Built a full global iGaming Design function, reduced hiring costs by 86% compared to traditional fees.

The Client Brief

As part of a wider global scale-up, a long standing client needed to establish a fully functioning design capability to support product, CRM and customer experience.

This wasn’t just about hiring designers.

They needed:

• Leadership hires to define direction
• Creative capability to deliver output
• Scalable structure to support rapid growth
  

Whilst continuing to:

• Operate across multiple regions
• Maintain consistency in brand and product experience
• And avoid fragmented hiring

The Delivery

We embedded within the business and delivered a complete design function build alongside wider hiring activity.

Over a six-month period, the team hired:

• Head of Product Design to lead the function
• Design Team Leaders to manage delivery and output
• Digital Designers across multiple regions
• Creative and specialist roles, including CRM-focused design and game design
  

Rather than treating design as a silo, hiring was aligned with:

• Product development

• CRM and retention strategy
• Customer experience

This ensured design was not just present but embedded into the core business strategy.

Let’s Talk Numbers

• 9 design hires delivered
• €66k equivalent agency fees avoided
• Half a million in staff salaries, but less than £15,000 to build it
• We saved ~85% of unnecessary agency cost for the client to build their core function

Why It Worked

Embedded delivery

Recruiters operated as a dedicated, embedded resource within the hiring team, aligning design hiring with real business needs.

Full-stack hiring approach

From leadership to execution, the entire function was built by one recruiting team.

Commercial efficiency

By avoiding percentage-based fees, the client invested in team quality rather than hiring cost overhead.

Strategic sequencing

Design capability evolved over time — from leadership through IC’s — ensuring sustainable growth.
As a result, a 9-person design function — typically costing £60k–£70k in agency fees — was delivered for under £15k, as part of a wider 90-hire global build over six months.

Looking Ahead

With a fully established design function in place, the client is now positioned to:

• Scale product and customer experience more rapidly
• Maintain consistent brand and UX across regions
• Integrate design more deeply into AI and product development