Leading design at ZERO44
iterating fast to define the edge
The Challenge
zero44 builds the carbon compliance platform for shipping, helping shipping companies comply with EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, and the Carbon Intensity Indicator — regulations that keep getting more complex and already weigh on shipping companies' costs. That's why early customers were ready to pay for a solution.
My Role
As the first in-house designer, I helped them define a 0-to-1 feature set strong enough to scale, building the design process, product, and brand at the same time. I designed and shipped 15+ features across three products.
+20% ARR growth
in the launch year
10+ contract renewals
following improvements based on customer feedback
15+ features
shipped across three products
Close collaboration with engineering for pragmatic trade-offs
Without a design team behind me, I was hands-on in feature iteration, tested designs with shipping companies, and shipped across three products — backed by a token-based design system I set up in parallel. I weighed technical feasibility directly with the engineers and negotiated workable trade-offs until solution and effort matched.
Progressive disclosure as a trust anchor for AI forecasts
Shipping companies were skeptical of the results of AI-powered forecasting. I established progressive disclosure as the UX mechanism: analyzed, recommended metrics up front, raw data always within reach behind them. That way, shipping companies didn't have to trust the numbers blindly before answering for them to regulators.
A rebrand for credibility in the market
An inconsistent presence across pitch deck, website, and marketing assets weakened the brand — compounded by the strategic shift to a global compliance suite, which called for a new visual identity. I sharpened the system of color, typography, and logo for the repositioning and designed touchpoints consistently enough for the team to apply them on their own, without design becoming a blocker.
Outcome
A startup with little traction gained a design function that carried product, process, and brand at the same time. The result: 20% ARR growth, noticeably higher customer satisfaction on new contracts, and processes automated far enough that I could move on to new areas.