Creative direction that builds memorable products.
I help founders and product teams find the version of the work that's worth committing to. Most teams ship the safe version of what they're building because it's easier to defend. The harder version, the one that actually stands out, needs someone in the room to make it inevitable. That's what I do.
Essays on creative direction, product, making, and why most things you use end up forgettable and how to do it differently.
I'm Fred. I'm a designer and maker. Trained in fine arts, I founded my first startup in 2012 and have been designing products ever since.
Most recently I co-founded Kaizen, a marathon training app, leading the design from 0-1. Before that I led product design at Gastfreund in Berlin, where we built a "Slack for hotels" from scratch. I've worked across consumer and B2B, with two-person teams and forty-person ones.
Outside the product work, I paint, make artworks and prints, and try out new media. It's the same activity in a different medium. Both are about finding the version of the thing that's worth making.
I live in Berlin with my wife and our two small kids. I read a lot. And run when I can.
Available for contract and fractional work.
Open to founders and product teams who want help finding the version of the work that's worth committing to.