Fractional Design Leader

Senior expertise. Startup speed. No full-time commitment.

Building a startup is intense. You’re juggling product, growth, and hiring; design often gets overlooked or under-resourced. That’s where I come in. I partner with early- and growth-stage startups to bring the strategic design leadership you need to move faster, make smarter decisions, and build better products—without hiring a full-time exec.

What I Do

• Design Practice Audit – Find gaps. Fix friction. Build smarter.

• Team Coaching & Mentorship – Uplevel your team and grow confidence.

• Product & UX Strategy – Connect design decisions to business goals.

• Design Process & Ops – Introduce efficient, startup-friendly systems.

• Hiring & Scaling – Make your first (or next) design hire the right one.

Whether you need 5–10 hours a week or a short-term partner to solve big problems, I fit into your rhythm and make design a true driver of success.

Why It Works

Why Fractional Leadership?
Startups need experience, not overhead. I bring 20+ years of leadership at companies like Grammarly, IBM, and Grubhub—guiding teams, launching products, and building scalable design systems. You get:

• Executive-level thinking

• Tactical, hands-on help

• Flexibility and focus

• No long-term contracts

• Reasonable pricing

Ready to level up your design?

Email me at davidmattburns@gmail.com to schedule a free consultation.