Human-Centered Design
The HCDX is a founder-led, Maryland-based boutique UX consulting firm offering human-centered design, research, accessibility, and prototyping services to fintech, healthtech, govtech, and women-owned business clients via project-based and retainer engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersCatonsville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Human-Centered Design does
The HCD Experience (operating as The HCDX) is a founder-led, boutique human-centered design consulting firm headquartered in Catonsville, Maryland. Founded in 2023 by Evan Katz, a former Director of Human-Centered Design at Sparksoft Corporation, the firm sells project-based UX strategy, research, prototyping, and accessibility services to organizations in fintech, healthtech, and govtech, as well as women-owned businesses. Its service catalog is structured as a progressive engagement path: a 1–2 week Digital Experience Assessment ($3,500–$7,500), a 2-week fixed-price De-Risk Audit ($2,500 limited launch rate), an MVP-in-3 build-and-launch package, and an ongoing Product & Experience Partner retainer, alongside a specialized Women Entrepreneurs Program.
The firm's underlying methodology is a six-stage Human-Centered Design process (Discover, Design, Prototype, Validate, Launch, Improve) implemented with Figma wireframes, code-based HTML/CSS/JavaScript prototypes, and validation through Maze and UserTesting, with explicit WCAG and Section 508 accessibility review as a core deliverable. The firm operates as a fully remote, 1–10 employee professional services business with a founder-led direct sales motion (30-minute discovery call followed by a tailored proposal) and content-driven lead generation via LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and an Insights blog.
The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; pricing is project-based with discovery-call-driven scope definition. Notable prior-client logos carried by the founder include IRS, CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), CareFirst, and T. Rowe Price, and a current startup client (CraftUs) provides a public testimonial.
Human-Centered Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Human-Centered Design
- Legal name
- The HCD Experience
- Website
- https://thehcdx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The HCDX is a founder-led, Maryland-based boutique UX consulting firm offering human-centered design, research, accessibility, and prototyping services to fintech, healthtech, govtech, and women-owned business clients via project-based and retainer engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Human-Centered Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- UX Design Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro industry
- Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design
Keywords
Where Human-Centered Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Catonsville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Human-Centered Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Experience Assessment: Project-based consulting engagement delivering a comprehensive usability and accessibility review with prioritized recommendations and interactive HTML prototype. Timeline of 1-2 weeks with investment range of $3,500-$7,500.
- De-Risk Audit: Fixed-price 2-week audit delivering UX audit report, user research summary, and prioritized fix roadmap with debrief call and 30-day Q&A support. Currently offered at limited launch rate of $2,500 (regular $3,500).
- MVP in 3: Design, validate, and launch service for organizations ready to build a better product. Project-based engagement following the HCD methodology.
- Product & Experience Partner: Ongoing strategic guidance and continuous improvement partnership for organizations seeking long-term relationship. Flexible engagement models with priority support for women-owned businesses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | De-Risk Audit at $2,500 limited launch rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Experience Assessment: $3,500-$7,500 |
| Other | — | MVP in 3 and Product & Experience Partner |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Human-Centered Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The HCDX sells human-centered design consulting engagements to organizations, structured as a progression of services: Digital Experience Assessment (1-2 week usability and accessibility audit), De-Risk Audit (2-week fixed-price validation), MVP in 3 (design-validate-launch), and ongoing Product & Experience Partner retainers. Deliverables include user research, Figma wireframes, interactive HTML prototypes, usability testing, WCAG/Section 508 accessibility reviews, and prioritized fix roadmaps targeting fintech, healthtech, govtech, and other regulated organizations.
Product overview
The HCDX is a human-centered design consulting firm offering a portfolio of service packages organized as a clear progression path: Digital Experience Assessment (identify problems), The De-Risk Audit (validate direction), MVP in 3 (build and launch), and Product & Experience Partner (ongoing optimization). The company follows a six-stage HCD process methodology—Discover, Design, Prototype, Validate, Launch, and Improve—applying user research, rapid prototyping, and usability testing. Additional offerings include insights/case studies content and a specialized Women Entrepreneurs Program providing priority support and flexible engagement models for women-owned businesses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digital Experience Assessment A 1-2 week engagement priced at $3,500-$7,500 that delivers a comprehensive usability review, WCAG/Section 508 accessibility evaluation, performance and SEO review, executive summary, prioritized recommendations, and an interactive HTML redesign prototype for organizations seeking to diagnose and fix digital experience issues.
- The De-Risk Audit A 2-week fixed-price audit at $2,500 (limited launch rate) that delivers a UX audit report with severity ratings, user research validation, a prioritized fix roadmap, a live debrief call, and 30 days of Q&A support for teams planning a redesign or new feature who need to validate direction before committing significant development resources.
- MVP in 3 A custom-priced project-based service following the HCD methodology that guides organizations through the full product development cycle from concept to launch, including user research, prototyping, usability testing, and launch support for teams ready to build a validated product.
- Product & Experience Partner An ongoing partnership engagement providing continuous strategic guidance, experience optimization, and iterative improvement for organizations seeking a long-term relationship with flexible engagement models and priority support for women-owned businesses.
- Women Entrepreneurs Program A specialized offering for women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses providing priority support, flexible engagement models, and founder validation sessions to help validate ideas and strengthen products before major investment in development, marketing, or launch.
Quantifiable outcome
- Increases adoption from 10% to 97% through research-first strategy and validated design
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Human-Centered Design
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Human-Centered Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Human-Centered Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Human-Centered Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Huge: Digital product and experience design agency that builds websites, apps, and services for large enterprise and consumer brands. Highly comparable to The HCDX in deliverable mix (UX research, prototyping, design) and target client verticals.
- Cooper (Cooper Professional Education): UX consulting firm founded by Alan Cooper that originated interaction design and persona-driven methods. Comparable to The HCDX in its human-centered design methodology and enterprise UX consulting focus.
- Work & Co: Digital product agency that designs, prototypes, and builds digital experiences for major brands. Directly comparable to The HCDX in combining UX research, prototyping, and front-end development for enterprise clients.
- Smart Design: Independent design consultancy that combines strategy, research, and digital product design. Comparable to The HCDX in offering human-centered design and digital product engagements for enterprise and government clients.
- Ustwo (studio): Digital product studio focused on human-centered design and app development. Comparable to The HCDX in methodology, project-based engagement model, and emphasis on accessible, user-validated experiences.
- RKS Design: Independent design and innovation consultancy providing human-centered design, UX research, and product design services. Comparable to The HCDX in boutique positioning and methodology-led engagements for enterprise clients.
- Method (now EPAM): Global design and engineering consultancy focused on customer experience and digital product design. Comparable to The HCDX in delivering research-driven UX and design services for large enterprises, now part of a larger services platform.
Broad incumbents
- Deloitte Digital: Large digital consulting arm of Deloitte that offers UX, design, and technology services to regulated enterprises and government agencies. Comparable to The HCDX in servicing fintech, healthtech, and govtech clients but at vastly greater scale.
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy with a long-standing reputation for human-centered design. Comparable to The HCDX in methodology and client categories but operates at far greater scale with a broader service portfolio.
- Frog Design (now part of Capgemini Invent): Long-established design and strategy firm specializing in human-centered design and digital product innovation. Directly comparable to The HCDX in service offering, with a much larger global footprint and enterprise client base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Human-Centered Design social profiles
Digital presenceHuman-Centered Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Human-Centered Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Human-Centered Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Human-Centered Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Human-Centered Design
What does Human-Centered Design do?
The HCDX sells human-centered design consulting engagements to organizations, structured as a progression of services: Digital Experience Assessment (1-2 week usability and accessibility audit), De-Risk Audit (2-week fixed-price validation), MVP in 3 (design-validate-launch), and ongoing Product & Experience Partner retainers. Deliverables include user research, Figma wireframes, interactive HTML prototypes, usability testing, WCAG/Section 508 accessibility reviews, and prioritized fix roadmaps targeting fintech, healthtech, govtech, and other regulated organizations.
Is Human-Centered Design a public or private company?
Human-Centered Design is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Human-Centered Design founded?
Human-Centered Design was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Human-Centered Design based?
Human-Centered Design is headquartered in Catonsville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Human-Centered Design make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Digital Experience Assessment is the primary driver. The others are de-Risk Audit, MVP in 3 and product & Experience Partner.
Who are Human-Centered Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Huge, Cooper (Cooper Professional Education), Work & Co, Smart Design, Ustwo (studio), RKS Design and Method (now EPAM). Broad incumbents are Deloitte Digital, IDEO and Frog Design (now part of Capgemini Invent).
Does Human-Centered Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Human-Centered Design.
What industry is Human-Centered Design in?
Human-Centered Design's product category is UX Design Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAI, Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design. Its NAICS code is 541613 and its SIC code is 8742.