Cut The Design Crap — Career Strategy for Real Designers

Your UX career
deserves
straight talk.

No fluff. No generic advice. No more wondering why your resume isn't landing. We give product designers at every level the honest feedback and real strategy to get — and keep — the right roles.

Get Career Help → Hire Design Talent
34yrs
Combined Experience
100%
No-BS Approach
16+
Designers Coached
AI-ready
Strategy Included
Resume Reviews ✦ Portfolio Audits ✦ Career Coaching ✦ LinkedIn Optimization ✦ Design Recruiting ✦ Interview Prep ✦ AI-Ready Strategy ✦ Workshops & Seminars ✦ Resume Reviews ✦ Portfolio Audits ✦ Career Coaching ✦ LinkedIn Optimization ✦ Design Recruiting ✦ Interview Prep ✦ AI-Ready Strategy ✦ Workshops & Seminars ✦
The Reality Check
01 /
Your resume never reaches a human. ATS systems are filtering you out before a recruiter sees your name — and most designers have no idea why.
02 /
Your portfolio looks like everyone else's. Bootcamp graduates and senior designers are presenting the same case study templates. You need to stand out.
03 /
AI is reshaping what "designer" means. The skills and positioning that worked in 2021 aren't what's getting people hired in 2025. Most career advice hasn't caught up.
04 /
Generic advice isn't working. YouTube tutorials and bootcamp career services give everyone the same feedback. You need personalized, expert-level direction.
The UX job market is brutal right now. But it's not hopeless.

Thousands of designers are unemployed — and thousands of organizations can't find the right talent. The gap isn't skill. It's positioning, presentation, and strategy. That's exactly what we fix.

What We Do

Services That Actually Move
Your Career Forward

📄
Resume Review
Deep-dive audit of your resume with ATS optimization, impact statement rewriting, and hiring audience targeting. Written feedback within 5 business days.
$149 / written review
  • ATS keyword optimization
  • Impact statement rewrites
  • Hiring audience recommendations
  • 3-page analysis + action plan
Book Resume Review
Most Popular
🚀
Career Accelerator Package
The full treatment. Resume + portfolio + LinkedIn reviewed together with a custom job search strategy and role recommendations tailored to where you are now.
$499 / full package
  • Resume + portfolio + LinkedIn
  • Custom job search strategy
  • Handpicked role recommendations
  • 60-min live strategy session
  • 5–7 business day turnaround
Book Full Package
💼
Portfolio Review
Case study analysis, storytelling evaluation, and visual presentation feedback. Score + priority improvements to make your portfolio stand out immediately.
$199 / written review
  • Case study structure analysis
  • Storytelling & impact feedback
  • Visual presentation notes
  • Score + 3 priority action items
Book Portfolio Review
🎯
1:1 Coaching Bundle
Three 90-minute sessions tailored to your specific situation — whether it's interview prep, career pivots, salary negotiation, or breaking into a new specialty.
$499 / 3 sessions
  • 3 × 90-min live sessions
  • Mock interviews + feedback
  • Custom action plan per session
  • Follow-up resources included
Book Coaching Bundle
Free Discovery Call
Not sure which service fits? 20 minutes, no pressure.
Schedule →
🏆
Revision Guarantee
Unlimited revisions until your materials are job-ready. No exceptions.
Find, Hire, and Develop the Right Design Talent
Building a product design team is harder than it looks. Cultural fit, AI readiness, seniority calibration — most recruiting processes don't evaluate what actually predicts success. With 34 years of combined design leadership experience, we do.
Design Recruiting & Resourcing
Full-time or consulting placement. We evaluate cultural fit, AI collaboration skills, and technical depth — not just portfolios. We find designers who'll actually thrive in your environment.
Team Coaching & Mentoring
Elevate your existing design team. We run workshops, 1:1 mentoring programs, and skills development for designers at all levels — from junior to principal.
AI Readiness Assessment
Understand where your team stands on AI-augmented design workflows and what it'll take to stay competitive. Includes recommendations and a 90-day roadmap.
Let's Talk About Your Team →
Why work with us
Years combined experience 34+
Design disciplines covered UX · UI · Product
Market understanding Both sides
Approach No-BS
Pricing
B2B services are priced based on scope and engagement type. Recruiting engagements are typically structured as a placement fee. Coaching retainers are monthly or project-based.

Book a 30-min consultation to discuss your needs and get a custom proposal.
Keren Wolfovitz
Keren Wolfovitz
Co-Founder · 14+ Years in UX & Product
Keren has worked across startups and enterprise products, with deep expertise in design systems, user research, and building design culture within organizations. She knows what teams are really looking for when they hire.
Allanna Harris
Allanna Harris
Co-Founder · 20+ Years in UX & Design Strategy
Allanna has led product design at the enterprise level across financial services, healthcare, and technology. She brings hard-won perspective on what actually gets designers hired — and what holds them back.
Who We Are

34 Years of Experience.
Zero Sugarcoating.

We built CTDC because we were tired of watching talented designers get passed over for reasons that were completely fixable. Generic bootcamp advice. Resume templates that look like everyone else's. Portfolios with no story. LinkedIn profiles that say nothing.

We've been on the hiring side. We've reviewed thousands of applications. We know exactly what makes a recruiter stop scrolling — and what makes them close the tab.

Our approach is direct, practical, and specific to where the market is right now — not where it was three years ago.

Enterprise UX Leadership Design Recruiting AI-Augmented Workflows Financial Services Startup & Scale-up Design Systems
🏆
Our Guarantee
Every review includes unlimited revisions until you're confident your materials are job-ready. If you implement our recommendations and don't land interviews within 90 days, your next session is on us.
How It Works

From First Call to Job-Ready
in Under Two Weeks

A clear, structured process — no ambiguity, no waiting around wondering what happens next.

01
Day 1
Free Discovery Call
20 minutes. We assess your situation, identify the gaps, and recommend the right service — no pressure.
02
Day 1–2
Submit Your Materials
Send us your resume, portfolio link, and LinkedIn URL. We review everything before we write a single word of feedback.
03
Day 3–7
Deep-Dive Review
We deliver a detailed 3-page analysis with scoring, specific rewrites, and a prioritized action plan. Not templates — real feedback.
04
Day 7–10
Live Strategy Session
For Full Package clients: a 60-minute session to walk through feedback, answer questions, and build your targeting strategy together.
05
Ongoing
Revisions & Support
Unlimited revisions until your materials are job-ready. Implement, iterate, and reach back out. We don't disappear after delivery.
Proof It Works

What Our Clients Say

The resume feedback alone changed everything. I'd been applying for four months with no callbacks. Within two weeks of implementing the changes, I had three interviews lined up. Allanna doesn't waste your time — she tells you exactly what's wrong and how to fix it.

JM
J. Mitchell
UX Designer · Landed a role at a fintech startup

I came in thinking my portfolio was solid. CTDC helped me see it through the eyes of a hiring manager for the first time. The feedback was specific, actionable, and honest in a way that no mentor or peer had ever been. Worth every dollar.

SR
S. Reyes
Product Designer · Transitioned from graphic design

I was transitioning from a non-design background and had no idea how to position myself. The Career Accelerator Package gave me a clear story, a targeted resume, and a list of specific roles to go after. I felt like I finally had a plan.

TK
T. Kim
UX Researcher · Career changer, now at a healthcare tech co.
From The Blog

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Designing a Career When the World Won't Sit Still
Newsletter Mar 2026
Designing a Career When the World Won't Sit Still
How to stay strategic about your UX career when the market keeps shifting under your feet.
Read on LinkedIn →
How to Lose Great Candidates in 10 Interviews or More
Article Jan 2026
How to Lose Great Candidates in 10 Interviews or More
A candid look at the hiring mistakes organizations keep making — and how to stop losing top design talent.
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Get In Touch

Your next role is closer than you think.

Start with a free 20-minute discovery call. Tell us where you are and what you're working toward — we'll tell you exactly what's holding you back and what to do about it.

📄
Resume & Portfolio Reviews
Written feedback within 5 business days
🎯
1:1 Coaching & Career Strategy
Personalized sessions for your specific situation
🏢
Organization & Recruiting Inquiries
Design talent placement & team coaching