Principal design partner for visionary founders shaping tomorrow's products.
To get started,
Your On-Demand Design Partner
Better than hiring in-house. More flexible than a big agency. Light-years ahead of bottom-tier freelancer sites. We’ll move fast, stay focused, and create products people actually want to use—without the overhead or the runaround.
Discovery & strategy sprint
2-4 Weeks
For quick validation of new or pivoting ideas in healthcare, AI, IoT, or mobile apps, this short engagement combines workshops, user research, prototyping, and a strategic roadmap. You’ll leave with a validated concept, well-defined next steps, and final recommendations.
Native app deep dive
4-8 Weeks
For iOS/Android builds or redesigns, this engagement tackles guidelines, user flows, testing, and developer handoff. You’ll end with a refined mobile product shaped for scalability and user delight.
Zero-to-One MVP
8-12 Weeks
For a functional V1—be it a native app, AI-driven platform, or connected device—this 8–12 week process covers research, design sprints, testing, and pilot support. Expect a polished MVP ready for beta testing or launch, plus guidance on refinement.
Product evolution & optimization
Monthly
For a live product that demands continuous progress, this retainer covers UX audits, feature expansions, design system updates, and user feedback loops. The aim is to sustain a refined product that remains competitive in the long run.
Hold Fast Studio is the independent design practice of Kevin Korpi, a Bend Oregon-based designer, writer, and product strategist.
I've spent well over two decades obsessing about product design, working with teams at GoPro, Moment, Contour Cameras, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, plus dozens of startups and agencies across Japan and the US. My sweet spots? Hardware/software integration, AI interfaces, consumer tech, B2B apps, and health & fitness products.
I've tackled everything from 0-1 products to refining experiences used by millions. What gets me excited is teaming up with forward-thinking folks to build stuff that matters. To me, design isn't some mysterious art—it's about solid collaboration and getting things done.
Whether you're sketching ideas on napkins or innovating at enterprise scale, I bring a practical, hands-on approach. Having worked from Tokyo to SF to Seattle to the mountains near Bend, OR, I'm comfortable jumping into any team setup.
Bonus points if your're working on:
Health & Wellness
Connected Hardware
Gen A.I.
Maps
Years working with founders, agencies, and enterprise teams.
Startups, agencies, and Fortune100 companies partnered with.
Customers have used products I've helped manage, design, & build.
"With a discerning eye for detail and commitment to excellence, Kevin consistently pushes the limits of product development, while simultaneously driving the process forward, unearthing numerous avenues for enhancing team dynamics and business efficacy. Kevin is a valuable asset to the world of product development, and his contributions to GoPro and the field of UX are elevated having worked with him."
Principal Designer, Cameras & Hardware, GoPro
"Kevin was a critical asset in the relaunch of Google Fonts. He worked as the lead product designer collaborating with Research, Engineering, and Product under tight deadlines. His work was high quality and always on time. Although Kevin was remote, he had tremendous impact as the design lead and strategist. Our launch would not have been possible without Kevin's ability to quickly ramp up and fit into the existing team."
Director of UX, Google Material Fonts & Icons
"We hired Kevin to help with product incubation and future roadmap articulation. He delivered consistently with great quality and with a great attitude! I'd recommend Kevin without hesitation for his natural product acumen and collaborative approach."
Wearables Design Lead, Google Pixel
"If I were starting a company and needed a kick-ass designer, Kevin would be the first person I’d call. I was especially impressed with how creative and thorough Kevin is in his design work. One of the best designers I’ve worked with at Google."
Director of PRoduct Management, GOogle
"Kevin brought maturity, perspective, and passion to evolving our software and hardware products at Katalyst. In addition to refining our design language, he revamped our onboarding experience. What I appreciated most was Kevin's end-to-end thinking, mapping out the user journey from when they see our product from the first time to completing their first workout."
VP of Product, Katalyst Fitness
"Kevin embodies leadership by example, inspiring trust and creating a culture of opportunity and vision. He provides the means to execute and the just-right structure for people, across disciplines and organizations, to generate fresh ideas and unlock complex puzzles. Kevin’s his sense of business and his humanity make him a first class organizational leader, designer and mentor to many."
Senior UX Manager, Google Cloud
"Working with Kevin is not only fun but you get to experience how world class products are being built today. I'd recommend Kevin to any company that requires top notch Design and Product direction. Kevin brings professionalism, quality and efficient communication to every interaction. A total pleasure to work with him."
Founder & CTO, Empirical LLC
"Kevin really is one of the most gifted creative talents in the business. While working together Kevin's vision in creative consulting working directly with clients and leading a large bi-lingual design team helped us win multiple global projects. Kevin's keen sense of design and ability to deliver under pressure can really go unmatched."
VP, Renaissance Japan