Product Design
Research, UX wireframes and journey mapping, with AI helping me explore more directions and shape the whole experience before a pixel is drawn.
I design & ship
I'm David Rowell, a principal-level product designer available for fractional and contract engagements. For 21 years I've taken products from the first customer insight to the last shipped detail, across voice, touch, gesture, and screen. Most recently I led design for Life360's Pet and Tile trackers. I design AI-first and ship in real, working code.
Designing products at
Three ways to work with me.
- 01
0-to-1 Design & Build
For founders and teams who need a product, not a deck. I take an idea from first sketch to working software, the design and the real code. It’s how I shipped CartPause across iPhone, Watch, and Mac, solo, in about two months.
- 02
Fractional Design Lead
Principal-level design leadership, embedded two to three days a week: setting direction, running critique, building the design system, and helping your team fold AI into the work without losing craft.
- 03
Vision & Strategy Sprint
A high-fidelity vision prototype your leadership team can feel, not just read. It’s the kind of work I’ve pitched directly to Steve Ballmer and Jeff Bezos, built to get a room to commit to a bet.
Fixed-scope projects or simple retainers, quoted after a short intro call. No agency, no hand-offs. You work with me directly.
How it works
- 01
Intro call
30 minutes on your product, your goals, and whether we’re a fit.
- 02
Scope & proposal
A fixed scope, a timeline, and a single price, agreed in days rather than weeks.
- 03
Weekly demos
Working designs and prototypes every week, so you always know where things stand.
- 04
Ship & handoff
Production-ready design, plus code where it’s in scope, documented for your team.
The craft behind the services: a designer who works from first insight to shipped, working product.
Capabilities
AI & Conversational
Designing AI-first products and conversational interfaces from the ground up, treating prompts, models, and flows as design material.
High Fidelity Prototyping
Rapid, high-fidelity prototypes that are increasingly AI-assisted and built in code, so an idea can be felt before it is argued for.
User Research & Testing
Talking to customers, running usability tests, and synthesizing what I learn into clear direction the team can act on.
Service Design
End-to-end blueprints across every person, system, and touchpoint, with AI helping map the journey and surface additional gaps.
Design Systems
Building and maintaining component libraries, tokens, and patterns so teams can move fast and stay consistent at scale.
Tools
Figma
Where I do most of my work, from research and wireframes through to high-fidelity UI and journey maps.
Claude Code
I use Claude Code as an AI pair-programmer to prototype, build, and ship real working interfaces in code.
Claude & Gemini
I use Claude and Gemini to augment my problem solving and direction exploration, getting from a blank page to a draft fast.
Vercel
I deploy and host prototypes and production sites on Vercel, with a live preview on every change.
Xcode
I build and test native iOS prototypes in Xcode to feel how an experience behaves on a real device.
Adobe Creative Suite
I reach for Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects whenever I need visual craft, illustration, or motion.
Designing from the customer in.
I'm an AI-native Principal Product Designer who helps businesses turn ambiguous problems into products customers love and teams can actually ship. I design AI-first, from the ground up.
What I bring is the full arc. I start from the customer and the business goal, frame the problem before anyone touches a pixel, and stay close to the detail as the work becomes real. Across 21 years, the last 8 as a Principal, I've done this on wearables, mobile, tablet, TV, and multi-modal voice, touch, and gesture.
I'm at my best on 0-to-1 products, where the path isn't obvious yet and the answer has to be found rather than refined.
I work as a true partner, not a designer who hands off mockups. I give PMs a clear customer story and the trade-offs behind each call, pair closely with engineering so the build matches the intent, and lean on research to keep us honest. The customer stays at the center of all of it.
Earlier in a product's life, I help leaders set direction and commit to a bet. I make ideas tangible through vibe coded high-fidelity real prototypes, so a team can feel a concept before they have to argue for it.
I raise the bar through critique. I give and seek honest feedback, because the diverse opinions in a room make the product better and keep the whole team growing.
When things get hazy and confusing, the fun really starts. With some big, bold ideas, you can shake things up and make your mark. But remember — you've got to start from the end and work your way back to the beginning to really make it happen. Let's go.
US Patents
07 granted- 01 Voice Communication Targeting User Interface #11204685
- 02 Automated Messaging #11102624
- 03 Voice Communication Targeting User Interface #10572107
- 04 User Interface with Media Content Prediction #10055088
- 05 Automated Messaging #9992642
- 06 Small Device and Touch Interface Form Fields #20100138732
- 07 System and Method for Displaying Media Items #20090119589
Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife, two kids, and our dog. I also enjoy making: turning digital designs into physical objects with a CNC machine, laser engraver, and Cricut, in wood and other natural materials.
Working with me
- Is David Rowell available for hire?
- Yes. David is currently booking new fractional and contract engagements, and is open to the right full-time role. He works remotely from Boise, Idaho.
- What does David Rowell specialize in?
- David is a Principal Product Designer specializing in 0-to-1 products, AI and conversational experiences, and new product categories. He works across voice, touch, gesture, and screen, and is a design-led, AI-native advocate.
- What does a fractional engagement with David look like?
- Typically two to three days a week embedded with a product team, leading design direction, running critique, building design systems, and shipping alongside engineering. Engagements run month to month on a simple retainer.
- How does David price engagements?
- Fixed-scope projects, like a 0-to-1 design-and-build or a vision sprint, are quoted as a single price after a short intro call. Fractional work is a weekly or monthly retainer. There is no agency markup; you work with David directly.
- Does David work with early-stage startups?
- Yes. 0-to-1 work is his specialty: taking a product from first idea to shipped, including the design and working code, often before a company has its own design team.
- Can David both design and build products?
- Yes. David designs and ships high-fidelity prototypes in real, working code. He recently designed, built, and shipped CartPause, an independent AI app for iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac, entirely solo.
- What companies has David Rowell worked with?
- Over 21 years, David has designed products for Amazon, Life360, GoodRx, Xbox, Nokia, and Eli Lilly, most recently leading design for Life360’s Pet and Tile trackers.
- Where is David Rowell based and how can I contact him?
- David is based in Boise, Idaho, and works remotely with teams anywhere. Book an intro call.