurable business impact. Our process combines lean research methods with agile UX principles to produce comprehensive design artifacts that support both immediate implementation and long-term scalability.Deliverables:Discovery Documentation – Stakeholder interviews, user research findings, competitive analysis, and process mapping that identify core friction points and opportunitiesLow-Fidelity Wireframes – Rapid sketches and early-stage concepts exploring different solution approaches and information architectureHigh-Fidelity Prototypes – Interactive, clickable prototypes demonstrating key user flows and features for testing and stakeholder presentationsUsability Testing Reports – Documented insights from user testing sessions with clear recommendations for iteration and improvementDesign Iteration Documentation – Before/after comparisons showing the evolution of designs through sprint cycles with rationale for key decisionsInvestor-Ready Presentations – Slide decks highlighting business impact, time savings, and ROI metrics tailored for capital raise meetingsBuild Figma Files – Organized design files with clear naming conventions, annotations, and developer handoff specificationsScalable Design System – Complete component libraries, style guides, color systems, and interaction patterns that your team can implement and scale independently