What is a Founding Designer?

Simply put, a Founding Designer is a designer who is part of the original team that starts a company, project, or product. As a founding team member, they play a critical role in shaping the visual identity, user experience, and overall design strategy of the venture from its inception.

This role can include overseeing the branding, product design (both digital and physical), user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, and even the company’s cultural approach to design.

Here’s a breakdown of what being a Founding Designer is all about:

1. Visionary Role

The Founding Designer helps define and translate the core vision of the product or company into its initial visually functional form. They work closely with the other founders (like the CEO, CTO, or product managers) to ensure the design aligns with the company’s mission and user needs.

2. Cross-Disciplinary Influence

Early-stage companies often require a Founding Designer to take on multiple roles such as graphic design, UX/UI, product design, and sometimes even front-end development. Their work influences the company’s branding and visual identity, product development, and user interaction.

3. Product Shaping

In many cases, the Founding Designer has a say in the strategic decisions of the company, as design often influences how the product is perceived and used. Work in this area could include design prototyping, defining user flows, and iterating early product features.

4. Cultural Impact

Founding Designers also set the tone for how design is viewed and valued within the company. Their early involvement means that they can advocate for design-driven thinking as a central pillar of the company’s culture, record that through documentation and organisation, and embed that philosophy into the organisation.

5. Equity and Ownership

As part of the founding team, a Founding Designer typically has an equity stake in the company, which gives them a high level of influence in the company, a vested interest in its long-term success, and the ability to prioritise what’s important.

6. Startup Environment

Founding Designers often work in fast-paced, dynamic environments where they must be adaptable and wear many hats (not just in the design realm), especially during the early stages of a startup’s life. They need also to have a good knowledge of how to bring ideas to market, validate the business model, how to run a business and be resourceful.

In summary, a Founding Designer is not just responsible for the aesthetic or usability of a product – they are also integral to the company’s foundational strategy and shape the overall direction through the lens of design.

The most effective Founding Designers are strategic, adaptable, collaborative, and highly organised. They might need to contribute to branding, marketing, product design, research, or even fundraising, often juggling several of these at once. It’s a role that comes with great responsibility, ambiguity, and the potential to have a huge impact.