Fractional Founding Designer

I build the design function for startups that aren't ready for a full-time designer.

Brand, product, communications, operations. Not separate briefs. One connected system.

Most early-stage companies reach a point where design is everywhere and nowhere at once. I come in as your designer, build the function from scratch, and stay until you're ready for a team.

Start with a conversation

What I do

I qualified as an industrial designer. That means before I touch a screen, I'm already asking how the parts connect: what's the product, how does it communicate, what does the brand say, where does the operation break down, and what needs to be specified for any of this to actually work.

Most designers own one of those questions. I hold all of them.

Part of that training is understanding end customers — not just yours, but your clients'. What they respond to. What signals credibility in their world. That shapes the decisions.

For startups, that usually means coming in when design is being done by four different people with no shared direction. I leave with a system, a visual language, and a team that knows how to use both.

David Holly

Fractional Founding Designer

The difference

Most design support

Specialists who own one part

A brand designer builds your visual identity. A product designer works on your UI. A comms designer produces your marketing materials. Each one does their thing, hands it off, and moves on. When your brand, product, and communications start pulling in different directions — and they will — there's nobody whose job it is to notice.

A founding designer

One person who holds the whole

Embedded in the business. Accountable to the whole. When a decision on the product screen is inconsistent with what you're telling investors, I'm the person who notices — because I was in both rooms. When a new feature needs to fit the system that's already been built, I know the system. Not a freelancer. Not an agency. Your designer.

Services

01 · Entry point

The Design Review

Three weeks. A full audit of your design across brand, product, and communications. You get a prioritised brief and system specification you can act on immediately, whether that's with me or someone else.

Written audit across all design touchpoints
Prioritised list of design problems, critical to nice-to-have
System specification: what to build, in what order
Honest recommendation on whether ongoing support makes sense

$4,500 AUD · fixed fee

Right for you if: You know design is a problem but aren't sure where it's costing you most. You want the full picture before committing to ongoing work. You're about to launch, raise, or hire.

02 · Ongoing

Fractional Founding Designer

Your design function. Two days a week, remote, rolling monthly. Embedded in the business: attending your meetings, understanding your product, knowing your users, making the right call week to week without needing to be briefed again.

Brand, product, communications, operations
2 days per week · remote
Rolling monthly commitment
No briefs. No project scopes. No gaps.

$7,500 AUD / month

Right for you if: You're past launch and design hasn't kept up with the business. No founding designer on the team. Preparing for a raise and everything needs to feel like it comes from the same place.

How it works

Step 01

Start with a conversation

Tell me what you're working on. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help and what that looks like. No pitch. No proposal.

Step 02

The Design Review

Most clients start here. Three weeks to map the problem and define the system. You get a specification you can act on. With me or not.

Step 03

Ongoing if it makes sense

Some move to the retainer. Some go straight there. Rolling monthly means you stay in control. Either way, it starts with a conversation.

Book a 30 minute call

Work

01 Brand

Brand identity built from zero to launch. Still defining the category.

A marketing consultancy needed a complete visual identity before opening its doors. Brand strategy, logo system, colour, typography, and guidelines. Built to position the founder as a category leader from day one.

02 Product

Full brand identity and website. Designed to run without a designer.

An occupational therapy practice needed a digital presence that could communicate NDIS services to clients, carers, and referrers without losing its human quality. Brand, website, and communications built for independent use.

Operations and product development project

03 Operations

66% shorter manufacture time. 75% faster installation.

A furniture manufacturer needed a product development process that could scale without adding headcount. Redesigned manufacturing workflows, technical documentation, and specification systems from the ground up.

What clients say

David did an incredible job bringing my brand vision to life. He instantly understood the direction, look, and feel I wanted for my company and provided several strong design proposals based on the initial brief. He worked quickly, efficiently, and collaborated with me every step of the way to refine the concept and create the perfect result. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a talented and intuitive designer.

Gabrielle Mason

Founder, Wayfinder Marketing

David has an exceptional understanding of design and how it translates across digital platforms. He evolved our brand identity with care and precision, while also managing multiple website and digital projects seamlessly. His thinking is innovative, practical, and always aligned with the bigger picture.

Dr Martin Nguyen

Founder, Medical Pantry

David is a valuable addition to the Hidden Heritage project. He has a great eye for detail and is a strong advocate for the user, consistently bringing thoughtful ideas to the table. His content concepts helped shape a feature that has quickly become a favourite with visitors.

Justin Buckley

Project Manager, National Trust of Victoria

About

David Holly · Melbourne, Australia

I'm David Holly, an industrial designer with 10 years of experience across physical products, digital tools, brand systems, and operational design.

Industrial design teaches you to think in systems: how parts connect, where things fail under load, what needs to be specified for something to actually work at scale. I've applied that discipline to fitted furniture ranges, civic technology platforms, brand identities, healthcare communications, and operational workflows. The approach is the same regardless of the medium. Understand the whole system. Build the parts in the right order. Specify what needs to hold.

Most designers in the fractional space come from digital backgrounds. What I bring that's harder to find is the operational layer: I've redesigned manufacturing processes, built technical documentation systems, restructured supply chains, and written SOPs that teams actually follow. That background makes the design decisions more durable. I'm thinking about what happens after the file is handed over.

10+ Years of experience

5 Industries worked across

2 Clients optimised

Design