What is an AI-forward design engineer?
An AI-forward design engineer is one person who designs and ships production product, brand, and web work by orchestrating AI agents, with no designer-to-developer handoff.
What does an engagement include?
- Product design: flows, interface, and the production implementation.
- Brand and creative direction: identity, campaign, and marketing surfaces.
- Websites and apps shipped, not handed off as a deck.
- Design systems when the work has to survive the first launch.
One person does the strategy, design, and build, using agent orchestration to move at the speed of a small team.
How fast is the turnaround?
Focused brand, site, and product surfaces are scoped in days, not months. Larger systems still move in short cycles instead of a quarter-long discovery phase. The current public claim is design-to-development compressed from months to days.
What does it cost?
There is no agency roster on the invoice. You pay for one design engineer who also ships the production work, so the cost is a fraction of a staffed agency engagement. Scope and price are set on the first call.
Who is this for?
Companies that need agency-level creative and product design without hiring an agency or a full-time team. Engagements are select. Matthew is currently Head of Design at Onramp, so this is not standing staff augmentation.
What work is public?
- OnrampHead of Design. Product, brand, and marketing systems for a bitcoin custody company.
- GE AerospaceStaff product designer. First digital design system and the geaviation.com redesign.
- The Bitcoin LayerCreative direction across brand, social, and the company website.
- AbendrotA macOS app designed, branded, and shipped by one person.
- CoinsureStrategy, brand, and website.
How do you start?
Book a meeting. The first call is for scope, speed, and price. If the fit is wrong, that is the end of it.