Product Design Studio · AI, SaaS & Security

From complex
to compelling

Signal & Surface helps cybersecurity, SaaS, and AI companies transform complex workflows into clear, intuitive product experiences.

From startups building their first product to enterprise teams modernizing established platforms, we bring product strategy, UX leadership, and hands-on design execution to every engagement.

See our work → Our approach

40+

Products shipped

12yrs

Domain expertise

98%

Client retention

2,841

Active events

98.2%

Uptime

14ms

Avg response

Alert volume — last 7d

Live

Done

Step 2 of 4 — Connect your workspace

Connect your tools

Vaultline secures access across all connected services.

GitHub

Connected

Slack

Connect

Jira

Connect

Continue →

Components

Color tokens

Typography

Spacing

Buttons

Forms

Data tables

Charts

Color tokens — Brand

brand.primary

#3B6EF8 → #7C3AED

surface.base

#0B1120

Severity scale

sev.critical

#EF4444

sev.high

#FBBF24

sev.medium

#3B6EF8

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Your project here

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Behind the studio

Justin Lancaster

Founder & Principal Designer

About Signal & Surface

I've spent 16+ years designing enterprise software, cybersecurity platforms, and SaaS products — leading and shipping at Palo Alto Networks, SentinelOne, FireEye, and General Electric.

I started Signal & Surface because the best design work I've done has always been at the intersection of deep domain knowledge and hands-on craft. Today, I bring that same approach to startups and enterprise teams — product strategy, UX leadership, and design execution, without the overhead of a large agency.

LinkedIn → Portfolio →

Why clients bring me in

Deep cybersecurity expertise
16+ years building enterprise software
Player-coach leadership style
Fast AI-assisted design workflows
Proven experience scaling products from startup to enterprise

Signal & Surface exists because I've spent most of my career watching teams build powerful products that were harder to use than they needed to be. Great design isn't decoration — it's how complex products become useful, trusted, and adopted.

Services

What we build

From zero-to-one products to scaling platforms — we embed where the work is.

SaaS & Security Product Design

End-to-end design for B2B SaaS products — from early-stage flows to full design systems. We've shipped dashboards, onboarding, and core product surfaces for teams at every stage. Deep experience in security tooling and high-density data products.

B2B SaaSDashboardsSecurity Tools

Active users

Inactive

AI & Intelligent Experiences

Designing products for the next generation of software.

AI CopilotsAgent ExperiencesHuman-in-the-Loop WorkflowsExplainability & TrustAI-Powered AutomationConversational Interfaces

Design Systems

Scalable component libraries and design tokens that grow with your product. We specialise in systems for complex, data-dense interfaces — where consistency is a product requirement.

Design TokensComponent LibrariesFigma

Product Strategy

Design that thinks like a PM. We help startups connect UX decisions to business outcomes — prioritisation, roadmap input, and making sure the right things get built first.

RoadmappingUser ResearchPrioritisation

Launch & GTM Design

Brand identity, marketing sites, and pitch decks for early-stage startups. We help founders look credible on day one — so your design stops being the reason investors hesitate.

Brand IdentityMarketing SitesPitch Decks

Design Audits

A structured review of your existing product — identifying friction, drop-off points, and UX debt that's costing you activation or retention. You get a clear, prioritised action plan, not a list of opinions.

UX AuditHeuristicsConversion

Fractional Design Leadership

Senior design leadership embedded in your team — without the $250K+ full-time hire. I step in as your Fractional Head of Design to build the design org, process, and culture your product needs to scale.

Hiring & Team BuildingDesign ProcessMentorshipDesign SystemsProduct StrategyStakeholder Alignment

What you get

Design hiring & team structure

Process & rituals that stick

IC mentorship & growth plans

Product & stakeholder alignment

Part-time embedded

Flexible scope

Case Studies

Selected work

SaaS, security, and infrastructure — seed to Series B.

001

Command Center

Palo Alto Networks · Enterprise Security Platform

Product UX / Design Leadership 2024

→

002

Helix

FireEye · Cloud Security Operations Platform

Product UX / Alert Visualization 2020

→

003

Access Analyzer

Palo Alto Networks · SASE Platform · AI Integration

UX Design / Generative AI 2024

→

004

Muse Design System

FireEye · Enterprise Design System

Design System / Components 2020

→

Our Approach

How we work

Most tech products are designed for the people who build them. We design them for the people who use them.

Every engagement starts with the same question: who actually has to live with this product every day? That answer shapes everything — from how we run research to how we structure information to what we consider done.

Domain first, design second

We get fluent in your product space before we open Figma — your users, their workflows, and what failure looks like for them. We've done this in security, infrastructure, fintech, and dev tools. The depth shows in the work.

Signal over noise

Complex products drown users in data. Our job is surfacing what matters, to the right person, at the right moment. Information hierarchy isn't a design preference — it's your retention strategy.

AI-amplified, human-decided

We use Claude and Figma MCP to move 3× faster — generating directions, structuring briefs, iterating in real time. That speed advantage goes directly to you. Every decision still gets a designer's judgment.

Trust is a feature

Especially in security and fintech, how your product feels is part of what you're selling. Every onboarding flow, empty state, and error message either builds or erodes confidence. We design like it matters — because it does.

Contact

Start a project

We work with founders, product teams, and engineering-led startups who've realised that great design isn't a luxury — it's the difference between a product people adopt and love vs one they tolerate.

Delray Beach, FL & Remote worldwide

Usually respond within 24h

Ready to talk? Book a discovery call →