Expert product design & UX for startups
I work directly with mission-driven, visionary founders to bring their early-stage products to life.
If you’re a founder looking for a design partner, read on. You can also sign up for my newsletter or book a free consultation with me.
Why work with me?
My work is primarily designing digital products at early-stage startups.
I use design as a business tool for de-risking ideas and finding product-market fit. My goal is to match founder vision with practical execution and help teams navigate the process of invention with speed, clarity, and calm.
I believe great design is much more than beauty and usability. Great design resonates in our emotional roots, and reduces complex systems down into something simple—and yet absolutely unique.
My process
My design process is focused on speed, prototyping, iteration, and experimentation. I’m known for including users and engineers as my design partners.
I always start with a rapid-fire workshop where we describe your customers, map their journey through your product, uncover pain points and opportunities, and create a UX strategy.
Then I break the design work into phases. Each phase includes team brainstorming, prototyping, testing with real customers, and collaborating with engineers.
Work examples
I’ve worked in B2B SaaS, healthcare, agriculture, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, food systems, higher education, and more.
Most of my work is behind NDA. Book a call with me for detailed examples.
Live demo
Designing a prototype in 15 minutes
A quick demonstration of rapid prototyping methods for early-stage startups.
Example project
Shuffleboard
I am the founder, designer, and developer of Shuffleboard, a brainstorming tool for remote teams. The entire development was recorded live on Youtube.
Try Shuffleboard or read more ->
Articles
Clients
I’m Frodo, and Sam’s my Gandalf. I’m so grateful to have Sam on this project, I don’t know where I would be without him (probably pulling my hair out). If you’re struggling with a big design project, my advice is this: get yourself a Sam.
Liza Pagano
Sam is a UX god. We were blown away by how quickly he broke down our complex goals into a simple, beautiful, intuitive design. Not only did we launch an awesome product on time, but the work went way above and beyond our expectations. He taught us a ton about building great products, and he laid the foundation for our engineers to keep building great designs. Our only regret is that we didn’t book more of his time!
Jason Corso
I’ve hired Sam for design and executive level storytelling projects at JSTOR twice. He was my first choice because he focuses on organizational impact and hard work, never about his own ego. He’s the only consultant I’ve ever been completely comfortable bringing onto my team, and working daily with our executive team when called for. Sam’s more than a great designer, he’s an expert in coaxing out product strategy and prioritization. I’m regularly looking for more ways to bring him back to support our team!
Matt MacQueen
We needed that je ne sais quoi that would take our product from functional to fabulous. Turns out, it was Sam. I initially contacted Sam because I admired his work at FarmLogs, and we needed a similar level of design polish. But what we got was so much more: a better understanding of the journey our prospects take before they become customers, a documented design language that we are applying not just in our product but across our marketing materials, and an appreciation for what is needed at our business’s stage of growth. I could not recommend Sam more highly.
Dawn Verbrigghe
Sam is an incredibly talented product designer and coach. He was instrumental in helping FarmLogs design a product and brand that quickly became recognized for our ease of use, igniting years of rapid growth for our company.
Jesse Vollmar
Sam’s work was simple, concise, and elegant—I can tell that he loves his work. He was super calm, knowledgeable, and patient, and his ability to jump and quickly understand a business and its issues was awesome. Definitely recommended.
David Kennedy
Services
I price very differently from most agencies. All of my work comes with a fixed price and guaranteed outcome. I do not track hours. My process lets me guarantee an amazing result at the right price.
Free strategy call
I offer a free design strategy consultation to all founders.
We’ll talk about your business, then I’ll make some design recommendations that suit your goals and budget.
Free · Book now
Concept deck
A one-week design sprint for testing new product ideas.
The result is a concept design, perfect for sharing with early customers and potential investors.
Price varies · Contact for availability
Product design
This is for startups ready to invest in a world-class product.
I’ll run my UX Strategy Workshop, design prototypes, gather feedback, iterate until the details are right, and work with engineers to bring your complete vision to life.
Price varies · Contact for availability
Fractional leadership
Get the benefits of a design director without having to hire. Best for companies scaling design teams.
This is a highly-customized service. Past projects have included design leadership, hiring, coaching, product management, and brand strategy.
Price varies · Contact for availability
Contact
Curious about working together? Have a question about product or design?
Grab some time with me—I love meeting founders.
Book a call with me or email me at sam@directedworks.com