Over the last 20 years, DesignRecruiter has partnered with innovative design teams across industries, working with companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 organizations. We are deeply embedded in the design community and specialize in sourcing and hiring top design and research talent at every level, from senior leadership to individual contributors.
Design roles are nuanced, and because we work exclusively in design, we understand the differences between disciplines, levels, and team needs. We evaluate portfolios beyond aesthetics, assessing problem-solving, product thinking, collaboration, and real business impact. With deep networks of active and passive talent, we move faster with better signal and act as true hiring partners—advising on role scope, leveling, and compensation. The result is better-aligned candidates who fit not only the role, but your team, culture, and long-term goals.
Here is a sampling of clients we have worked with over the last 20 years.
About
Stephanie Shapiro has spent the last 20 years working at the intersection of design and talent. She began her career at Landor Associates in San Francisco as a production artist, working alongside some of the best designers in the world. Early on, she learned that great design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about solving real business problems.
In 1997, Stephanie transitioned into recruiting at Adjacency, a small interactive design firm that was acquired by Sapient just nine months later. At Publicis Sapient, Stephanie went on to lead and scale the design hiring function, growing the team from three to ten recruiters, coordinators, and sourcers. She oversaw design hiring across more than nine global offices, consistently meeting aggressive hiring goals in a highly competitive market, and spent six months in India building the design team from the ground up.
In 2003, Stephanie founded DesignRecruiter, bringing her deep understanding of design, teams, and business to help companies build exceptional design organizations.
Services
Services include contingency and retained searches, freelance staffing for both short- and long-term engagements, and customized consulting offered on an hourly or per-project basis. Our deep industry experience allows us to identify and attract top talent, while partnering closely with clients to design effective evaluation and interview processes and support offer negotiation and closing. Delivering results matters to us.
Areas of Expertise:
Executive Design Leadership
Product Design/UX Design
Visual/UI Design
Mobile/Native App Expertise
Content Strategy/UX Writing
UX Research
AI Research
UX Engineering
Brand/Marketing Design (visual and copy)
Design Innovation and Strategy
Program Management
Design Operations
Product Management
DesignRecruiter-in-Residence (Retained)
A newly introduced retained search model designed to be flexible, cost-effective, and highly hands-on, providing a dedicated partnership with the client. Best suited for senior, critical, or hard-to-fill roles where quality, focus, and collaboration matter. Available for roles at all levels.
Fee: Flat rate of $25,000, with a $10,000 retainer paid upfront. The remaining balance is invoiced upon the candidate’s start date. The search may be canceled at any time.
Contingency Search
A success-based recruiting model designed for speed and flexibility, with no upfront commitment. Ideal for teams that need support building or strengthening their candidate pipeline. We leverage our existing network and proactively source passive candidates to complement inbound applicants.
Fee: 20% of first-year base salary. The fee is invoiced on the candidate’s start date. No fee is due unless the candidate is hired.
Hourly Sourcing Support
A flexible, hourly engagement designed to supplement internal recruiting efforts or provide targeted support where needed. DesignRecruiter will dedicate a recruiter and/or sourcer based on your specific hiring goals. Support can include sourcing, screening, and submitting candidates, as well as managing both inbound and passive candidates through the hiring process. DesignRecruiter can also help build a personalized freelance talent database for current and future needs.
Need a Gig?
DesignRecruiter places talent in both full-time and freelance roles. DesignRecruiter focuses on all levels, including executive and individual contributor roles.
Please send your resume and portfolio to steph@designrecruiter.com.