In 2019, I was personally recruited by Austin Walper, a startup founder preparing to launch an esports engagement platform called PLAYR.gg.
The company was in its early seed stage with no design foundation, brand identity, or product visuals. It started with just a business idea and ambition.
Austin was looking for a design partner who could move quickly, think strategically, and manage both product and creative work. That’s where I came in.
From day one, I took on a hybrid role as Founding Product & Creative Designer, working directly with the CEO. My responsibilities spanned multiple pillars:
Brand Identity
Built the brand’s visual identity and tone from scratch to help position it as modern, credible, and esports-ready.
Product UI/UX
Designed the web platform with user flows for brands and gamers' campaign setup, engagement, and dashboards.
Visual Design
Delivered tailored visuals for bespoke branded activations with clients and partners.
Pitch & Investor Decks
Crafted presentation visuals to help communicate the business vision to investors.
By 2020, the company was acquired by Trufan, later rebranded to Surf, validating the early design and business strategy we built. I remained involved post-acquisition, ensuring design continuity across evolving product needs.
Helped the company secure $1 million in seed funding, with investor decks and product walkthroughs designed to impress and inform.
Delivered high-velocity design systems and user flows that enabled fast iteration, onboarding, and early client activation.
The company was successfully acquired by Trufan in 2020, then rebranded as Surf, cementing the product’s early market success.