Blog

Notes from the studio.

Insights on design, development, and building fixed-price products — from the FirstRay team.

Process

How to Write a Project Brief in 30 Minutes

Five questions, one page. The fastest way to an accurate scope and a real launch date.

Branding

What Should a Brand Kit Actually Include?

A logo file isn't a brand. What a small business needs on day one, and what can wait.

A woman with brown hair, wearing a yellow shirt and black pants, stands facing a large digital screen resembling a smartphone, surrounded by floating app interfaces and charts, against a gray background with minimalistic decor including a small table, easels, and a potted plant.
Studio

Do I Need a Full Product Redesign or Just Better UX?

Is your product really in need of a full redesign? Learn how to identify UX problems, when to improve existing screens, and when a complete product redesign makes sense.

Illustration of four people collaborating in an office with orange walls, a desk with two monitors, sketches and charts pinned on the wall, and potted plants, with a FirstRay logo in the top left corner.
Studio

Freelancer vs Agency vs Productized Studio

An honest comparison, including when FirstRay is the wrong choice.

Illustration of a man holding a tablet and a woman pointing at a large computer screen displaying a dashboard with analytics and data, surrounded by abstract leaves and floating icons like a paper plane, sun, and currency symbols, with FirstRay logo in top left corner.
Packages

What's Actually in a Fixed-Price Landing Page

A clear breakdown of the Launch Page package.

Illustration of three people around a large desk calendar showing days of the week, with one person standing on the calendar raising hands beside a five-star review card, another pointing at the calendar, and the third holding papers, under the FirstRay logo.
Process

How a Fixed Launch Date Stays Fixed

What keeps a launch date on track, and the one variable that can move it.

Person typing on a laptop on their lap, with digital augmented reality style financial charts and user interface elements floating above the keyboard, showing data like market comparison, monthly transactions, transaction history, task progress, credit limit, and a button to add items to cart.
Process

How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a SaaS Dashboard?

The honest range, and the three things that actually move it.

Website header with logo 'FirstRay,' navigation links HOME, SERVICES, ABOUT, CONTACT, an iPad displaying a hiking club webpage, large text reading 'Design Template or Custom Design:', a notebook with hand-drawn web design elements, a black marker, white wireless earbuds, a cup of coffee, and footer showing privacy policy, terms, phone number, and social media icons.
Packages

Template or Custom Design: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?

A straight answer, not a sales pitch for either.

Illustration of two men interacting with a large smartphone screen showing content blocks with text, images, and a video icon, one sitting with a tablet and a speech bubble saying 'Nice', the other standing with a light bulb icon above his head.
Product UI

What Should You Look for Before Hiring Someone to Design Your App?

Four things to check before you sign anything.

A focused young woman with long red hair and a black shirt holding a pencil thoughtfully to her temple while reading an open notebook, sitting at a desk with papers and a tablet, a wall behind her covered with design sketches and wireframes.
Product UI

What Makes a Product UI Actually "Investor-Ready"?

It's not polish. It's whether the product looks like it knows what it is.