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Irene Made, LLC is a full-service functional design firm that provides on-demand, high-level creative and product expertise on a fractional or project basis. We help organizations solve complex problems through thoughtful design—offering services that span graphic design, web design, UX/UI, product strategy, and brand development. By embedding experienced design leadership exactly where it’s needed, we enable teams to move faster, make smarter decisions, and build products that work in the real world.

 

We partner with government agencies and small to mid-sized businesses across a range of industries to bring clarity to complex digital systems. Our work focuses on aligning research, service design, and interface architecture to create intuitive, scalable solutions. Whether modernizing legacy platforms, designing new digital services, or refining brand and product experiences, Irene Made helps organizations translate ideas into purposeful, usable products. We also support teams in identifying and implementing efficient software stacks and workflow solutions that streamline operations and improve productivity.

 

Irene Made was founded by Irene Szakolcai, a multidisciplinary designer with more than a decade of experience across both the public and private sectors. Her work spans enterprise UX architecture, service design, product design, and visual communication. Irene’s approach combines analytical thinking with creative problem-solving, allowing her to design systems, interfaces, and visual languages that not only look polished—but function effectively under real-world conditions. Through Irene Made, she partners with organizations to deliver design solutions that bring structure to complexity and transform how people interact with technology.

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About

4. Proposal & Scope Definition

A tailored proposal is prepared outlining:

  • project objectives

  • scope of work

  • deliverables

  • timeline

  • engagement structure

  • pricing model

 

Clients receive a clear understanding of what will be delivered and how the work will unfold.

3. Project Assessment

Following the consultation, Irene Made reviews the information gathered and evaluates:

  • project scope

  • technical and design complexity

  • required research or discovery

  • estimated timeline and engagement model

 

At this stage, the engagement is framed as either:

• Fractional Design Leadership (ongoing support)
• Project-Based Design Engagement
• UX / Product Design Consulting

2. Discovery Consultation

A 30–45 minute consultation is scheduled to explore the project in more detail. This conversation focuses on the business problem rather than jumping directly to solutions.

Topics typically include:

  • the current system, product, or workflow

  • users and audiences

  • operational constraints

  • success metrics

  • technical environment

This conversation helps clarify whether the project requires design execution, strategic design leadership, or service design analysis.

Client Intake Process

1. Initial Inquiry

The relationship begins when a prospective client submits a contact form, schedules a consultation, or reaches out directly. The goal at this stage is simply to understand the nature of the request and determine whether Irene Made is the right partner.

Clients are asked to provide basic information such as:

  • organization name and industry

  • project type (UX/UI, website, branding, design strategy, etc.)

  • goals and challenges

  • timeline and budget range

  • key stakeholders

This step filters out unclear or misaligned projects before deeper conversations begin.

5. Agreement & Onboarding

Once the proposal is approved, contracts are finalized and the project moves into onboarding.

This typically includes:

  • kickoff meeting

  • stakeholder introductions

  • documentation access

  • tool setup (Figma, Notion, Slack, etc.)

  • timeline confirmation

 

At this point the engagement formally begins.

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