Tim Salazar
Your product needs a senior designer. You can't hire one yet. That's what I do.
I embed with early-stage startups for 3-month sprints — shipping real product, not just mockups — then leave behind AI-powered workflows so your team can keep the design function going without me.
01 — The problem
Early-stage startups know design matters. But a senior product designer costs $180–220K/year plus equity. So teams skip design entirely, hire a junior, or outsource to an agency that doesn't understand the product. None of those work. There's a fourth option: an experienced design partner who embeds for a fixed sprint, ships real outcomes, and leaves before the overhead kicks in.
02 — How it works
01
Design Sprint
$15K / 2 weeks
One focused problem. One clear output. Figma files, annotated specs, and a Design Ghost starter kit.
Learn more →02
Embedded Quarter
$30K / month · 3-month min
I join your team and run up to three design workstreams in parallel. On customer calls, partnering with leadership, shipping daily.
Learn more →03
Design Ghost
Included with all engagements
Agentic workflows — skills, agents, and playbooks — so your team can keep doing design work at a lightweight investment after I'm gone.
Learn more →03 — What a quarter looks like
Logixboard
B2B SaaS · Freight forwarding operations
Three workstreams, one quarter: platform UI modernization, a user research infrastructure built on AI synthesis, and the design of Clockwork — an AI-native interface for freight operators. Embedded daily with the product team. Expanded into product direction.
Read the case study →04 — When the scope grows
I run all engagements directly. When a project needs expanded capability, I bring in trusted collaborators I've worked with for years — and I direct and QA everything.
Brand design
Motion & video
User research
Frontend dev
Ready to ship?
Tell me what you're working on. If there's a fit, we'll scope something and get started. No sales calls, no proposals first.
Let's talk