Fortress Technology
Manufacturing · HMI · Named with permissionWe rebuilt the operator HMI around how the line actually runs. Training dropped from three weeks to two days, measured across production sites.
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Interfaces for work that can't afford mistakes.
We're Cristian and Maira: 25 years designing HMIs, clinical tools and regulated products across 10 industries. Hire us fractionally, on retainer, or for a fixed-scope project.
Senior design leadership, without the full-time overhead.
Cristian or Maira on your team 2–4 days a week, at £850/day, published openly. Capped sprints, no surprise invoices. You set the scope; we own the quality.
Start with a capped sprintA product designer in your standups.
We work from your backlog, join your sprints, and hand over specs your developers can build straight away. Minimal ramp-up, no hand-holding, same working hours.
Start a 2-week trialDesign that respects your constraints.
Tokens, specs and changelogs that fit your pipeline. Glove-sized touch targets, high contrast, dark mode. We ask about your hardware before we pick a typeface.
See how we hand offFortress Technology HMI: operator training cut from 3 weeks to 2 days.{ Scroll }
( About )
( Since 2001 )
For twenty-five years we've designed for enterprise clients, sometimes through agency partners, always as the people doing the work. Now we work directly with the directors and product teams who want us on their side.
25
Years in design & technology
−85%
Operator training time · client-verified
17
Long-term clients · some since 2003
2
Designers, 0 juniors
( Work )
Recent work
Most clients ask us not to name them. The problems, and the results, are real.10 case studies, 1 named. 7 below, the rest on the work page. Every metric client-verified.
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( Principles )
Why clients stay with us
Some clients have worked with us for over two decades. These are the reasons they give.
( Retention )
20+ years
Our longest client relationship, through acquisitions, leadership changes and industry shifts.
01
User first
We watch people use the current system, on the floor or in the clinic, before we propose anything.
02
Direct access
No account managers in between. You brief the person who does the work.
03
Outcomes, not deliverables
We agree the number that should move (training time, error rate, task speed) and design against it.
04
Aligned with engineering
We design within your stack, tokens and sprint cadence, so nothing ends up as a redline PDF nobody builds.
Typical agency
- × Seniors sell the work, juniors do it
- × Account managers, overhead, another timezone
- × Open-ended budgets and surprise invoices
The Pandelion way
- → The principals you meet do the work
- → Embedded in your standups, in your tools
- → Capped sprints, visible burn, no surprises
( How we work )
How we bring senior design into your team
Pick the model that fits how you need us, not the other way around.
/ Most popularFractional
Cristian or Maira on your team 2–4 days a week: in your standups, in your tools, owning design end to end. Judged on the numbers we agree should move: training time, error rate, task speed.
£850/day · 2–4 days a week · 3-month min · 2-week paid trial/ OngoingRetainer
A reserved block of principal design time every month, for design system upkeep and steady improvements, from a designer who already knows your product.
£850/day · Reserved monthly block · 30-day notice/ Defined scopeProject-based
A defined deliverable with a not-to-exceed cap: an HMI overhaul, an interface audit, a design system. Acceptance criteria agreed upfront.
Interface audit £8,500 fixed, 100% creditedEnd-to-end engagement
01Embed & understand
Weeks 1–2. We join standups, learn your stack and talk to your users.
02Design & validate
Weeks 2–4. Prototypes, weekly demos, and testing where the product is really used.
03Ship & hand off
Ongoing. Tokens, specs and changelogs your developers can build from.
04Iterate & improve
Continuous. We track the agreed metric after launch and refine.
( Pricing )See full pricing →
Predictable pricing without the rigidity
Capped sprints and not-to-exceed milestones. You pay for the time we actually spend, up to a ceiling agreed in advance.
→ Acceptance criteria agreed upfront→ Early warning at ~70% burn→ Up to 50% of unused time carries over→ Reach the cap and billing stops
( The team )Meet the team →
Cristian and Maira
No juniors and no delegation. The people on your intro call are the people in your standups, designing your screens.
Cristian H. GomezPrincipal Product Designer, Co-Founder
20+ years designing HMIs and control rooms: interfaces for gloved hands, low light and zero tolerance for error.
Maira S. MartinoPrincipal Product Designer, Co-Founder
Research-led healthcare and workflow UX. She starts in the clinic or at the workstation, before a single screen is drawn.
( Fit )
A good fit
- → Your interface is complex: HMI, clinical, regulated, data-heavy, or safety-critical
- → You need senior product thinking, not just pretty screens
- → You want predictable budgets and plain communication
Not a fit
- × Simple marketing websites or landing pages
- × "Make it look nicer" without an underlying workflow problem
- × Choosing on lowest price rather than the right outcome
( Contact )Complex system?
Complex system?
Let's talk.
Book a 20-minute call. Tell us about the system and we'll tell you straight whether we're the right fit. No sales pitch.