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You're not the
only one who
feels stuck.

Designed Forward is a community for designers and entrepreneurs who are done figuring it out alone. People at every stage — sharing honestly, growing together, and actually moving forward.

Join Free → See who's inside ↓
Matt presenting at a UX design workshop Matt with the design community Matt connecting with community members

A community you actually belong in.

Free
To join, always
18+
Years of real industry experience
Live
Coaching sessions every month
Career Transitions· Job Search Strategy· Portfolio Reviews· Interview Prep· Design Leadership· Salary Negotiation· Getting Unstuck· Peer Support· Personal Branding· Career Transitions· Job Search Strategy· Portfolio Reviews· Interview Prep· Design Leadership· Salary Negotiation· Getting Unstuck· Peer Support· Personal Branding·
Who's in here
People who get
what you're going through

This isn't a generic design community. Everyone here is dealing with something real — and knows what it's like to not have the right person in their corner. Until now.

🎓
The New Grad Entering a Brutal Market
Three years of school, a solid portfolio, and a job market that wasn't in the syllabus. You have the skills — you just need a strategy, and people who've been there.
"I just need someone to tell me what I'm actually missing."
🔄
The Career Changer Who Can't See the Path
You've got real-world experience and a ton to offer. But breaking into design from the outside feels like there's a door everyone else knows about that you can't find.
"I know I belong here. I just don't know how to prove it yet."
📊
The Mid-Career Designer Hitting a Ceiling
You've been doing this long enough to be good at it. But something shifted — the promotions stopped coming, the work stopped clicking, and you're not sure what the next move is.
"I'm not stuck. I'm just… not moving."
🧭
The Senior Designer Questioning Everything
You've built teams, shipped products, led rooms. And now you're asking yourself if this is still the direction you want to be heading — and what it even means to move forward from here.
"I've made it. I'm just not sure I'm in the right place."
What makes this different

Not another Slack group
that dies in 30 days.

01
The coach actually shows up
Matt is in the community — not as a chatbot, not as a ghost who drops content and disappears. Live sessions, real replies, genuine presence. You get access to the source.
Not a passive feed
02
Collaboration over competition
People here share job leads, give honest portfolio feedback, and celebrate each other's wins. No gatekeeping, no cliques, no "I figured it out — good luck figuring yours out."
Not performative networking
03
Real talk, no fluff
You'll get honest feedback, not hype. If your portfolio isn't landing, someone here will tell you why — and help you fix it. The community respects you enough to be direct.
Not a hype machine
What's inside
What's waiting for you inside
01
Group Coaching
Community+
Live Q&A & Hot Seat Sessions (2× Monthly)
Two live sessions every month. One where the community digs into real challenges together. One where Matt works directly with members — reviewing work, positioning, and next moves — with direct, honest feedback on the spot.
02
Matt AI
Community+
24/7 Access to Matt AI
Stuck at midnight figuring out your next career move? Matt AI is trained on everything Matt has built and learned through hundreds of 1:1 sessions — available whenever you need it, responding the way he would.
Early Adopter Offer Join the community now and get 1 month of Matt AI free. Limited spots available — first come, first served.
Matt AI — Live Demo
03
Community Resources
Free
Resources Built From the Community, For the Community
Resources are shaped by the real questions and challenges members bring — templates, frameworks, and breakdowns that reflect what people are actually working through. Not what a content calendar decided you should want.
04
Jobs Board
Free
Curated Opportunities Worth Your Time
Not every listing that hits the feed — the ones worth actually applying for. Real leads, not noise. And where possible, who the hiring manager or recruiter is — because knowing who to send your resume to is the golden ticket that gets you seen.
05
Peer Community
Free
People Who Are Actually Moving Forward — With You
A space to share your work, ask the honest questions you can't ask on LinkedIn, find collaborators, and get feedback from people who genuinely want to see you win. Not a lurk-and-scroll feed — an actual community.
What people say
Don't take our word for it.
★★★★★
"Matt embodies the qualities of a true leader — a rare combination of strength and humility. A guiding light in our professional journey."
Manoj Rajamani
Global UX Leader, Hitachi Energy
★★★★★
"One of the most well-rounded UX practitioners I've ever worked with. His curiosity, intelligence, and design skills are second to none."
John Burnett
Sr. UX Researcher, UKG
★★★★★
"Matt's 'no BS' approach is refreshing. He's the real deal — the kind of professional I genuinely enjoy learning from. Direct, grounded, and always pushing you toward clarity."
Nuna Baptista
Design Systems Manager, Hitachi Vantara
★★★★★
"I finally found people who get it. The community made me realise I wasn't behind — I just needed the right room."
Community Member
UX Designer, Career Changer
FAQ

Good questions deserve honest answers.

Is the free community actually free? What's the catch? +
Completely free. No credit card, no trial period, no catch. I genuinely believe in giving value first. The paid tiers exist for people who want more — but nobody is going to pressure you into them.
What can Matt AI actually help me with? +
Interview prep, resume and portfolio positioning, job search strategy, salary negotiation, career pivots — trained on 1,000+ hours of real 1:1 coaching sessions. It responds the way I would, available 24/7. Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just not sure what your next move is? Ask away.
Is this only for designers? +
Not at all. While my background is in design, I work with designers, entrepreneurs, career changers, students, and senior professionals — anyone who's done figuring it out alone. You just have to be someone who's ready to actually move forward.
How is this different from a course or a book? +
Courses give you frameworks. Books give you ideas. This gives you a real person who will look at your actual situation, tell you what they see, and help you figure out your specific next move. Plus a community of people going through it with you — that part is harder to find than it sounds.
How often is Matt actually active in the community? +
Regularly. I post, respond, and host live sessions every month. This isn't a course platform where you buy something and never hear from the creator again. I'll be there — not a ghost, not a bot.
What's the early adopter Matt AI offer about? +
For a limited time, people who join the community early will get 1 month of Matt AI access completely free. No commitment, no auto-charge. It's a thank-you for being here at the beginning. Spots are limited and it's first come, first served — so the sooner you join, the better.
Is my conversation with Matt AI private? Does it remember me? +
Your chat is not attached to you as a person — Matt AI has no memory of who you are or what you've shared. Think of it like someone who is fully present and laser-focused on helping you move forward, right up until you close the tab. The moment you do, the conversation resets completely. Fresh start, every time. No data stored, no profile built, no record kept. That's intentional. And it's also one of the reasons this community is built on a paid platform — even for free members. A proper platform means you get real infrastructure, real privacy, and a real experience. Not a cobbled-together Google Form and a Facebook Group.
Ready when you are

Your people are
already in here.

Join free. No credit card, no commitment. Just a community of designers who are moving forward — and a coach who actually shows up.

Join Free → Meet Matt →