A designer in Spain for US startups: working across time zones

I’m Alexander Cillán, a designer and creative director based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. I’m half Spanish, half Danish, born in Tenerife, and I’ve been designing since I was 17 and working independently since 2018. Since 2021 I’ve delivered more than 2,000 projects for over 200 founders, and today I run my own design agency with a five-person crew.

Most of my clients are startups in the US. If you’re a founder there looking for a brand, product or web designer, here’s how working with someone in Spain actually goes: the time difference, the process, and what to prepare before we talk.

• Brand identity: logos, color, typography, guidelines and the assets you use every day.
• Product design: UI/UX for web apps, SaaS and mobile apps, including design systems.
• Websites: landing pages and full sites, designed and built to be fast.
• Motion and 3D: logo animations, product renders and launch videos.
• Pitch decks, packaging and merch.

You can see recent work in the case studies, like a 100+ screen redesign for an AI platform or branding and a website for a luxury watch dealer.

Mostly US startups and tech teams, in crypto, SaaS, gaming, fintech, AI and consumer tech, plus a few teams in Europe. Recent US projects include an e-commerce redesign for a New York butcher shop, the brand and app for an AI fitness startup and a 3D logo animation for an event discovery app.

Spain is on Central European Time: six hours ahead of New York and nine ahead of Los Angeles (for a few weeks in spring and autumn, when the clocks change on different dates, it’s one hour less).

• Your morning is my afternoon. That’s when calls happen, so we can talk on the same day without anyone working late.
• Work moves while you sleep. Feedback you send in the afternoon is picked up first thing in my morning, so there’s progress waiting when your day starts.
• Everything is written down. Daily updates, decisions and files live in one thread, so nobody depends on a meeting to know where things stand.

Four steps, with no guesswork:

1. Kick-off. We align on goals, scope and timeline, and I send a clear quote so everyone knows exactly what’s included.
2. Project start. Once the invoice is paid, we start straight away to keep momentum.
3. Daily check-ins. You get a short progress update or visual every day, so feedback is quick and nothing drifts.
4. Ship and refine. You receive launch-ready files, with time for a final check or tweak before we wrap.

Email replies come within 24 hours, and on Telegram, WhatsApp or Discord I usually answer in minutes during office hours.

Whether your designer is down the street or across the Atlantic, check:

• Relevant work. Projects close to yours in industry or type.
• A clear process. You should know what happens each week and when you’ll see things.
• Communication. Fast, clear replies during the project matter as much as talent, and more so across time zones.
• Ownership. Source files and full usage rights for what you pay for.
• References. Read what past clients say, or ask to speak to one.

• What you’re building and who it’s for.
• What you need: identity, product, website, motion, or a mix.
• Three brands or products you admire, and why.
• Your deadline or launch date.
• A rough budget, so I can suggest the right scope.

To plan your budget, read what drives the cost of a brand identity.