(  Pricing  )

Predictable pricing without the rigidity.

Every engagement runs on capped sprints or not-to-exceed milestones. You pay for time up to a clear ceiling, never past it. No surprise invoices.

Daily time logs · Burn-up chart
Weekly demo · Warning at ~70% burn
(  Models  )

Three models, one rule: a ceiling you set

Rates below are the real numbers. The exact cap is agreed on the intro call, before any work starts.
/ OngoingRetainer
Reserved blockSized to your cadence, monthly cap

A guaranteed slice of principal design capacity every month: design system upkeep, iterative improvements, and a designer who already knows your product.

  • → Priced per reserved block, on the call
  • → Up to 50% of unused time carries over
  • → Cancel with 30 days' notice
/ Defined scopeProject-based
Not-to-exceedCap agreed before work starts

A discrete deliverable — an HMI overhaul, an interface audit, a design system — with acceptance criteria and a ceiling agreed upfront.

  • → Interface audit: £8,500 fixed, 2 weeks
  • → Audit fee 100% credited against a follow-on
  • → Pay actual time, never past the cap
(  The math  )
Full-time senior hire
  • × Salary + NI + pension + equipment + benefits
  • × 3–6 months to hire, then ramp-up
  • × Full-time cost even when design need dips
Fractional principal
  • → £850/day, only for the days you book
  • → Working in your standups within two weeks
  • → Scale days with your roadmap, month to month
(  The cap  )

How a capped sprint actually works

The cap is a ceiling, not a target. You see the burn as it happens, and the rules for what happens at the edges are agreed before we start.

(  The promise  )
£0 past the ceiling

The cap is a ceiling, not a target. You see the burn as it happens, and once the ceiling is reached, we stop charging. Ever.

01
Agree the ceiling

Scope, acceptance criteria, and a not-to-exceed number, all fixed before work starts.

02
Watch the burn

Daily time logs and a burn-up chart, plus a working demo every week. Nothing to take on faith.

03
Early warning

At ~70% burn we flag it and re-plan together — trim scope, extend, or stop. Your call, made early.

04
At the edges

Hit the cap early? We stop charging. Time left over? Up to 50% carries into the next sprint within 30 days.

Building something early-stage? For one or two products a year we take part of our fee in equity or revenue share. Ask us on the call.

(  FAQ  )

Fair questions

What happens if we hit the cap early?

We stop charging. You keep everything delivered, and we propose the next cap based on what's left.

Do unused hours vanish?

No — up to 50% of unused time rolls into the next sprint, as long as it starts within 30 days.

Why capped instead of fixed price?

Fixed price forces us to pad estimates and resist change. Capped keeps agility: you can reprioritise mid-sprint, while the ceiling protects your budget.

What if we add new requests mid-sprint?

They either reorder the backlog inside the current cap, or start a new one. Either way, you decide with the burn chart in front of you.

How do we know the hours are real?

Daily time logs, a burn-up chart you can check anytime, and a working demo every week. The work is visible as it happens.

(  Contact  )

Get a number
you can plan on.

Book a 20-minute call. Tell us the problem; we'll propose a model, a cap, and a start date, or tell you honestly if we're not the right fit.