How We Built Studio Lab (With AI, Heart, and a Van Full of Designers)
- bradyux
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
By Brady Starr
Studio Lab started with a problem — or rather, two.
Early-stage founders needed design help, fast. But they couldn’t afford a full agency.
New UX designers needed real work experience. But they couldn’t get hired without it.
Studio Lab is how we fixed both problems.
A fast, $2K UX sprint led by Brady UX. Built for early-stage products that exist — but need real design love. And powered by a new model that pairs senior leadership with rising designers.
But this isn’t a story about pricing models or service tiers.
This is the full story — including how I worked with ChatGPT and Lovable to design, build, and launch Studio Lab in a few focused days. It’s a story about the why, the how, and the future we’re building for UX.
Why We Built It
There are plenty of reasons. But let’s name the biggest ones:
1. Founders are shipping too soon, skipping UX entirely.
And not because they don’t care — they’re just overwhelmed. The result? Onboarding flows that confuse users. Dashboards that don’t work on mobile. MVPs that stall before launch.
2. Talented new designers are stuck.
They finish a bootcamp, build a few capstones, and… that’s it. No one will hire them without “real” experience. But no one gives them real experience because they haven’t been hired yet.
Studio Lab breaks that cycle.
3. UX isn’t just for the rich.
We believe good UX should be accessible to scrappy teams, solo builders, and first-time founders — not just big-budget enterprise products.
4. AI makes this possible.
We use AI to move faster: summarizing user tests, generating UX copy variants, exploring flows, and even prototyping. But always under human guidance.
How We Built It (With AI + Heart)
Studio Lab wasn’t built in a vacuum. It was sculpted in conversation — mostly between me (Brady) and ChatGPT, who functioned more like a creative collaborator than a tool.
We didn’t just write copy. We designed a brand, built an identity, and told a story.
Step 1: The Prompt That Started It All
We used ChatGPT 4o's AI-powered visual tool, to generate the core illustrations for the site. Not just generic avatars — but our characters, our story, our vibe.
I wrote this prompt (with ChatGPT’s help):
“A digital illustration in bold comic style. The Brady UX team arrives in a van, energetic and excited. They’re stepping out ready to help a founder. No branding or text. Horizontal layout, transparent background. Designed for a dark theme site.”
And we kept going:
A frantic founder at his laptop, surrounded by sticky notes
The Studio Lab team helping him get clarity
Urban environments that frame the story like a graphic novel
Stylized elements like fire hydrants and signs, designed to feel like comic panels
We even had characters wear the same outfits throughout the site to keep visual continuity — because that’s what real design systems do.
Step 2: The Site: lab.bradyux.com
Lovable handled the design. I handled the narrative. ChatGPT helped generate pricing sections, prompts for collapsible info tabs, and even layout structure:
A collapsible pricing section showing real quotes from past jobs
Info blocks for who Studio Lab is (and isn’t) for
Button CTAs (“Book Your Sprint” / “Apply Now →”)
A modular layout that evolves as the user scrolls
We even created subtle visual cues, like dividing the story into comic-style moments — team arriving, founder struggling, team helping — all without ever using video or UI walkthroughs. Just illustration and storytelling.
Step 3: Keeping it Honest
We were intentional about what this isn't:
It’s not for idea-stage startups
It’s not branding-only
It’s not free (but it's accessible)
It’s product UX. It’s fast. It’s intentional. It’s mentorship and clarity in a box.
What You Get for $2,000
This is where people ask, “Wait, what’s actually included?”
We made it simple:
2-week sprint
Audit + redesign of 1–2 key flows (onboarding, dashboard, etc.)
Led by a senior designer (me)
Executed by a vetted up-and-comer
Delivered in Figma, dev-ready
Optional: user testing add-on ($100/user)
We also made the fine print easy to find — hidden in a collapsible “What’s Included” tab, but obvious enough to expand.
Our Pricing Model Beyond Studio Lab
We kept it real:
Studio Lab: $2K UI-focused monthly retainer: $6K UX Research–heavy engagements: $8K+ Consulting sessions: $350/hour Full app design (like 1st90): up to $70K, with pricing scoped per phase
Our average hourly rate is around $120/hr, but we prefer fixed scopes where possible.
What We Learned
Design doesn’t start with tools — it starts with intent. Every visual was in service of the story.
AI isn’t a replacement. It’s an accelerant. I used ChatGPT to clarify ideas, iterate faster, and keep myself moving.
Lovable works better when you know what you want. I trained ChatGPT to speak “Lovable” fluently. We generated art direction-level prompts to get the results we needed.
Founders don’t always know they need UX. That’s why the messaging had to shift from “Do you need UX?” to “Do your users feel stuck?” or “Is your product confusing people?”
We’re not an agency with a huge team. Right now, it’s me, my co-founder Olya, and a bench of rising talent we’re mentoring.
Want In?
If you're a founder with a live product — and no idea why users aren't converting — Studio Lab might be your jam.
Or if you're a new designer looking to get real projects under your belt, we’re growing our bench.
👉 Check it out: lab.bradyux.com 💬 Want to talk first? bradyux.com/meet
Written by Brady Starr + ChatGPT Built with Lovable.dev Powered by questions, curiosity, and too much cold brew ☕✨
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