Phoenux Design
A 15-person product design studio. Founders in the files.
We still care how it feels.
About fifteen of us — 15, precisely, as of 2026. Lahore, Toronto, remote. Founded in 2016 by Shahrukh Azhar and Ahmed Sadoon. Both still design.
A studio that ships. With taste, patience, and a low tolerance for work that only looks finished.
Who we are: a product design studio in Toronto and Lahore
Phoenux is a product design studio founded in 2016 by Shahrukh Azhar and Ahmed Sadoon. Fifteen people across Toronto, Lahore, and remote. We design and build SaaS products, MVPs, interfaces, and design systems — mostly for US and Canadian product teams.
Not a pitch deck with a studio attached. Small egos, product brains, and a low tolerance for work that only looks finished.
Built for the work, not the theatre.
Tired of the middle
Solo freelancers burn out. Big shops bury the craft under process. We built the third option: senior people close to the problem.
Feelings before funnels
If the product doesn't feel right, nothing downstream saves it.
Still small on purpose
About fifteen people who know each other's standards. We grow by doing better work, not by adding headcount.
Founders in the files
The people who sold the work are often the ones designing it.
Taste with a backbone
Pretty isn't the goal. Clear is. We'll defend a decision, and change it when you're right.
Systems, not one-offs
A single hero page isn't a studio. We build things your team can keep shipping.
Honest before it's expensive
If the brief is wrong or the timeline isn't real, you'll hear it early — while it still costs nothing to change.
Who you'll actually work with
Shahrukh Azhar and Ahmed Sadoon founded Phoenux in 2016. "Founders in the files" only means something if you know whose files — theirs, and the seniors who ship beside them.
Shahrukh Azhar
Co-founder & Lead Product Designer
15 years in product design. Founded Phoenux to prove design can be the lever that unlocks growth. Works on product architecture, design systems, and the parts where the structure is still fuzzy.
LinkedIn
Ahmed Sadoon
Co-founder & Head of Strategy
15 years in B2B SaaS. Leads client strategy and partnership growth across North America. Works on the brief, the structure, and keeping founders in the files.
LinkedIn
Umer Khan
Senior Product Designer
Leads UI/UX work on complex enterprise platforms. Specializes in design systems and scalable interfaces.
Khadija Zaidi
Senior Designer
Leads strategic design on long-term retainer projects. Builds design systems and brand foundations.
Musab Ali
Design Lead & Internship Program Manager
Manages the Phoenux internship cohort. Mentors emerging designers and leads day-to-day team design initiatives.
Fifteen people. Toronto, Lahore, remote. Shahrukh and Ahmed are still in the files.
2016 to today
Founded
Shahrukh Azhar and Ahmed Sadoon found Phoenux as a product design studio. Craft first, founders in the files.
SaaS and systems
Embedded with product teams across North America and MENA. Design systems that survive headcount and feature velocity.
Toronto, Lahore, remote
Two hubs, one standard. Still ~15 people who know each other’s work.
Ten years of receipts
15 people. Same differentiator: the people who sell the work are usually the ones designing it.
Ten years of receipts
- 2016Founded — ten years ago
- 15People, across Toronto, Lahore, and remote
- 50+Startups through to enterprises
- 35%Faster time-to-parking — Makan MVP
- 200+Entrepreneurs evaluated — MindCette
- 30%+Average donation increase across 20+ nonprofits
- 1–3 weeksA focused sprint
- ±10%Our estimate commitment band
Since 2016 · 10 years of receipts
Product teams we've designed for
- Sendoso
- Unlayer
- Foodics
- SlashExperts
- Yaqeen Institute
- Governata
- Dealpath
- Matellio
- AdVu
- Darul Qasim
- Dunkin'
- Tintash
- SuiteBuddy
- Illumi
- Axehedge
- Spark
- DevNation
- Teem
- Imgry
- Relevic
- Voyager
- Sendoso
- Unlayer
- Foodics
- SlashExperts
- Yaqeen Institute
- Governata
- Dealpath
- Matellio
- AdVu
- Darul Qasim
- Dunkin'
- Tintash
- SuiteBuddy
- Illumi
- Axehedge
- Spark
- DevNation
- Teem
- Imgry
- Relevic
- Voyager
The kind of feedback we actually keep.
“Phoenux didn't just redesign screens — they built a modular system that let our merchants feel unique while we scaled.”
“They shaped SlashExperts into a product that finally looks and works as it should.”
“Phoenux have always delivered quality on time.”
Studio life
Studio life
Follow @phoenux.design
What's been on our minds lately
Design is the product
If design shows up after the roadmap, you’ve already decided it doesn’t matter.
Read note →Launch or Rebuild
Most serious product design work fits one of two doors. Naming Launch or Rebuild early saves everyone from a vague website project.
Read note →Hours are not the product
We size design by outcome and craft — not by a fake hourly menu.
Read note →
Frequently asked questions
Who is Phoenux Design?
Phoenux is a product design studio founded in 2016 by Shahrukh Azhar and Ahmed Sadoon, with 15 people across Toronto, Canada and Lahore, Pakistan. Design-first, hands-on, allergic to fluff. We design and build SaaS products, MVPs, interfaces, and design systems.
Who founded Phoenux Design?
Phoenux was founded in 2016 by Shahrukh Azhar and Ahmed Sadoon, who between them have 30 years in product design. Both still work in the files — the people who sell the work are usually the ones designing it.
Where is Phoenux Design based?
Phoenux has teams in Toronto, Canada and Lahore, Pakistan, plus remote. Most clients are US and Canadian SaaS companies, and the studio also works across MENA and Europe.
How big is Phoenux Design?
Phoenux is 15 people and intentionally staying that size. We grow by doing better work rather than adding headcount — about fifteen people who know each other's standards.
How does Phoenux work?
Phoenux runs Clarity, Creation, and Discovery: the brief, then the product design and build, then reach if the finished product needs to be found. Founders stay on the project. Focused sprints run 1–3 weeks; defined projects run weeks to a few months.
What is Phoenux like to work with?
Direct and opinionated. Phoenux will defend a design decision and change it when you're right. We'd rather lose a project than pretend we're the right fit for it.
If this sounds like your kind of studio,
Say hello. Tell us what you're building. Or what's stuck. We'll tell you honestly if we're the right fit.
Book a project call