Design engineering: The front end, built by the person who designed it
For teams where the design is fine in Figma and wrong in production: spacing drifts, states are missing, interactions are simplified on the way to code. I design and write the front end myself, in your repository, with the design system as code. Where it is quicker to build than to explain, I build it.
To start, email andriy.dsgn@gmail.com with a few lines about the product and the team.
What I build
- Components and their states, in code, as the source of truth for the design system.
- Interactions and motion that would not survive a hand-off.
- Prototypes on real data, when a decision needs more than a mock-up.
- Fixes in the product itself, instead of tickets that wait a sprint.
- Rules and checks so your coding agents build the same way.
How I work with your team
As one of the engineers. I work in your repository, read the codebase and ship changes myself. I join the planning, review what goes out, and fix things directly. Your engineers get someone who knows what a design costs to build.
Built by me
| Work | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ribbonlab | A free 3D animated background generator, designed and built by me |
| UX audit agent | A free AI UX audit tool for Claude Code |
| Screen canvas | A tool for reviewing AI-built UI |
| This site | Designed and built by me, including the back end behind its contact form |
| Design systems for coding agents | One agent, one brief, 11 builds, measured |
Questions teams ask
Is a design engineer a designer or a developer?
Both, for the part of the product where design and code meet: the interface, its components and its behaviour. For the back end, see design and build, where I take a first version end to end.
How much does it cost?
As fractional work from $8,000 a month, or a quoted project. A design system in code starts at $8,000.
Do you work with coding agents?
Yes. I build with Claude Code, and I set up the rules and checks that keep agents on your design system.
Do you work with teams in other countries?
Yes. I work remotely, with teams in different countries and time zones.
Other ways I can help
- Design and build, from $8,000: a first version designed, and built if you want.
- Design systems, from $700: a Consistency Review, then a system agents follow.
- Fractional product design, from $8,000 a month: a senior designer, part-time.
Further reading: Building Ribbonlab. All services, with the situation each one fits: Services.
Does your design break on the way to code?
Send a link and a line about where it breaks. If it’s not a fit, I’ll say so.