Zebra Design

Designers That Code with AI I help you launch your digital product faster - design and coded - through a user-focused partnership.

 - Idea → tested product in weeks, not months  - I handle both design and development  - Made for startup founders, SMEs, and product teams  - Design‑as‑a‑Service: one monthly payment, request, receive: on repeat   [Book intro call] [View examples]

Tools: Cursor, OpenAI, Claude, Remarkable

Yes, to beautiful design, but I love real-world resutls even more:

"Only hire people who either write code or go out and get users."
--- Paul Graham, The 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups

This is the principle I've based Zebra Design on...

( Photo of Charlie ) Zebra Design is my solo practice - no middle, managers, you work directly with me. Just design, code, user validation and results:

(when the above is hovered or clicked)

Speed: Go from idea to a clickable, working product in 2–4 weeks. We move at breakneck speed to get a usable app in front of your users ASAP.
Validated Results: Every cycle includes user testing, so you know each iteration hits the mark before doubling down. It’s built-in validation to de-risk your big ideas.
Clear Pricing: One flat monthly fee covers all design and development – no hourly rates or surprise change orders. Unlimited requests (handled one at a time for quality). Plus, you can pause or cancel whenever you need.
Quality Design: Enjoy beautiful, consistent UI using proven libraries and design systems. We prioritise a great user experience and fast delivery over any ego-driven from-scratch designs that slow you down.
Full-Stack Capability: Need a backend or integrations? No problem. We handle front-end and back-end development as needed to deliver a complete, working product – not just a pretty prototype.
Cancel anytime: When we deliver the value you need based on the on the Agile 'Money for Nothing' Principle.

Launch in Weeks, Not Months

Zebra Design gets you from idea to user-tested product in a matter of weeks, not months. I design and code your app simultaneously for lightning-fast delivery, without sacrificing user feedback or quality.

Workshops with domain experts ▸
Rapid workshops get your whole team aligned---no endless feedback loops.
I run as many as needed to capture knowledge and map user goals.
Prototype in real code ▸
High‑fidelity UI coded in days, not months. It's the first working version, not a mock‑up.
User testing built‑in ▸
I test the MVP with real users, so we learn before we burn budget.
Continuous build: Request <> Receive ▸
With real feedback in hand, we iterate and build out your product continuously. Through our monthly subscription, we act as your on-call product team – refining the UX, adding features, and hooking up the back-end as needed to evolve your product.

Recent Builds (gallery -- cards open on click)

Therapist AI Tool ▸
Call room: client talks, bot transcribes, AI generated hints given to a therapist Built in 1 week

Waitlist Platform ▸
Capture early adopters for any product Build in 2 days

Sunni Photo Concept ▸
My first AI project to learn databases and experiment with processes Built in two weeks

Based on my design and founder experience

Deep Work Studio: web3's leading product design studio
Ethereum Foundation: designing the transition to eth2.0 staking
Ramp Network: leading on/off ramping in crypto, raised $120m off the product I designed
Nexus Mutual: the leading web3 insurance interface, designed before web3 design patterns existed.
And many more...

(this next section needs rewriting first hand)

Founder-led, Design-centric, Outcome-driven. I founded Zebra Design on a background of product designer experience, 10+ years launching early-stage products. After co-founding Deep Work Studio (a design agency that delivered successful UX for Web3 innovators like Ethereum, MakerDAO and others), our founder saw how traditional design handoffs often slowed development to a crawl. In 2023–24 he embraced AI-assisted coding and discovered a better way to build products: design and development unified from the start for ultra-fast results.

Today, Zebra Design is a small but mighty team that blends design thinking, coding expertise, and cutting-edge AI tools. We are obsessed with making product development faster and more user-centric. We act as your hands-on partner with skin in the game – when you succeed, we succeed. Our mission is simple: help innovators launch sooner and learn faster. Yes, we love beautiful design, but we love real-world results even more.

Who I Help

Startup founders – who need to test a new app idea ASAP to find product–market fit before the runway runs out. (We provide the speed and lean iteration to do exactly that.)
Product teams with developers – who have engineering talent but lack UX/UI bandwidth. We’ll slot in as your design & front-end experts, rapidly shaping your product’s interface and even integrating with your backend.
SMEs and non-tech businesses – that need a custom internal tool or app built from scratch (and don’t have an in-house design or dev team). We design and build your solution end-to-end, fast.
Teams with an MVP – who have a bare-bones product that users find clunky or limited. We can overhaul your UX/UI and quickly add the features users are asking for to level up your product.
Companies stuck in limbo – after freelancers or agencies have let you down with delays, miscommunication, or lack of accountability. Our integrated approach gets your product moving forward again with weekly visible progress.

Pricing

Headline: Value‑based, month‑to‑month. Starts ~€5 k.
Sub‑copy: "You pay ~20 % of the value I create over two years. Cancel anytime---only a 20 % wrap‑up fee on the remaining balance (based on the Agile 'Money for Nothing' Principle)."

[Pricing Calculations] See how we calculate the monthly fee based on the value we bring.

Example Services:

Tier	Short pitch	Typical fit
UI/UX Design Only	Design in code. Pixel‑perfect front‑end using a UI library.	Teams with back‑end devs in place.
Front‑End	Custom design + coded front‑end app (e.g. custom in Storybook or shadcn UI library).	SaaS founders who need UI + build.
Full‑Stack	Complete app (front‑ & back‑end) built in Cursor.	Zero‑to‑one product build.
Pricing & Terms: Plans start at approximately €5k per month. We typically price at about 20% of the projected value we’ll deliver to your business over 2 years. (For example, if our solution is estimated to save you around €500k in two years, the subscription would be roughly €8k per month.) All plans are no long-term lock-in – you can cancel at any time. If you do choose to end the engagement early, we only charge a modest 20% wrap-up fee on the remaining contract value of the first year (following the agile “Money for Nothing” principle, to fairly cover the unused work). In short: we succeed when you succeed, and we’re confident in delivering value far above our cost.

How we overcome your typical product issues without hiring in house:

**"12‑month nightmare dev timelines ":
Designers that code with AI ▸\ I avoid this entirely. Using AI and Cursor, I build user-centric MVPs in weeks, not months. I've spent all of 2025 using these new tools and iterating on processes to be confident to offer my design first AI coding skills as a service.
**"Design vs dev mismatch":
I have over a decade of experience launching early-stage products ▸\ (as a freelancer and as founder of Deep Work) means I know how to tightly integrate design with development. Ramp Network raised $120 million on a product I designed, Ethereum launched its Eth 2.0 staking through an interface I crafted, and Nexus Mutual---now a leader in web3 insurance---runs on a platform I design before web3 experiences were a thing. These are all examples of seamless design-to-development execution.
"Freelancers without priorities":
I understand your needs as a startup founder ▸\ I've been a startup founder myself, launching three different companies. I understand your needs and what actually matters when bringing a product to market---speed and continuous user feedback. You'll never have to worry about misaligned priorities or a freelancer dragging out chargeable days.
"Burning cash without users or validation":
Process based on Google Venture's Design Sprints and seven years of working with early stage tech teams. ▸\ At Deep Work Studio (my last design agency), we perfected an early prototype testing model. This scientific, rapid design process delivers validated designs in weeks instead of months, so you won't waste time or money on unproven ideas.

FAQs

How can you deliver so fast?
We’ve honed an ultra-streamlined process. From day one we leverage your team’s existing knowledge (instead of weeks of slow “discovery”), then we use efficient tools like AI coding assistants and pre-built components. By focusing only on what matters for the user and building in code immediately (no throwaway mockups), we compress the timeline dramatically without cutting corners. The result is high-quality output at breakneck speed.

What does “unlimited requests” really mean?
Exactly what it sounds like – you can request as many features, design tweaks, or tasks as you want each month. We’ll handle them one at a time with laser focus to maintain quality. You can continually prioritise your backlog, and we’ll keep delivering tasks in order of importance. There’s effectively no cap on the amount of work; we just make sure each item is done right before moving to the next.

Can you work with our existing team?
Absolutely. Think of us as an extension of your team – a special forces unit that plugs right in. If you have in-house developers, we’ll collaborate with them (for example, we can consume your existing API or work alongside your back-end engineers). If you have a product manager or designer, we’ll sync up to ensure our work complements yours. We play nice with any stack or team; our goal is to enhance your capabilities, not duplicate or disrupt them.

What if I just need design or just development?
That’s fine too! We’re flexible. If you only need design, we offer a design-in-code plan where we craft your UX/UI in live code and deliver an interactive front-end for your developers to plug into. Conversely, if you already have designs and just need them built out, we can go into dev-only mode – turning your existing design files into a working product. Our subscription adapts to what you need: you’re hiring us to achieve outcomes (finished designs, coded features), not to fill a timesheet.

Is there a commitment?
No long-term commitment required. Our standard engagement is month-to-month — use us for as long (or as short) as you need. You can cancel anytime. If you’re on a multi-month plan or decide to stop mid-project, you’re free to do so; we’d just charge a 20% wrap-up fee on the remaining work as a courtesy (this follows agile’s “cancel anytime” ethos with a fair compensation for unused time). Many clients start with a one-month pilot to see the value first-hand. If you love the results, you can simply continue; if not, you can stop with no hard feelings.

Call to Action (sticky footer or final section)

Ready to launch in weeks?
Book a free 30‑minute strategy call

[Book your call] [See live examples]

Let’s chat, see if we’re the right fit for your project. In that call, we’ll discuss your idea, brainstorm solutions, and sketch out a quick action plan – whether or not you decide to work with us. It’s a risk-free way to get expert insight and a roadmap for turning your concept into a live product. Time-to-market is critical, so don’t wait months to get started – grab a slot now and let’s get your product moving!

Zebra Design Zebra Design Pricing