Phoenux Design

Rates & engagement

We don’t sell hours. We size the design and the outcome you need.

We price the work by what you’re trying to get done. Not a fake hourly menu. Sprint, project, retainer, or credits once the problem’s clear.

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How we engage

Engagement models, typical price ranges, how we size work, how estimates work, and ongoing capacity.

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  • $6,000Focused sprints typically start
  • ±10%Estimate commitment band
  • ~1 wkTypical estimate turnaround
  • 4Engagement models

Fixed packages

Three clear starting points. Each priced to ship, not to estimate.

Clarity Sprint

$6,000

Fit: you're building the wrong thing fast, or the team can't agree what's broken.

What's included:

  • Kickoff call — building new vs fixing live, success metric, cut list
  • Stakeholder align (founders / PM / eng) on goals and constraints
  • Problem framing + job-to-be-done for the priority journey
  • Heuristic review of current product or competitive scan (whichever fits)
  • Journey or opportunity map for that journey
  • Ranked product/design roadmap (do / later / don't)
  • Decision readout you can buy against — scope thesis, duration, honest no if we're wrong fit
  • Async Loom/Slack follow-ups during the sprint

Not included: full UI polish, design system build, engineering, unlimited workshops

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AI Product Launch Pack

$18,000

Fit: one core workflow or AI surface to ship — trust and failure states included, not a chat widget bolted on.

What's included:

  • Scope lock: one priority workflow (or AI surface) + out-of-scope list
  • Information architecture + user flows for that workflow
  • Wireframes → high-fidelity UI for key screens and states
  • AI-specific where relevant: empty/loading/error, confidence, override/recovery, human-in-the-loop
  • Clickable prototype for demos and stakeholder review
  • Starter design system (tokens, core components, naming)
  • Dev-ready Figma (components, specs, handoff notes)
  • Implementation guidance for eng (optional scoped production build if agreed in kickoff)
  • Review rounds on the locked workflow (not open-ended redesign of the whole product)

Not included: multi-product redesign, brand identity overhaul, ongoing retainer (see Partner)

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Embedded Partner

$7,500/mo

Fit: ongoing product/AI UX capacity without hiring in-house.

What's included:

  • Dedicated designer capacity on your roadmap (product + AI surfaces)
  • Weekly product/design review (live or Loom)
  • Slack + Figma as working tools — same stack as your team
  • One primary workstream at a time (queue clear and visible)
  • Design-system evolution as features ship
  • Handoff support for eng (specs, states, edge cases)
  • Roadmap-based UX/UI — not random one-off marketing graphics
  • Start term 2–3 months, then month-to-month; pause with notice

Not included: full-time exclusive unless scoped up; ads/social creatives; fixed $18k Launch deliverables (buy that pack instead)

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Prices are fixed for the packs above. Fit and cut list on the call.

Rates, sizing & engagement

Models

ENGAGE Four ways to work with us. From a sharp two-week sprint to a standing design bench. (PICK WHAT FITS)

Most people start with a defined project or a focused sprint. Retainers and credits make sense when you already need design every month.

Engagement in practice

What we offer

  • Focused sprint

    Time-boxed (usually 1–2 weeks). One problem, one outcome, audit, positioning, concept, or MVP slice.

  • Defined project

    Fixed scope and outcome with a written estimate. Best when the problem and deliverables are clear enough to size.

  • Design retainer

    A dedicated designer (or small pod) on a monthly cadence. Roadmap work, system upkeep, continuous shipping.

  • Design credits

    Prepaid hours you draw down as needs appear. Without reopening a full SOW every time.

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Ranges

BALLPARK Searchers asking what design costs deserve a number — then a real estimate. (NOT A QUOTE)

These are typical bands for US and Canadian SaaS work once scope is clear. Your brief can land lower or higher. We confirm a written range with assumptions, usually within about a week, and hold ±10% on agreed scope.

Ranges in practice

Where most work lands

  • Focused sprint

    Time-boxed engagements (typically 1–2 weeks) on one outcome — audit, positioning, concept, or an MVP slice. See fixed packages above.

  • Defined project

    Scoped work depending on journeys, research, system depth, and whether build is in scope. Multi-phase product rebuilds sit at the high end. Custom estimate after the brief.

  • Design retainer

    Dedicated senior designer capacity on a monthly cadence. Pods and higher involvement scale from the base. See Embedded Partner above.

  • Design credits

    Prepaid blocks sized to expected monthly draw-down. Useful when volume is uneven. Ask for current credit packs on the call.

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Sizing

SIZE We size the outcome and the unknowns, not a wishlist of screens. (BEFORE THE NUMBER)

A fair number starts with what success looks like, what’s decided, and what’s still fuzzy. Complexity and calendar pressure move cost more than pixel count.

Sizing in practice

What we weigh

  • Outcome clarity

    What must be true when we stop? Launch, learn, convert, modernize. We name it before we count hours.

  • Known vs unknown

    Locked brand and IA shrink risk. Open research, integrations, or AI features expand the band.

  • Team & involvement

    Solo designer vs strategy + design + build. How fast you can decide. Who owns product on your side.

  • Constraint honesty

    Hard deadlines, compliance, platforms, and “must ship with X” all change the shape of the work.

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Estimating

ESTIMATE An estimate is a commitment with visible assumptions, not a moon shot. (WITH ASSUMPTIONS)

We break the work down, pressure-test it with the people who’d do it, and give you a range we can stand behind (±10% unless scope changes). If something’s fuzzy, we say so before you sign.

Estimating in practice

The process

  • 1. Brief & questions

    Goals, users, constraints, references, and what “done” means. We ask until the fog lifts.

  • 2. Scope breakdown

    Features, flows, content, and delivery activities. Itemized enough to see where time goes.

  • 3. Expert validation

    Design and (when relevant) build leads stress-test the hours. Sales doesn’t invent the number alone.

  • 4. Range + assumptions

    You get a number or band, what’s included, what’s out, and what would move cost. Buffer is explicit.

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Retainers

ONGOING Need a designer on call, not another six-week procurement cycle? (CAPACITY ON TAP)

Retainers put senior design inside your cadence. Credits are a flexible hours bank. Both skip the “open a new project” tax when priorities shift.

Ongoing capacity

When to use which

  • Designer on retainer

    Best for product teams shipping every sprint, system maintenance, and a named Phoenux designer in your standups.

  • Design credit service

    Best when volume is uneven, marketing sites, feature polish, partner requests: draw hours as you need them.

  • What you get

    Priority scheduling, shared Figma workspace, monthly usage visibility, and a clear rollover / top-up policy.

  • What we don’t do

    Anonymous freelancer marketplaces. Credits and retainers are senior studio capacity with accountability.

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Rates & redesign questions

What is the Clarity Sprint?

$6,000 for 1–2 weeks. We map the journey that pays the bills, audit what exists, and scope the design you need before opening Figma.

What does the AI Product Launch Pack include?

$18,000 for 4–6 weeks. We design an AI-native MVP or core feature: conversational UI, agentic workflows, or AI-assisted surfaces. Implementation guidance for eng, with an optional scoped production build if agreed in kickoff.

How does the Embedded Partner retainer work?

$7,500 per month for ongoing product design. You get senior design capacity without hiring: interface design, systems, UX research, handoff, and design QA.

Ready for a real estimate?

Send the brief you have. Even if it’s rough. We’ll tell you which model fits and what a fair range looks like.

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