Monthly Design Support

Pro

Calin Balea

Starting at

5,989.99

/mo

About this service

Summary

The monthly retainer package is a great option for startup teams who need ongoing design support across multiple projects. I get embedded in your team and deliver work every 48 hours. Fast, reliable, and high-quality.

And it's not just talk. So far my work has helped raise over $25 million in funding for my clients.

Process

To start our partnership, we'll have a 45-min kick-off meeting during which we'll set up all our comms and project management systems, discuss business goals, and prioritize what to start working on.

For each task you'll fill out a Notion template where you can describe the request. It can be something very specific like updating a UI component, or something broader, like diagnosing a UX issue and coming up with solutions.

After that, I'll pick up each task and send you an update every 2 days. Work will be done in Figma, and documented in Notion.

FAQs

How much time does the monthly retainer include?
My service promises outcomes not some amount of input. I'll do whatever it takes to keep delivering every 2-3 days.
What do you do best?
I'm great at building 0-1 and 1-10. The startup game is my jam. I'm a solid fractional founding designer, helping you set a strong foundation for your product from day 1. It's not just talk. So far I've designed apps, and websites that helped our clients raise over $25 mil. in funding.
Tell me about your project management process
I move fast and work in short iteration cycles. That's the start-up way. You'll receive updates on prioritized tasks every 48 hours on average. An update can be a completed task or a progress report towards a larger one. Updates come in the form of a video recording and a comment in Slack and/or Notion. That brings us to the next point. We use Notion for project management. We'll set up a page for your company. This is where you'll be able to add product documentation, brand guidelines, graphic assets, etc. This is also where you'll use a kanban board to list out all the tasks you want us to work on. In terms of tools, I use the industry standards: Figma, Adobe, Jitter, and Webflow.

What's included

Updates every 48 hours
We'll work in 2-day iteration cycles. For each iteration you'll receive a Loom recording walking you through the progress made and explaining what to share feedback on. Small tasks (for example, a landing page) can be delivered within the 2-day timeframe. Larger tasks will be broken down into smaller tasks and multiple iterations.
Daily support in Slack
I'm available in Slack daily to interact with your team and respond to questions. I want to get you unblocked ASAP. I know the startup game is all about moving fast.
60 min. per week for calls
I mostly work async but I know some things are best done together. Whether it's a weekly stand-up, a brainstorming session, or an ad-hoc meeting, I'm always available for a call.
Thought partnership
With over 10 years of experience building products 0-1 or 1-10, I've seen a lot. I can contribute not only by delivering beautiful, thoughtful design, but also by consulting on product strategy, brand strategy, roadmap, or development process. With me, you gain a thought partner, not just a pixel pusher.
Maximum flexibility
The monthly subscription is the perfect choice for teams that need ongoing support. I know plans change often in startups, which is why constantly writing project briefs and quoting them for a fixed price won't work. Simply prioritize what you want me to work on next, and I'll start delivering within 48 hours.
Project management in Notion
We'll organise everything in Notion. We'll have a kanban board for moving tasks along the process, and a place to store any additional documentation.

Example projects