Ongoing design support for the work ahead
We provide ongoing design support around an agreed backlog and capacity. Your team sets priorities; we take on the product flows, interface updates, or system work in scope. Clear reviews and handoffs keep each task connected to the next release.
Make ongoing design work manageable
Set priorities against real capacity
We review the backlog and surface decisions or dependencies that block design. New requests enter an agreed queue, with tradeoffs made visible before the team commits to more work.
Know who owns each decision
We establish who briefs, reviews, and approves a task. Internal designers retain their agreed areas, while engineers have a clear route for implementation questions.
Keep the handoff useful
Each task includes the states and behavior it needs. Reusable patterns can enter your system where agreed, and unfinished questions return to the backlog for prioritization.
What stays visible throughout
A prioritized design queue
Tasks in scope, their current status, dependencies, and the next decisions needed from your team.
Review-ready design work
Flows and interface updates connected to their brief, prepared in the agreed files and formats.
Implementation handoffs
Screens, states, and behavior notes for completed tasks, with questions recorded for the engineering team.
Scope review record
Decisions on changing priorities, capacity, and further work as the product backlog develops.
The working rhythm
Agree on the backlog
Review tasks, capacity, existing files, and ownership before setting the first priorities.
Brief and design
Confirm the requirement and review owner for each task, then prepare the agreed design work.
Review and hand over
Resolve feedback with the relevant people. Document behavior and questions for implementation.
Reprioritize the queue
Review completed work and new requests. Discuss any change to commercial scope before taking it on.
Where ongoing support fits
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Your team | What needs attention | How we can start |
|---|---|---|
| Internal designers need support | A defined part of the product backlog | An agreed workstream with clear ownership |
| A product has recurring updates | Flows and interface changes between releases | A prioritized queue and review rhythm |
| A system needs regular upkeep | Missing patterns and inconsistent usage | A bounded set of system tasks |
Questions?
What is included in a design retainer?
The proposal defines the work, available capacity, and review process. Product design, interface updates, or design system tasks can be included. Research, brand work, and implementation support need to be specified rather than assumed.
Can you work alongside our internal design team?
Yes. We agree on ownership and priorities together. Shared reviews help connect our work to your product direction, while clear task boundaries reduce the chance of two teams designing the same thing.
What happens when our priorities change?
We review the new request against the agreed capacity and work already underway. Your team decides the priority tradeoff. Changes that affect the commercial scope are discussed before we commit to the additional work.
When is a design retainer a good fit for a product team?
A design retainer fits teams with recurring product updates, an ongoing design backlog, or a design system that needs regular upkeep. It can also support an internal design team by taking on a defined workstream with clear ownership.
How do you hand over completed design work?
We hand over screens, interface states, and behavior notes for completed tasks. The files connect back to the brief, and questions are recorded for the engineering team. Reusable patterns can also become part of your design system.
How are tasks prioritized in a design retainer?
Your team sets priorities in a shared design queue. We make dependencies and decisions visible, review work together, and reprioritize as new requests arrive. Each task has a clear brief and review owner.
Explore related services
Last updated
