Enterprise buyers evaluating your web product are navigating it without your guidance, and what they experience in those first minutes shapes their entire purchase decision. Technical partners reviewing your platform for integration are forming judgments about architecture quality from the UI before they read your documentation. Investors assessing your product team's execution are reading the design system for signals of scalability. We build UI/UX design systems and web product experiences for climate and deep-tech companies that work specifically for each of those evaluators, turning what used to require a demo tour into an experience that communicates value on its own.
From early-stage user research to full design system builds, we handle the full UX stack for climate and deep-tech startups.
We conduct user interviews, stakeholder research, competitive studies, and journey mapping to ground design decisions in how your actual users think and make choices. For climate and deep-tech products, this often means researching technical and non-technical audiences who interact with the same platform in very different ways.
We build scalable design systems and component libraries that keep your product visually and functionally consistent as it grows. Each component is built to be production-ready, with states, variants, and documentation that your engineering team can implement directly without back-and-forth.
We build interactive prototypes to validate product logic and user flows before development begins. For technically complex tools, this step surfaces friction points early, which reduces rework and keeps engineering time focused on building rather than correcting.
From rough sketches to detailed wireframes, we map out how information is organized and how users move through the product. This is where we define content hierarchy, navigation logic, and the structural decisions that make complex workflows feel manageable to the people using them.
A well-structured design system is the foundation for scaling your product without accumulating design debt. We set up token-based systems covering typography, color, spacing, and component behavior, with guidelines clear enough that your team can follow them independently as the product evolves.
We build to WCAG 2.1 AA standards by default, covering contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and semantic structure. For products serving government buyers or regulated industries, accessibility is a procurement requirement, and we treat it as a foundational part of the design process rather than a final check.
Climate and deep-tech products are inherently complex, but that complexity shouldn't be a barrier to adoption. When users take too long to reach value, or when enterprise buyers can't understand what a product does without a lengthy demo, the issue is rarely the technology itself; it's the product experience. What if design builds UX systems for technical products that reduce activation friction, support multi-user environments, and create flows that are clear to both engineers and non-technical decision makers, so your product can close deals and scale without the UX becoming the bottleneck.
From seed-stage climate tech startups to Series B deep-tech companies, we have designed product experiences that shortened sales cycles, accelerated user adoption, and supported multiple investment rounds.
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The team at What if Design was nimble, thoughtful and flexible. Their design process forced us to reflect and rethink our corporate strategy. They brought the company messaging to the forefront and accurately translated our vision to creatively visualize our deeply scientific work."
"What If’s team did a great job learning our technology on a razor-tight deadline. They helped transform our complex interconnection process into clear, resonant visuals and messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences."
"What if Design's leadership on our brand redesign was a dream. Their team worked as an extension of our mission, embodied our values, and then expanded upon our vision with ease. Our static, version 101 website was transformed into a full brand identity - professional, creative, and human."
"Before What If, we were relying on developers for design work — it was slow and clunky. From day one, the What If team understood exactly what we were building and came with proactive ideas to improve the user flow and features, not just execute on a brief. The ease..."
"They spoke our language from day one, delivered on every commitment, and never missed a deadline. Web traffic quintupled in our first week after launch, but more than the numbers, we went from a website we wanted to hide to one we're genuinely proud to show every new stakeholder. What..."
"Working with What If Design felt like a true collaboration — flexible, responsive, and always ready to meet us where we were. Even with our ideas that weren't fully formed, they delivered a strong brand and pitch deck to show up confidently with investors and partners. That kind of adaptability..."
"I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years: brand, web, comms, you name it. Every project has its own vibe, its own momentum (or lack thereof), and its own set of hurdles.But it’s rare to find a team that just gets it... the tech, the market, the nuance...while..."
"Working with the What if Design team has been an exceptional experience. Their attention to detail and creativity exceeded our expectations. Their expert guidance was comprehensive through every aspect of the project, from aesthetics to crafting compelling copy. Their efficiency and professionalism were evident in every interaction and team's kind..."
"As a team of one, I needed partners who could match our pace. What If delivered on that completely. The speed of turnaround, the quick review cycles, the ability to iterate in near real time — that's what made the difference. Highly recommended if you're looking to move fast and..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"The old website confused people about what we actually do, but post-launch, that sort of negative feedback has completely stopped. We received a lot of positive feedback on the professionalism and the design. Our previous contact page received maybe one or two hits per week, if that. After the launch..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"We went from people saying "I have no idea what you're doing" to immediately feeling credible and put together. What If took what was in our heads and made it real, even when we couldn't fully articulate it ourselves."
"We knew it was time to reset, sharpen our focus, and build a foundation for the next stage of growth. The new website was a big part of that. What If understood the vision, spoke our design language, and actually delivered. Anyone working with them should know it's a great..."
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The team at What if Design was nimble, thoughtful and flexible. Their design process forced us to reflect and rethink our corporate strategy. They brought the company messaging to the forefront and accurately translated our vision to creatively visualize our deeply scientific work."
"What If’s team did a great job learning our technology on a razor-tight deadline. They helped transform our complex interconnection process into clear, resonant visuals and messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences."
"What if Design's leadership on our brand redesign was a dream. Their team worked as an extension of our mission, embodied our values, and then expanded upon our vision with ease. Our static, version 101 website was transformed into a full brand identity - professional, creative, and human."
"Before What If, we were relying on developers for design work — it was slow and clunky. From day one, the What If team understood exactly what we were building and came with proactive ideas to improve the user flow and features, not just execute on a brief. The ease..."
"They spoke our language from day one, delivered on every commitment, and never missed a deadline. Web traffic quintupled in our first week after launch, but more than the numbers, we went from a website we wanted to hide to one we're genuinely proud to show every new stakeholder. What..."
"Working with What If Design felt like a true collaboration — flexible, responsive, and always ready to meet us where we were. Even with our ideas that weren't fully formed, they delivered a strong brand and pitch deck to show up confidently with investors and partners. That kind of adaptability..."
"I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years: brand, web, comms, you name it. Every project has its own vibe, its own momentum (or lack thereof), and its own set of hurdles.But it’s rare to find a team that just gets it... the tech, the market, the nuance...while..."
"Working with the What if Design team has been an exceptional experience. Their attention to detail and creativity exceeded our expectations. Their expert guidance was comprehensive through every aspect of the project, from aesthetics to crafting compelling copy. Their efficiency and professionalism were evident in every interaction and team's kind..."
"As a team of one, I needed partners who could match our pace. What If delivered on that completely. The speed of turnaround, the quick review cycles, the ability to iterate in near real time — that's what made the difference. Highly recommended if you're looking to move fast and..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"The old website confused people about what we actually do, but post-launch, that sort of negative feedback has completely stopped. We received a lot of positive feedback on the professionalism and the design. Our previous contact page received maybe one or two hits per week, if that. After the launch..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"We went from people saying "I have no idea what you're doing" to immediately feeling credible and put together. What If took what was in our heads and made it real, even when we couldn't fully articulate it ourselves."
"We knew it was time to reset, sharpen our focus, and build a foundation for the next stage of growth. The new website was a big part of that. What If understood the vision, spoke our design language, and actually delivered. Anyone working with them should know it's a great..."
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The team at What if Design was nimble, thoughtful and flexible. Their design process forced us to reflect and rethink our corporate strategy. They brought the company messaging to the forefront and accurately translated our vision to creatively visualize our deeply scientific work."
"What If’s team did a great job learning our technology on a razor-tight deadline. They helped transform our complex interconnection process into clear, resonant visuals and messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences."
"What if Design's leadership on our brand redesign was a dream. Their team worked as an extension of our mission, embodied our values, and then expanded upon our vision with ease. Our static, version 101 website was transformed into a full brand identity - professional, creative, and human."
"Before What If, we were relying on developers for design work — it was slow and clunky. From day one, the What If team understood exactly what we were building and came with proactive ideas to improve the user flow and features, not just execute on a brief. The ease..."
"They spoke our language from day one, delivered on every commitment, and never missed a deadline. Web traffic quintupled in our first week after launch, but more than the numbers, we went from a website we wanted to hide to one we're genuinely proud to show every new stakeholder. What..."
"Working with What If Design felt like a true collaboration — flexible, responsive, and always ready to meet us where we were. Even with our ideas that weren't fully formed, they delivered a strong brand and pitch deck to show up confidently with investors and partners. That kind of adaptability..."
"I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years: brand, web, comms, you name it. Every project has its own vibe, its own momentum (or lack thereof), and its own set of hurdles.But it’s rare to find a team that just gets it... the tech, the market, the nuance...while..."
"Working with the What if Design team has been an exceptional experience. Their attention to detail and creativity exceeded our expectations. Their expert guidance was comprehensive through every aspect of the project, from aesthetics to crafting compelling copy. Their efficiency and professionalism were evident in every interaction and team's kind..."
"As a team of one, I needed partners who could match our pace. What If delivered on that completely. The speed of turnaround, the quick review cycles, the ability to iterate in near real time — that's what made the difference. Highly recommended if you're looking to move fast and..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"The old website confused people about what we actually do, but post-launch, that sort of negative feedback has completely stopped. We received a lot of positive feedback on the professionalism and the design. Our previous contact page received maybe one or two hits per week, if that. After the launch..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"We went from people saying "I have no idea what you're doing" to immediately feeling credible and put together. What If took what was in our heads and made it real, even when we couldn't fully articulate it ourselves."
"We knew it was time to reset, sharpen our focus, and build a foundation for the next stage of growth. The new website was a big part of that. What If understood the vision, spoke our design language, and actually delivered. Anyone working with them should know it's a great..."
A UX partner that understands your technology, your buyers, and the complexity of designing for both at the same time.
Our UX work comes from real engagements with climate tech and deep-tech startups, not generic SaaS playbooks. We have designed for products in carbon accounting, grid analytics, clean energy infrastructure, and beyond.
Every design decision is connected to a business outcome: shorter activation time, higher demo conversion, clearer sales enablement. We design to make products work better for the people who need to buy or use them.
Because we work exclusively in climate and deep-tech, onboarding is fast. We understand the technical context, the buyer landscape, and the product complexity without needing weeks of background explanation.
We work with companies building in carbon capture, grid modernization, circular economy, and energy software. That context shapes how we design, because the users, buyers, and decision-makers in these industries think and evaluate differently than in consumer tech.
Designers with deep domain knowledge in climate and deep-tech, and the experience to move fast without sacrificing strategic depth.
Akhila is the co-founder and lead strategist at What if Design. She helps climate tech companies turn complex science into brands and websites that close funding and partnerships. She has worked with teams backed by the US Department of Energy, ARPA-E, leading climate VCs across carbon capture, grid interconnection, and green hydrogen, contributing to over $105M raised. Founders trust her because she learns the science and market before designing, and translates what they build visually for effective communication.
Tejas is the co-founder and product UX lead at What if Design. He leads product and UX for software companies, designing for adoption, retention, and the metrics that drive growth. His work spans battery management systems, fleet platforms, and ESG tools, plus enterprise software for the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia. Founders trust him because he treats every screen as a business decision, not just a design problem.
Most engagements start with a focused discovery phase where we audit existing flows, map user journeys, and identify the friction points slowing down activation or adoption. From there, we move into UX strategy and wireframing, followed by high-fidelity design and a developer-ready handoff. For ongoing partnerships, we work in two-week sprints and act as an embedded design team, handling everything from new feature flows to design system updates.
We work with climate and deep-tech startups to identify the exact UX gaps slowing down user adoption, sales cycles, or activation, and address them with focused, sprint-based design work.
If users are taking too long to reach value, or your product isn't doing enough work before the first sales call, let's talk about what a focused UX engagement could change.
You can also send us a quick email at team@whatifdesign.in.
You can also send us a quick email at team@whatifdesign.in.
