Fequently asked questions
1
Who is Halaska Studio best for?
Funded companies that need senior product design without hiring a full in-house team. Most of our clients are in AI, fintech, crypto or consumer, somewhere between seed and Series B, at the point where design has become the thing slowing them down.
2
What do you actually help with?
Product design first: UX, UI, design systems, core flows. Around it: brand identity, web design and development, pitch decks, and MVP builds. One team across all of it, so everything looks like the same company made it.
3
Who does the work?
I shape and direct every engagement. A small senior team delivers: one product designer, one visual designer, specialists when the work needs them. We keep client numbers low so that stays true. There's no bench of juniors behind the website.
4
Are you a design agency or a development team?
A design studio that also builds. Design is the core and always will be. But with the way we work now, the same team can take a site or an MVP from design through to working software, which means no handoff and no gap between what you approved and what shipped.
5
Where are you based?
Dubai, working with teams worldwide, mostly async with structured written updates. Time zones have never been the problem people expect. Most of our clients we've never met in person, and none of them seem to mind.
6
How does an engagement start?
With a conversation, then usually with me working directly on your product for a short, intensive period before the wider engagement takes shape. You'll see real design work early, meet the team who'll deliver, and know quickly whether we're right for each other.
7
How will we work together day to day?
You'll hear from us twice a week, in writing, in Slack. Each update covers what shipped, what's in flight, and what we need from you, with a simple traffic light so you can respond in seconds. Work in progress is shared early and often. No three-week silences, no big reveals.
8
Do you work with our in-house team?
Yes. We can be the whole design function, senior direction over your existing designers, or extra capacity for a push. We also work directly with your engineers through build, which is where a lot of design quality is won or lost.
9
We got burnt by our last design partner. How are you different?
We hear this a lot, and the honest answer is structure, not promises. You'll see work in the first week, not week six. You'll hear from us twice a week in writing. And I'm personally in the work, not just the sales call. If after a few weeks it's not working, you're on a monthly arrangement, not trapped in a six-month contract.
10
Our product looks AI-generated. Can you fix that?
Yes, and you're not alone. It's the most common new problem we see. AI tools are great at producing something and bad at producing your thing. We use AI heavily ourselves, but everything that ships passes through senior judgement. That's the difference between fast and generic.
11
What happens when the engagement ends?
One of two things: it continues as an ongoing partnership, or we hand over properly. If you're ready to bring design in-house, we'll help you hire and make the handover generous. Files, systems, documentation, the lot. We think a studio's proudest work is the work that keeps going after it's gone.
12
Who owns the work?
You do. Everything we make for you is yours on payment: design files, systems, code. We build with the expectation that your future team inherits it all, so nothing is structured to keep you dependent on us.
13
What does it cost?
Monthly partnerships start at $20K per month. Custom projects start at $20K. Dash, our fixed-price design sprint, is $10K. The exact shape of a partnership comes out of a conversation about what your product needs, not a menu.
14
Do you negotiate on price?
No, and there's a reason beyond stubbornness. Every client pays the same way, which means nobody who refers us has to wonder what deal someone else got. If the budget doesn't fit, we adjust the scope, or Dash might be the right door, and we'll tell you honestly if it is.
15
Do you take equity or tokens as payment?
No. Cash only. It keeps our advice clean: we'll never tell you what you want to hear because we're holding your equity.
16
How fast can you start?
Usually within a couple of weeks, depending on capacity. We take on a few clients at a time and we don't squeeze. If we can't start soon, we'll tell you when we can and hold the spot.
17
What's Dash, and how is it different from the studio?
Dash is our fixed-price design sprint: $10K, sharp scope, fast turnaround, built for elevating a vibe-coded prototype to launch-ready. The studio is for bigger, ongoing work. Same bar, different doors. If you're not sure which you need, ask, and we'll route you straight.