Yapa’s notebook.
Notes from inside the studio: AI product design, UX audits, design systems and conversion. Written between projects, in plain English.
- How to hire a design studio: an eight step checklist for founders How to hire the right design studio for your product: eight steps founders in London and the US use to shortlist, evaluate and sign with confidence.
- Design studio vs freelancer vs in house: which one should you hire? Design studio, freelancer or in house designer? What each is best for, how cost and speed compare, and why founders choose a studio for high stakes work.
- How much does a design studio cost in 2026? A pricing guide for founders Design studio pricing in 2026: market ranges for sprints, projects and retainers in London and the US, how to compare quotes, and how Studio Yapa prices.
- AI product design: how to build AI features people trust AI product design is designing AI features around user trust. How a London studio approaches agents, copilots and AI interfaces people come back to.
- How to evaluate a design studio's portfolio: what founders miss How to judge a design studio's case studies like a hiring manager: five signals that predict great work, with real examples from Studio Yapa's portfolio.
- What is a UX audit and when should you get one? A UX audit is a structured expert review that finds where users struggle and why. What it includes, how long it takes, and how Studio Yapa runs one.
- What is a design system and why does it save you money? A design system is a shared library of components, tokens and rules that lets teams ship faster. The business case, and how Studio Yapa builds them.
- Conversion optimisation: why visitors leave and how design fixes it Conversion optimisation finds where visitors drop out and redesigns those moments. The usual causes, the fixes that work, and how Studio Yapa runs it.
