Working like a co-founder means thinking beyond design
Cramer Office is the independent practice of Nicolas Cramer. Having been a venture-backed founder myself, I know what it means to build under real constraints. That experience shapes how closely I work and how seriously I take the outcome.
Engagements
Engagements
Engagements
We have three ways to work together, each shaped by what the moment demands.
Project
When you need someone to take it from fuzzy to finished. I lead a focused piece of work like a brand build, product sprint, or concept exploration from first questions through delivery.
- A clear brief, scope, and decision-making process
- Hands-on strategy and design through final delivery
- Focused working cycles, regular reviews, and a clean handoff
Embed
When you need someone in the room. I join the team as acting founding designer or head of design and/or product through a launch, fundraise, or other defining chapter.
- A regular place in the team’s operating rhythm
- Ownership across product strategy, design, systems, and launch work
- Help directing specialists or hiring permanent design leadership
Advisory
When you need access to senior design judgment. I provide ongoing review and counsel to pressure-test important decisions, keep craft and velocity high, and make sure the product reflects the quality of the team behind it.
- A recurring working session with a shared agenda and concrete next steps
- Async feedback with a clear call: ship it, fix this, or rethink the direction
- Design-health priorities and hiring support when it’s time to add capacity
The Design Gap
The Design Gap
You need design before you can hire it.
Early-stage companies often need senior design leadership before they can justify or attract the permanent hire. I bridge that gap by working directly with founders: senior enough to shape the direction, hands-on enough to do the work, close enough to feel like part of the team.
Read the thesisCapabilities
Capabilities
Capabilities
Small teams need people who can move swiftly between disciplines. Here's what I can own and help with.
I can own
Concept ideation
Prototyping
Research
Mobile app design
Web app design
Design systems
UI engineering
Brand identity
Naming and voice
Site design
Roadmap work
Strategic narrative
Fundraising decks
Design recruiting
I have people for
App engineering
AI engineering
Media production
Ecommerce
Illustration
Vibe marketing
Principles
Principles
Principles
No matter the engagement, I approach my work with the same set of principles. They're what I've learned matters most when working in early-stage teams.
Founder perspective
I look at design problems through a founder's lens, thinking about the second- and third-order effects of decisions on product, engineering, operations, and revenue.
Honest broker
You have biases about your own thing. I'll shoot you straight and tell you what's working and what isn't. The goal is to help you build a culture that balances taste and intuition with low ego truth seeking.
Quality as strategy
Design is how early-stage companies earn trust from customers, investors, and recruits. People judge books by their cover. Demonstrate taste. Impute the qualities you want.
Speed is essential
High velocity is non-negotiable for early-stage companies. I work at the speed of the team, not the speed of some agency design process.
Range is required
At early stages, you need breadth more than narrow expertise. I've touched product, brand, engineering, fundraising, and management.
No agency overhead
It's me. I embed in your team and work how you work. No decks, no big reveals, no client treatment.