Why the usual fix fails
Adding screens one ticket at a time creates a product that works but doesn't make sense. Freelance UI work often stops at pretty mockups that never survive contact with real data and real engineering constraints.
If users need a demo to understand your product, growth stalls. We design flows, interfaces and design systems that make complex products feel simple and give your engineers clear, buildable specs.
02In short
We design product UI and UX for funded SaaS, AI and Web3 teams: user flows, interfaces, design systems and specs your engineers can build from, including the empty, error and edge states. For HubsAI we mapped every path first, then designed 50 screens and states, from wallet connect to claiming rewards. Priced after a short call.
How a project runs · Studio facts · A one-page brief for your team
Sound familiar?
If one of these sounds like your team, read on.
- 01
Users sign up and never come back.
- 02
Our engineers designed it, and it shows.
- 03
Every new feature makes the app harder to use.
- 04
We need a prototype for investors by next month.
- 05
There's no design system, so every screen is a one-off.
- 06
Onboarding needs a 30-minute call to explain.
What you need
Product design that starts from user flows and business goals, ends in a reusable design system, and is worked out with your engineers so what ships matches what was designed.
- Design subscriptions
Unlimited requests, worked one at a time, with a new round for every fix.
What we do insteadProjects run to a written scope and a date. A partnership works through monthly priorities you set with us.
- Design-only studios
The design looks right in Figma and loses its details in the build.
What we do insteadThe people who design it also build it in Framer, Webflow or Next.js, and review the build against the design.
Proof
Product UI work.
Interface and motion pieces from our showcase, each built around a product state changing on screen.
See the full showcase
Who does the work.
At many agencies a senior person pitches and a junior designer delivers. Here the people on your first call do the work. Ryan leads the call, and the people below are named in your written scope and stay on it to handover.
- Ryan HofmannFounder & CEO
Leads your first call, strategy and client relationships.
- Max Van den BergProject Manager
Max runs project schedules, so milestones, feedback and handover land on the dates we agreed.
- Adrian DanilukUI/UX Designer
Adrian designs product interfaces and websites, from wireframes to the final UI.
What happens, week by week.
You see the work at every stage, and you sign off the direction before production starts.
- Week 1
Product audit
We walk through the product with your team, review analytics and feedback, and agree the flows that will move the numbers.
UX auditPriority flowsSuccess metrics - Weeks 2–4
Flows & interface
Wireframes and prototypes first, then high-fidelity UI tested against real content and edge cases.
PrototypesUI screensReview sessions - Ongoing
System & handoff
Components and specs organized for your engineers, with build reviews so the shipped product matches the design.
Design systemDev specsBuild QA
Typical engagement
Flow redesign
One critical journey, like onboarding or checkout, redesigned and specced.
- Audit
- Prototype
- UI
- Handoff
Typical engagement
Embedded product design
Ongoing senior product design alongside your engineering team.
- Roadmap support
- UI & system
- Build reviews
- Weekly cadence
How we do it
How we work on it.
Flows before screens
We map the journeys that matter, like onboarding, activation and the core loop, before polishing any pixels.
Built for real data
Empty states, edge cases, errors and long names are designed in, so the product holds up in production.
Design systems that scale
Reusable components and tokens your engineers can implement once and use everywhere.
Inside your workflow
We work in your Slack, Linear and Figma, review builds and answer implementation questions as they come up.
What can be included
Before you book
- Who does the work, and from where?
- The people on your first call do the work, and they're named in your written scope. We're based in the Pacific Northwest, USA, and work with clients remotely, worldwide.
- Can you hit our date?
- Launch-critical work is planned backwards from the date you give us, and the plan is agreed in writing at kickoff.
- How do changes work?
- You sign off one direction before production starts, so revisions refine it. If the direction isn't right, you can stop there and owe nothing more.
- Do we own the files?
- Yes. Once paid, the final deliverables made for you are yours, with organized source files and documentation your team can keep building on.
- What happens after launch?
- We review what moved with you after launch. On website projects we also watch Search Console with you for 30 days and fix anything that drops.
- What did clients get?
- A launch video with 1.9M+ views for iAgent, a launch film that helped drive 260,000+ wallet connections for Watt2Trade, and a full identity for TICKIZ in four weeks. Every client result →
Priced after a short call, then a fixed price in a written scope. How we price
Not sure what you need yet? The Brand & Website Diagnostic, a ranked plan in 5 working days.
Product & answers.
What founders ask before hiring us for product & ui/ux design.
Do you work with our existing engineering team?
Yes, that's the usual setup. We join your tools, plan with your product lead and review builds with your engineers so the design survives implementation.
Can you build the product as well?
We design and build marketing sites, front-ends and prototypes. For full application engineering we scope the build case by case, or work alongside your developers.
Can you design a prototype for a fundraise or demo?
Yes. A clickable prototype that tells the product story clearly is often the fastest way to show investors or early customers where the product is going.
Do you do user research?
We run lightweight research like interviews, usability tests and analytics reviews where it changes decisions. Larger research programs are scoped separately.
Do we own the Figma files and the design system?
Yes. Once paid, the final deliverables made for you are yours, with organized source files and documentation your team can keep building on. Fonts, stock and other third-party assets stay under their own licenses.
What if we don't like the design direction?
Every project starts with a strategy and direction phase. If the direction isn't right, you can stop there, keep that work and owe nothing more.
Read before you decide.
Practical guides on brand, websites, product and launches, written by the team that does the work.
All insights- Hiring design7 min read
What is a design partner, and when does a startup need one?
What is a design partner? How an ongoing senior design team differs from a project agency, a design subscription or a hire, and when a startup needs one.
- Hiring design7 min read
Design agency vs freelancer vs in-house: what should a startup choose?
Design agency vs freelancer vs in-house designer for a funded startup: costs, speed, hidden coordination costs and a decision guide by stage.
- Product8 min read
Does a startup need a design system? Cost, timing, what to build
When a startup needs a design system, what it costs in people and upkeep, what to build first (tokens, core components, states) and whether to adopt, adapt or build your own.
- Product8 min read
How much does product design cost for a SaaS startup?
What SaaS product design costs in 2026: Clutch, Upwork, BLS and Levels.fyi data on agencies, freelancers, retainers and in-house designers, what drives the price, a worked example and red flags.
Also from us
Other services, same people.
Brand IdentityIdentity systems for startups that outgrew their first logo→Website Design & DevelopmentWebsites that explain the product and book the call→Motion, 3D & Launch VideoLaunch films that stop the scroll and explain the product→Design PartnershipSenior design every month, planned around your roadmap→
Book a 30‑minute call.
Pick a time on the calendar. Under a minute, start to finish.
Prefer email? hello@alterra.studio
Ryan HofmannFounder, leads every first call30 minutes, free, with the people who'd do the work. You leave with a recommended scope and price range, even if we're not the fit.
Book a call, get a price range