Why every startup needs a founding designer, and what to look for in one

The founding designer isn't simply the first designer that happens to join a startup. It's a key role, much like the CTO, which needs to be carefully considered. Why? The best startups today—whether it's Airbnb, Stripe, or Notion—invested in design early. They didn’t treat it as an afterthought. Instead, they had a founding designer who helped shape the product, brand, and user experience from day one.

So why is a founding designer so important? And what makes a great one? Let’s dive in.

Why having a founding designer is critical

1. They give startups a competitive advantage

Products with exceptional design don’t just attract users—they retain them, drive organic growth, and command premium pricing. A well-designed product reduces friction, making it easier for users to adopt and stay engaged.

Take Airbnb: Its success wasn’t just about listings—it was about trust. Their early design choices, like high-quality photography and a seamless booking flow, made strangers feel comfortable staying in someone else’s home. To an engineering-focused founder, high-quality photos might seem like a minor detail or an unsolvable problem since they’re user-generated. However, Airbnb recognized that better visuals built credibility and increased bookings, proving that thoughtful design decisions have a direct business impact. 

A founding designer’s role is not decoration and sleekness.  Their work directly influences business success by making products easier to use, reducing churn, and creating a brand that customers trust. In a world of endless alternatives, great design isn’t optional. It’s what separates the forgettable from the category-defining.

2. They break down complexity, increasing retention and adoption

Many startups build technically powerful products but struggle to make them usable. A founding designer helps bridge that gap. They turn raw functionality into an elegant, easy-to-use experience—reducing friction and increasing adoption. It’s like having all the pieces to a beautiful Lego piece but knowing how to put them together. The designer helps the team understand what clients are trying to achieve, what their expectations are, and how the system can be optimized to deliver a solution. 

3. They speed up development and decrease technical debt

Without a strong design foundation, engineering teams can waste time building and rebuilding features based on unclear user feedback. Why? Because uncovering valuable user feedback and interpreting it is both a science and an art. It takes experience and skill. It’s not just about asking people what they want or watching how they use your app. A founding designer ensures there’s a clear vision of user needs, reducing back-and-forth and helping teams move faster.

4. They help shape the brand from day one and grow reputation

Your brand is how people perceive your startup. Humans are visual creatures. They form opinions on what something looks like, sounds like, and feels like. In that sense, branding is reputation, and reputation is critical for all aspects of a startup - hiring, fundraising, or selling. A founding designer can help craft a brand identity that resonates with your audience, making it easier to attract early hires, early investors, and early adopters.

What makes a great founding designer?

Not all designers are suited to early-stage startups. A great founding designer isn’t just a skilled visual or UX designer—they need a unique mix of traits:

1. Full-stack design skills

They should be able to handle everything from UX/UI design to branding, prototyping, and even a bit of front-end implementation. Early-stage startups don’t have the luxury of hiring multiple specialists, so versatility is essential.  

2. Bias for action

Startups move fast, and a founding designer needs to keep up. They should be comfortable with ambiguity, quick iterations, and making decisions with incomplete information.

3. Strong product thinking

A great founding designer doesn’t just make things look good—they deeply understand the product, the user, and the problem being solved. They think like a product manager and contribute to strategy, not just design.

4. Collaboration and communication

At an early-stage startup, they’ll work closely with engineers, founders, and customers. They need to clearly articulate design decisions, get buy-in from stakeholders, and adapt based on feedback.

5. A love for the startup’s mission

Startups are chaotic, unpredictable, and scrappy. A great founding designer thrives in this environment. They’re not just looking for a paycheck—they’re excited about building something from the ground up and making a real impact.

Although seniority is not a guarantee for quality, these traits take years to build and refine. I recommend looking for designers with over 7 years of experience in product designer roles where they’ve done user research, UI design, and some marketing communication design (website, decks, social media posts, etc.)

Hiring a founding designer: when and how?

If you’re a startup founder, the best time to bring in a designer is as early as possible—ideally, alongside your first engineers. If you wait too long, you risk building a product that’s functional but frustrating, forcing costly refactoring later and wasting time.

Look for someone who:

• Has experience working in fast-paced environments and dealing with ambiguity.
• Can handle both UX and visual design (even if they lean towards one).
• Thinks holistically about user experience beyond just screens.
• Aligns with your startup’s vision and is passionate about your space.

And if you’re a designer thinking about joining a startup as a founding designer? Make sure you’re ready for the rollercoaster ride—because it will be intense, but incredibly rewarding.

Final thoughts

A startup’s early design decisions can make or break its success. A founding designer doesn’t just make things pretty—they help shape the entire product experience, create a compelling brand, and drive user adoption. If you’re building a startup and don’t have one yet, now’s the time to change that. Because in today’s world, design isn’t just a differentiator—it’s a necessity.