Design — is a process of cognition, ordering, and reducing entropy. In design, we manage the unknown, discover and structure it.

manageunknown

Consultations

Consulting for designers and businesses. From urgent local issues to strategic support for a company, project, or personal career.

The purpose of consultations is to help one understand the situation and provide the tools and knowledge to continue working and growing, to make balanced decisions.

Get your bearings
Analyze
Build a plan

All consultations take place in three stages, and the time and number of meetings depend on the complexity of the request and the volume of work.

Consultation formats

Select one of the formats below. If you're unsure which — format is right for you, please let us know, and we'll find the right one for you. In any case, we'll first clarify your request.

How can I help?

:
job search
career track
portfolio review
grade assessment
impostor syndrome
burnout and inspiration
personal brand
resume writing
pricing
project management
communication with the client
setting career goals
skill development
transition to freelancing
team relationships
preparing for an interview
multidisciplinary design
project audit
How to find clients
finding your own style
design evaluation criteria
T/M-shape specialization
from freelancing to employment
search for growth points
design-system
design genres
Management time
work-life balance
printing processes
financial strategy
figma
webflow
indesign
branding
communication with developers

Basic format

1 meeting
60 minutes
$100
Ideal for quickly solving a specific problem or getting feedback. We'll address your specific needs: a grade review, project portfolio, career development plan, interview preparation, or analysis of a current project. Suitable for those who want a fresh perspective on their work and move forward with confidence.

Extended format

2-3 meetings + (task)
1-2 weeks
from $190
Suitable for deeper analysis and skill development. I help refine a portfolio, develop a personal brand, or analyze a project in detail. During the first meeting, we discuss the context, and in subsequent sessions, we analyze and seek solutions. Sometimes, between sessions, I assign tasks to refine the request.

Mentoring format

12 meetings + support chat
4 months
$1 000
Strategic support: I'll help you build a career in design, take on new projects, improve your negotiation skills, or enhance your expertise. We'll regularly discuss your progress, tackle complex challenges, and step-by-step develop your growth strategy.

How can I help?

:
design and business
business and product metrics
uncertainty in work
career track
portfolio review
resume writing
impostor syndrome
burnout and inspiration
training of designers
pricing
hiring and firing
project management
cross-functional commands
employee assessment and development
process optimization
relations with business
communication with designers
setting career goals
team relationships
grade assessment
team motivation
preparing for an interview
project audit
customer search
design evaluation criteria
T/M-shape specialization
design-system
tools for designers
implementation of design-standards
Management command
Management time
work-life balance

Basic format

1 meeting
60 minutes
10,000 ₽
Assistance in resolving operational design and team management issues. We'll discuss a specific case, from setting tasks for designers to analyzing current team processes. You'll receive practical advice to help you improve communication with your team or enhance the quality of your work.

Extended format

2-3 meetings + (task)
1-2 weeks
from 18,000 ₽
To address complex design management challenges. Over several meetings, we'll discuss your team, processes, and work approaches. I'll help you build effective collaboration between designers and other departments, improve the quality of design solutions, and implement new approaches.

Mentoring format

12 meetings + support chat
4 months
96,000 ₽
Strategic support in design and team management. Through mentoring, I'll help you build long-term processes: from hiring designers to implementing a design system and improving collaboration across cross-functional teams. We'll work on your management skills, address complex cases, and implement process changes.

How can I help?

:
branding audit
search for designers
training of designers
search for contractors
drafting a job vacancy text
review of candidates
Integrating design into business processes
pricing in design
review of contractors
project management
project audit
increasing conversion
communication with designers
setting business goals
development of the design-team
design as digitalization
cross-functional commands
design evaluation criteria
brand-strategy
usability audit
design-system
branding and product
implementation of design-standards
going offline
tools for designers

Operational format

1 meeting
90 minutes
25,000 ₽
Ideal for solving a specific problem: design quality assessment, branding review, identifying growth areas in your product, reviewing the work of the design team. Get a fresh perspective and specific recommendations.

Tactical format

2-3 meetings + work chat
1-2 weeks
from 40,000 ₽
A comprehensive analysis of your product, brand, or team. We'll audit your design and processes, analyze strengths and weaknesses, and discuss a development strategy. We'll create an improvement plan to ensure your design helps your business become even more effective.

Strategic format

12 meetings + work chat
5 months
$4 200
For owners and managers who want to strategically build design processes within their company. We will work on developing a visual language, improving user experience, and enhancing brand value. We will shape the design to help the business operate efficiently and align the team's work with business goals.

Process

1.

Introductory meeting

Free — we discuss in the chat or make a 15-minutes call. We get to know each other, make sure it's a match — I can help with the request and the work will be mutually beneficial. Discuss expectations of the consultation in general.

2.

Payment and time planning

After payment, we schedule a day and time for the consultation, book it in the calendar. If there are several consultations, I'll suggest a schedule of meetings.

3.

Planning

Preparation and collection of materials. I request information and context from you. Clarification of expectations for the consultation and preparation of a meeting plan.

4.

Meeting

Call at an appointed time in Google Meets with video.

5.

Summary and support

For a week, if there are questions or necessary clarifications within the meeting topic, I'm open to discuss it in the chat.

Within three business days after the consultation, I will share the following materials:
— video recording of the meeting
— written summary with key points
— materials and links from the meeting

Reviews

Natasha Yakubovskaya

Communication designer
This was extremely helpful:

1. The expert provided feedback regarding the situation at my previous job from both sides: mine and the employer's. And this provided grounds for a calmer approach.
2. Suggested great solutions and thoughts for various aspects of my request
3. And I wrote everything out in such detail. I understand myself better now, that is, I have some kind of understanding of myself, but it's as if inside I don't fully agree that this is okay. But it turns out that it is okay, and these are my peculiarities. And growth areas, too, but I can live with this, and now I know what to do, and it gives me confidence.
4. Thank you for highlighting my specific strengths; it gave me a lot of confidence! It's important to have an outside perspective.
5. And life hacks with responses and freelancing, the salary title is also very cool

My spirit was lifted, thank you very much Jan!

Elvira Orekhova

Communication designer
We had a plan and we stuck to it as best we could, of course. The first meeting, scheduled for an hour, ended up lasting two and a half hours (I was ready to listen to my entire biography 😌). But we discussed sooooo much!!! My portfolio, my resume, past work experience, burnout, the current situation in the team, and what's happening in the market. And ultimately, we developed a strategy for how we should work from now on and what to focus on.

At the end of our productive call, Jan sent me a video of the meeting, a short summary, and assignments for the week.

Aisha Birinci

Graphic designer
I'm so grateful for this experience. I had certain questions I couldn't answer for myself, but after the sessions with you, I felt confident and clear about my path forward. It saved me a ton of time and energy :)

I hope that by the beginning of March we will move on to a new round of consultations!

Yaroslav Gudkov

UI/UX designer
The consultations met my expectations 100%, and my request was resolved. After our meetings, I have a complete understanding of what, where, and how much needs to be tweaked, and I'm confident everything will work out. Your preparedness and empathy were evident during the meetings themselves, and your summary afterwards was incredibly helpful. Thank you very much! I can't recommend any improvements, other than the cost; this could be sold for even more. :)

Victoria

Art-Director and co-founder of the agency
Everything's great. Yan highlighted the main points we covered during the meeting. It helped me put my thoughts in perspective. — I was in a confusing situation. We discussed potential growth areas and solutions. Thank you!

Yana Savvina

Art-director
Yan helped me structure my questions, formulate them more precisely, and gave very detailed answers. Now I have a clear understanding not only of the direction I should take but also of the specific steps to take. The conversation was incredibly comfortable. After the meeting, Yan prepared a summary of recommendations and stayed in touch throughout the week. Thank you so much for your help and support; it was incredibly helpful!

Ekaterina Bobrinskaya

Graphic designer
Keabbolab
Thank you so much. I want to say I appreciated how you captured the essence, confirmed my concerns, and highlighted my pain points. You also provide top-notch feedback, so much so that I'm motivated to do something instead of giving up, which is incredibly valuable.

Roman Khusnutdinov

Designer
Yan really helped me unravel the tangled web of my complex problems. I would recommend Yan specifically to people who are confused about themselves and their profession. Yan has a brilliant methodology for this kind of situation, making it easy to figure everything out. Together, we were able to clearly diagnose all my weaknesses, understand what to let go of, and where to look next. It was a very useful and important experience for me, for which I will forever be grateful 🙏

Anastasia Ermakova

Senior Product Designer
I liked everything, and Yan's expertise was truly enough to calm me down and relax, allowing me to accept the position with more confidence! He also absolutely helped me with my need to connect with someone with a similar background, something I've been missing in my work life. I also had no issues with the — service. Everything was explained clearly and promptly, appointments were made, and reminders were provided. Thank you!

Alena Travkina

Designer
Yan is a wonderful expert. He not only addressed my evolving needs, but also dispelled some harmful beliefs. He made me look at my work in a completely new way, and I truly see where I can improve. He takes a responsible approach to consultations and makes them more productive. A huge thank you for all the work you've done :)

Alina Ivkina

Art-director
I'm so grateful to Yan for his consultations. He's the best expert I've ever worked with. Competent, comfortable, and easy to communicate with, a super-cool specialist. We accomplished a lot in just two consultations. Thanks to him, I now know what to do and where to go. Thank you, thank you, thank you ☺️🤍 Definitely recommendations and rays of kindness 💫

Yana Seskutova

Designer
Yan — is a fantastic designer! He was able to sort through the chaos of my case studies, highlight my strengths, and help me understand where I definitely don't want to go. Together, we created a plan to further achieve my goals. The meeting was truly inspiring and fun.

Example queries

Designer

Finding your way around the profession

1 meeting
$100

I've been working full-time for a long time and want to change companies, but I don't understand what's happening in the design industry right now. I need to find my bearings and clarify my grade.

Designer

Management time and money on freelancing

2 meetings
$190

An insurmountable ceiling in money and time. There's a lot of work, but your income isn't growing. How to learn to manage your time and create a financial plan

Business

Review of the DASH1 system design

4 meetings
$1 600

Conduct an audit of processes and components. Verify the design and development linkages. Clarify the system's vision and future development.

Designer

Portfolio review

2 meetings
$190

View your portfolio and get advice on updating it. Which cases to keep or remove, and what to improve. Review specific cases and current projects.

Designer

Imposter syndrome

1 meeting
$100

When you have experience, but lack confidence, what grade is it? Is the design good or not? Confusion sets in, and you want to understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Business

Branding review

2 meetings
$800

Consultation on the company's current branding situation. Review materials, understand the offline and digital environments, and receive recommendations for growth opportunities.

Business

Conceptual design

12 meetings
$4 200

When launching a new product, it's important to consider its appearance and conceptual operation. This requires timely art direction, team support and reinforcement, and alignment between design and business goals.

Business

Development of the design-team

2 meetings
$800

There was a need to assemble a design department within the company. We need help with the structure of this team, setting tasks, and building processes.

Designer

Increasing your grade and developing your personal brand

2 meetings
$190

I want to increase my income, take on only top-tier projects, and get rid of the boring stuff. How can I improve my grade and build my expertise to attract high-quality clients and projects?

Supervisor

Team motivation

1 meeting
10,000 ₽

The team is working hard, but the designers are disheartened. There's no sparkle in their eyes, no motivation, no interesting solutions. How do you motivate them? Scold them or support them?

Supervisor

Exiting the operating system

3 meetings
$540

I'm already an art director or manager, but I'm still obsessed with operations. It's hard to delegate. Everyone screws up. How can I relax and start working on my new tasks?

Business

Integrating Design into Business Processes

3 meetings
$1 200

I have a design, but it's just an expense item. Is it possible to make money from design? Create a selling website and wow-branding?

Business

Designer search and candidate review

6 meetings
$2 400

We need designers, but it's unclear where and how to find them. Some are strong, some are weak. Salary expectations vary tenfold, and everyone wants remote work. We need help with the job posting, selection, and evaluation.

Designer

Preparing for a job change, preparing a portfolio and resume

12 meetings
$1 000

I have experience and a desire to change careers, but I need training in positioning, portfolio, and resume design. To significantly increase my salary and find my dream job

Supervisor

Business Relationships and Design Empowerment

1 meeting
10,000 ₽

Businesses are making sudden and contradictory demands, making it difficult to defend design decisions. There's a desire to establish a dialogue, be heard, and increase trust in designers.

Request for consultation

Fill out a request for a consultation or writein TelegramContact me directly to start a conversation. I'll respond via Telegram within 1 business day.

First, we'll discuss the situation, make sure the request is appropriate and I can be of assistance. If the match is — I'll provide a payment link.

We can create a unique consultation or training program. You can also give a consultation as a gift. We can discuss these issues in the chat.

By submitting your application you agreewith privacy policy
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I will review the information and contact you via Telegram within 1-2 business days to discuss the details.
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IP Zaretsky Yan Germanovich

OGRNIP 317784700046992