A Design Methodology

Perception-First
Design

A psychology-backed methodology that closes the gap between how your product works and how customers perceive it.

$1M → $5M. Same product. Different perception.

Nobody is thinking
about your website.

Your visitors aren't evaluating your design. They're not reading your copy. They're pattern-matching, filtering, deciding — all before conscious thought kicks in.

250 milliseconds. That's how long the brain takes to form a first impression. Your site is being judged by cognitive processes your visitors can't articulate and you can't see.

That's the gap Perception-First Design closes.

L5 Decision Architecture
L4 Perception Bias
L3 Processing Fluency
L2 First Impression
L1 Cognitive Load
Read the methodology →
Results
$1M → $5M

10 months of perception work — repositioned “tablets” as “smart home decor.” Revenue followed within the year. Brand system, packaging, web. 4-year partnership, Disney licensing, Costco pallet placement.

“233% year-over-year growth. Stefan’s design work was the foundation for all of it.”
— Simply Smart Home
$1.5M → $5.5M

5-year embedded partnership, Vacuum Sealers Unlimited. Revenue compounded over 2–3 years — no redesign, no relaunch. Just sustained perception optimization. Same infrastructure, same person.

“The website Stefan built me helped put my 3 boys through college.”
— Lisa Bilotta, Owner
50% → 75%

Ticket conversion, iO Theater. Redesigned booking UX for a 40-year Chicago improv institution.

"Stefan made our site in half the time, and even better looking than the agency we hired before him."
— Steven Plock, iO Theater

The methodology transfers. Four practitioners who internalized these principles — independently, in their own fields, in their own language.

Tyler Ross

Co-originator · Improv & Standup · Chicago

Co-developed the analytical practice that became PFD through years of improv and standup in Chicago. Took the same principles and built two businesses — one passive, one production company.

Put On Events Motive LA
“Stefan and I spent years breaking down why things land. I took those principles and built two businesses on them. He turned them into a science.”

Kristen Lundberg

Commercial actress, Six Flags spokesperson. 15+ years applying perception principles to casting, auditions, and brand work.

kristenlundberg.com →

Quinn Wilson

Commercial director and filmmaker. Portfolio site opened doors to directing commercials in Mexico and his first film.

quinnwilsonfilm.com →

Jeremy Novy

Street artist and muralist. From chasing commissions to a Palm Springs studio, turning down work he doesn’t want.

jeremynovystencils.com →

Retail placement & licensing

Costco Walmart Target Amazon Disney Kohl's Staples Wayfair
Services

Design, development, and infrastructure — one practitioner, one methodology, one bill.

Growth Infrastructure

$600/mo

You stop thinking about your website. It just works.

Managed hosting, performance monitoring, security updates, and ongoing optimization. When something needs attention, it's handled before you notice.

  • Hosting + daily backups
  • Security monitoring + updates
  • Performance optimization
  • 15-minute response, 7 days

Month-to-month. Cancel anytime.

Both tiers include a human who picks up the phone. See full service details →

Can’t I just use Squarespace / Wix / AI tools?

Sure. Try it. I mean that genuinely — go build something with the tools available. They’re good. They’ll get you 80% of the way to something that looks like a website. That last 20% is the difference between a site people visit and a site that produces outcomes. You’re reading about it.

What platforms do you support?

WordPress and WooCommerce. If your site runs on something else, I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help or if you need someone else.

What if I want to leave?

Your data, your domain, your content — always. No hostage situations.

Is there a contract?

Month-to-month. 30-day notice. No lock-in.

Let’s talk.

I respond within 24 hours. If it’s urgent, say so.