Product Definition
Deciding what is worth building
Creating digital products with those who are shaping tomorrow
Boring companies have boring products. Don’t fit in… Stand out.
Senior digital product designer working from the first question to the system underneath
I am Fábio. For 10+ years I have designed digital products, from the first idea to the version people rely on. I work independently, through Thereforth. You get the person doing the work. As a designer, I turn direction into a product and the system that holds it up. Complexity belongs in the structure, not on the screen. As a thinking partner, I help work out what is worth building at all. Together we find what your product is really for, and then we make it.
Trusted in multiple industries and easy to work with
“What you do really well is taking a clear idea and turning it into something engineers can actually build fast. Not just designs, but structured systems that handle edge cases properly.”
“You’re one of those people who just asks the right questions, the ones that make you stop and rethink things. And you have really strong design taste, which helps a lot when you’re making product decisions.”
“I spent years looking for someone who had the right blend of understanding contemporary art (very important when wanting to create a distinctive brand, identity and product), design and technology. Fabio is a systems thinker with the right blend of judgment, design and making it happen attitude. He helped me put Penny on the map with a product that stands out”
“What’s striking about Fabio is his endless positivity, and eagerness to always do better. He is a fantastic designer and a natural team player. His energy keeps everyone motivated and happy.”
“Professional, autonomous, highly skilled digital product designers that’s a pleasure to work with”
“Your expertise and mature process helped drive alignment across our team, allowing us to make informed decisions faster. Your work is top notch.”
“Working with you does something most founders say they want but rarely actually do. You slow me down. My instinct is to move fast and execute. You push me to question assumptions, challenge my own biases, and make sure the decision is actually good before it’s just fast.”
“Fabio’s clear, well thought through and attractive designs enabled us to provide better products to our customers.”
What can I help you with?
From strategy to design, these are the disciplines that can help you solve your current problem.
Product Strategy
A direction the team can build to
Product Design
Craft to the highest level
Product Leadership
Holding the design team direction
Design System
Building blocks for scale
Agentic Design
AI native design process
Questions worth answering
What does a senior product designer actually do?
I work on design in its full form. What a product is for, who it is for, and the decisions it should never have to make twice. Sometimes that means shaping product decisions alongside your team. Sometimes it means designing the product itself. Always direction first.
Do you only design, or do you help decide what to build?
Both. I help work out what is worth building when the direction is fuzzy, and I design and ship it when the direction is settled. Often in the same engagement.
Who do you work with?
Most often founders, CEOs, CTOs, product managers and design leaders who are moving fast but feel the product is not landing the way it should.
If AI can build anything, why do I need a designer?
Because output is not a considered product. Building is nearly free now. Knowing what is worth building is not, and neither is the craft that makes people trust what you shipped. That is where the work sits.
Do you replace my design team?
No. I work alongside them. I make a capable team better by giving them direction they can build to and a system they can move fast in, not another layer above them.
How do you work with engineers?
Closely, and it is the part I care most about. Most design work creates friction for engineering. Mine is built to remove it. Components are structured to survive real edge cases, so what I hand over is ready to build rather than a request for someone else to figure out.
Why does a design system matter?
Because complexity belongs in the structure, not on the screen. A system is what lets a product stay simple as it grows, and it is what makes design arrive ready to build instead of arriving as a request.
Do you work with our existing design system, or start fresh?
Whichever serves the product. If you have a system, I work in it and strengthen it where it is thin. If you do not, I build one as the work goes, so it earns its place instead of arriving as an upfront project nobody asked for.
How do engagements work?
It starts with a call, no commitment. After that we agree the scope in plain terms and work month to month. You bring me in when the work needs it rather than carrying a seat you do not need.
How do I know it is working?
By what changes in the first few months. Briefs stop arriving unquestioned, the team makes calls without waiting on you, and the work that ships looks like what you meant. If none of that is moving, say so and we stop.
What do I get out of a first call?
A clearer read on what the real problem is and a next move you can act on. No deck, no template. If I am not the right person for it, I will tell you on the call.
How do we start?
Book a call. We talk through what you are building and where it is not landing, and decide whether working together makes sense. No deck, no template.
