Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Design Strategists (“we”, “us”) operates https://www.designstrategists.io and matches organizations with designers for full-time, fractional and contract roles. For the data described below we act as the data controller. You can reach us at hello@designstrategists.io.

2. What we collect

If you inquire as a client

Your name, work email, company, role, company website, and the details of your request: your goals, the commitment and length you need, the salary range for permanent roles, timeline, team size, industry and your description of the challenge.

If you join as a designer

Your name, email, location, LinkedIn, seniority, years of experience, strengths, availability, hourly rate, salary expectation, your written answers, your portfolio URL (and password if you supply one), and any résumé or work sample you upload.

If you join our email list or download a resource

Your email address, optionally your first name, and which resource or page prompted the signup.

Automatically

Basic technical data such as IP address and browser type, used for security and spam prevention, plus aggregate analytics about how pages are used.

3. Why we use it

• To match clients with designers and run introductions
• To assess designers who join our network
• To respond to your inquiries
• To send the email updates you asked for
• To keep the site secure and prevent abuse

Our legal bases are your consent (marketing email, sharing your profile with clients), performance of a contract, and our legitimate interest in operating and securing the service.

4. Sharing your information

We share a designer's profile with a prospective client only with that person's consent, which we ask for when they join and again before any specific introduction. We never sell your data.

We use a small number of service providers who process data on our behalf: hosting, form storage, file storage, email delivery, calendar booking and analytics. Each is bound by contract to process data only on our instructions.

5. How long we keep it

• Client requests: three years from your last contact with us
• Designer applications: two years, so we can consider you for future requests. Ask us and we will delete them sooner
• Email list: until you unsubscribe

6. Your rights

Depending on where you live you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your data, to object to or restrict processing, and to withdraw consent at any time. Email hello@designstrategists.io and we will respond within 30 days. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.

7. Cookies

We use only what the site needs to function, plus privacy-respecting analytics that do not track you across other websites. If we ever add advertising or cross-site tracking, we will ask for your consent first.

8. Security

Data is transmitted over TLS and stored with reputable providers. Uploaded files are held in access-controlled storage. No system is perfectly secure, so please don't send us sensitive personal information you don't want stored.

9. Changes

If we make a material change we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, tell you by email.