Design the right thing,
the right way.
The product studio of Chris Halaska. Twenty years of design judgement, six at Google on products used by a billion people. A small senior team working with funded AI, crypto and fintech founders to make the product match what they've built.
Why funded teams call us
The product shipped and the brand never caught up. Now there's a raise or a launch on the calendar, and the thing you're proud of looks like something you're not.
Almost every first call starts the same way.
"The engineering is better than it looks."
"It looks AI-generated, and customers can tell."
"We've been burnt by designers before."
"Investors don't get what we do."
Each one costs money in the room that matters: the pitch, the demo, the first real users. Here's what happened when teams in the same spot worked with us.
What we do
We don't just design what you ask for. We help you figure out what to build, build it with you, and leave you able to keep building without us.
Selected work
Funded founders, on the products they're betting on
A note from Chris
I started this studio after over twenty years of designing products, six of them at Google. The thing I kept seeing: companies don't struggle to get design done, they struggle to get the right things designed.
AI has made that gap wider, not smaller. Anyone can generate screens in minutes now, and most of them look the same. "It looks AI-generated" is the line I hear most on first calls, from founders whose engineering deserves better.
We use AI heavily, and it makes us fast. But speed was never the hard part. The hard part is knowing what to build, what to cut, and what will make your company feel like one worth backing. That judgement comes from people who've shipped for twenty years, and at this studio it comes from me. I oversee every engagement personally.
That's why we work with a limited number of companies at a time. Not as a marketing line. It's the only way the work actually gets my attention, and it's why clients treat us as a partner rather than a vendor. We're in your Slack, working with your engineers, invested in the raise or the launch the same way you are.
If your product is better than it looks, let's talk.
1
Who is Halaska Studio best for?
Halaska Studio works with funded AI, crypto and fintech founders, mostly post-seed through Series A. Our clients usually have strong engineering and a product that's outgrown how it looks. If there's a raise, a launch or a rebrand on the calendar, that's when we're most useful.
2
What does Halaska Studio actually do?
Product design is the core: UX, UI, design systems and the thinking about what to build in the first place. The work rarely stays there. Most engagements grow to cover brand identity, websites, pitch decks and MVP builds, with one senior team across all of it so every surface looks like the same company built it.
3
How is Halaska Studio different from a design agency?
You work with Chris Halaska directly. Twenty years of product design, six at Google on products used by over a billion people, and he oversees every engagement personally. No account managers, no handing your product down the ladder. We take a limited number of companies at a time to keep it that way.
4
How much does it cost to work with Halaska Studio?
We price on outcomes, not hours, and we're built for funded teams. Most clients start with either a monthly partnership or a scoped project, and Dash, our fixed-price product sprint, is the fastest way to see how we work before committing to more. Full details are on our pricing page, and we'll always tell you the number on the first call, straight.
5
Do you use AI in your work?
Heavily, and it makes us fast. But anyone can generate screens now, and most of them look the same. What you're paying for is the judgement about what to build, what to cut and what will make your company feel like one worth backing. AI does the exploring; senior people make the calls.
6
Can you work alongside our engineers?
Yes, that's the default. We work in your Slack and your tools, design against what's actually buildable, and hand over files your engineers can ship from. Clients like Retell AI brought us in to rebuild their design system while their team kept shipping around us.
7
Should we just hire an in-house designer instead?
Eventually, probably yes. Most funded companies should build design in-house over time, and when you're ready, we hand over cleanly: systems, files and the reasoning behind them. Right now, though, we're the fastest way to get senior design judgement on your product without a six-month hiring process.
8
How fast can you start?
Usually within a couple of weeks, depending on current capacity. Because we take a limited number of clients, availability is the honest constraint. If your timeline is tight, say so on the intro call and we'll tell you straight what's realistic.
9
Where is Halaska Studio based?
Dubai, working worldwide. Most of our clients are in the US, Europe, Australia and Asia. The timezone works in your favour: work moves while you sleep.
