How to Hire Your First Designer 
so your Product Doesn’t Flop

A simple guide to picking the right designer - so your product earns trust, traction, and investor buy-in from day one.

  • Learn the designer archetypes — and who fits your stage

  • Use smart questions to spot red flags

  • Avoid mis-hires that slow you down or waste money

Get Access
Ryan Littrell, CEO of Onward Labs, standing and crossing his arms while smiling, standing against a textured gray background.

Hi, I’m Ryan - I’m a branding and product design strategist who has helped startups (and giants like Disney) launch products that people love. I’ve worked as a fractional Head of Design, built design teams from scratch, and coached founders through their first hire. If you’re gearing up to bring in your first designer, this guide is for you.

Some of the work I’m most proud of:

  • 0-1 launch of streaming platform, DisneyLife (predecessor to Disney+), the world’s most successful dedicated streaming platform with over 150 million subscribers and $10 billion in annual revenue.

  • Scaled Better Place Forests from 3 to 10 locations during the height of its growth when revenue was doubling year-over-year.

  • "Working with Ryan has been transformative for Standard AI. He deeply understands our business and makes personalized design recommendations that elevate our thinking and take our ideas to the next level. I have worked with Ryan across multiple projects and am always thrilled with the results."

    Angie Westbrock, CEO Standard AI

  • “Onward Labs exceeded expectations on our project! Ryan brought creativity, attention to detail, and helpful suggestions to our branding needs. He communicated clearly and in a timely manner and made requested edits to ensure that we were thrilled with the results.”

    Amy for Antioch Church

  • “Onward Labs played a critical role in helping us to not only usher in a new dimension to our brand, but to bring it to life in exciting creative ways that have positively positioned us in the market.”

    Alex Plant, Head of Marketing, Standard AI

  • “an idea generator — always coming up with the next product or brand idea that inspires and engages the customer.”

    Krystine Dinh, VP of Integrated Communications Better Place Forests

Want more founder-friendly content like this?

Follow me on LinkedIn for practical tips on design, branding, and launching smarter.

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn