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

A dead-simple, founder-friendly guide to choosing the right design partner - so your digital product earns user trust, market attention, and investor confidence from the start.

  • Spot the 5 designer archetypes — and which one’s right for your stage

  • Ask smart interview questions that reveal hidden red flags

  • Avoid costly mis-hires that stall your launch, waste dev time, or kill momentum

Hi, I’m Ryan — I’m a branding and product design strategist who’s helped startups (and giants like Disney) launch products 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.

  • "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...We highly recommend Ryan and Onward Labs for your branding needs.”

    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