ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Primal Design - 1623 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Highland - 125 S Clark St Ste 670, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Next Sketch - Chicago, IL 60642
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Design Integrity, Inc. - 1528 W Adams St Unit 1, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Beyond Design, Inc. - 3759 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Dream to Product - 2224 Cleveland St, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• product council - 5547 N Ravenswood Ave Unit 406, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• DeviceDD - 965 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• CHOI Design Group - 852 N California Ave C1, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Hatch Product Development & Contract Manufacturing - 1200 Karl Ct, Wauconda, IL 60084, United States
• Beyond Design - 4515 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
• Clear Irons - 1811 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States

Yes. If the brief is “we’re early-stage, want to prototype fast, test UX, and iterate with the founders”, I’d bias toward a small product-design team rather than a big traditional agency.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Primal Design — best if there’s a physical/hardware component

• Literally in Fulton Market at 1623 W Fulton.
• Strong founder/product-development orientation, with industrial design, engineering, prototyping and iteration under one roof. Primal Design
• My pick if your prototype touches the physical world.
• Highland — best for digital product / SaaS

• Probably the strongest fit if you're talking about web/mobile UX rather than industrial design.
• They explicitly offer rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, wireframes, clickable prototypes and iterative usability testing. Highland Solutions Highland Solutions
• They also do actual product development, so there's less of a “here's your Figma, good luck” handoff. Highland Solutions
• Next Sketch — worth talking to for very early product work

• Chicago-based and specifically positioned around early-stage product experience, UX/UI, rapid prototyping and iterative validation.
• This is the sort of positioning I'd look for if your biggest need is turning fuzzy ideas into things you can put in front of users quickly.
• MNML — stronger if product + physical experience matters

• Fulton Market-adjacent at 170 N Sangamon.
• Much more substantial product-design capability, including UX, engineering and prototyping.
• I'd consider them if you're building something consumer-facing where the physical and digital experiences need to feel like one product.
• Design Integrity, Inc. — good West Loop option for complex products

• On W Adams, so very convenient to Fulton Market.
• More engineering/product-development oriented, but they cover user-centered research, UI, ergonomics, prototyping and iterative development.

If it's a pure software startup

I'd start with Highland + Next Sketch, and potentially add a third agency that is especially startup-oriented. The key thing I'd ask them for isn't a conventional “UX engagement”; I'd propose a 2–3 week prototype sprint:

• Week 1: founder/product immersion + user interviews + core journey
• Week 2: 2–3 competing UX concepts → clickable prototype
• Week 3: 5–10 user tests → iterate → second prototype
• Deliverable: something you can actually put in front of customers/investors/engineers, plus a prioritized product backlog

That structure will tell you very quickly whether the agency is genuinely good at learning through design versus just producing polished screens.

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, AI product, marketplace, hardware, etc.) and roughly what you want to spend, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually interview and compare their likely fit, size, location, and engagement model.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d prioritize agencies that can work in short design/prototype loops rather than a traditional UX shop that spends weeks on research and produces a big handoff.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Next Sketch — probably the closest fit for what you described. They focus on early-stage product experience, product strategy, UX/UI, prototyping, and iterative validation. Their positioning is explicitly around moving quickly from concept → prototype → feedback → iteration.

2. Highland — the stronger choice if you want UX + product strategy + eventual engineering under one roof. They explicitly offer rapid prototyping and design sprints, and describe their process as turning concepts into testable products quickly. www.highlandsolutions.com

3. MNML — especially interesting if you're building something involving hardware, consumer products, or a physical/digital experience. They're right in Fulton Market at 170 N Sangamon and combine product design, UX, engineering and prototyping.

4. Primal Design — literally on W Fulton. I'd look at them if "prototype" means physical/hardware prototype rather than just clickable Figma. They do industrial design, engineering, functional mockups and rapid prototyping. www.primaldesign.com

5. TEAMS Design — more substantial/multidisciplinary. Good if you need research + UX + physical/digital prototyping, but potentially more agency than an extremely lean startup needs.

If this is a software startup

I'd start with Next Sketch + Highland, and possibly Axtiq as a third conversation. Axtiq is particularly startup-oriented: they sell two-week design sprints, with a published $3,000 starting price for a UX/UI sprint and a design+build option starting at $5,500. axtiq.com

The engagement I'd ask for is something like:

2-week product sprint → clickable prototype → 5–8 user tests → iteration → developer-ready Figma

rather than "redesign our UX." That forces the agency to optimize for learning velocity.

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, AI product, hardware, etc.) and roughly your budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies I'd actually interview, including who seems most likely to work well with a founder-led team.

• Highland - 125 S Clark St Ste 670, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• gravitytank - 114 W Illinois St, Fl 3, Chicago, IL 60654
• LUNAR - 1229 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• IDEO Chicago - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Design Kitchen - 1140 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
• Mondo - 125 S Wacker Dr Ste 2700, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Beyond Design, Inc. - 3759 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Cruver Design, LLC - 300 W Lake St Ste 103, Elmhurst, IL 60126, United States
• product council - 5547 N Ravenswood Ave Unit 406, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Morrow Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #2, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Beyond Design - 4515 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
• Highland - 141 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 2200, Chicago, IL 60604

If the priority is “get a prototype in users’ hands quickly, learn, and iterate”, I’d shortlist these rather than defaulting to a big general-purpose agency:

1. Highland — best overall fit - Chicago-based, with a strong product/UX + engineering combination.
2. Explicitly does rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, usability testing, and iterative product design. Highland Solutions Highland Solutions
3. Good choice if you want the same partner to take a prototype into an MVP rather than hand you Figma files.
4. My first call for an early-stage startup that expects requirements to change.

1. UX 4Sight — best if UX iteration is the core need - More UX-focused: audits, research, usability testing, UI/UX and validation.
2. I'd consider them if you already have engineering covered and mainly need a product designer/research partner who can repeatedly test and improve flows.

1. gravitytank — best for ambiguous/0→1 problems - Long-established Chicago design/innovation consultancy with research, strategy, interaction design, product design and prototyping capabilities. LinkedIn
2. Stronger fit if you're still figuring out what the product should be, rather than simply needing screens built quickly.
3. Potential downside for an early startup: likely more consultancy-oriented than a small embedded product-design team.

1. LUNAR — interesting if it's hardware + software - West Loop/Fulton Market-area presence and combines product design, UX, engineering and prototyping.
2. Particularly worth a look for connected/physical products rather than a pure SaaS MVP.

1. IDEO Chicago — premium option - Excellent for human-centered product/service design and prototyping, but I'd only put them into the process if you have a meaningful budget and a genuinely difficult product/design problem.

One I'd investigate specifically for startup speed

Rubik.design is worth an exploratory call even though it's not physically in Fulton Market. They explicitly target Chicago startups, advertise interactive MVP prototypes, UX/UI, Figma/Framer, rapid iteration, and claim 24–48-hour onboarding with 6–8 week MVP work. Rubik

How I'd approach the search

For an early-stage company, I wouldn't issue an RFP for “UX/UI design.” I'd give each agency the same 1–2 week prototype challenge:

We have [product concept], [target user], and [known problem]. We want to turn the riskiest workflow into a clickable prototype, test it with 5–8 users, and iterate based on what we learn.

Then ask them to show:

• who exactly will do the work (not just the agency logo)
• prototype → user test → iteration cadence
• how many design iterations are included
• whether they can recruit users
• whether a senior designer is actually hands-on
• what happens after the prototype
• fixed price for the first sprint, rather than a huge open-ended engagement

If it were my startup, I'd talk to Highland, UX 4Sight, and Rubik first. Highland if you want design + engineering, UX 4Sight if you already have engineering, and Rubik if raw iteration speed/budget efficiency is the overriding concern.

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, AI product, marketplace, hardware, etc.) and roughly what you want to spend on the first 4–6 weeks, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their likely fit.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small senior product team that can go from “rough idea → clickable prototype → user feedback → revised prototype” in days/weeks, rather than a big UX consultancy that wants a 3-month discovery phase.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Highland — strongest overall fit
   • Chicago-based and explicitly does rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, UI/UX, product strategy, and digital product development.
   • Their prototyping approach is specifically about making something testable, getting it in front of users, and iterating. www.highlandsolutions.comwww.highlandsolutions.com
   • Good choice if you want the agency to eventually help build, not just design.

2. TXI — best if this could become a serious product
   • Chicago-headquartered product consultancy combining strategy + UX/product design + engineering.
   • I'd consider them if you need someone to help you figure out what to build as much as how it should look.
   • Probably a little heavier-weight than necessary if you're literally just trying to validate an idea.

3. Primal Design — particularly interesting for Fulton Market
   • They're actually at 1623 W. Fulton St., so extremely close to you.
   • Their model is founder/product-leader oriented and emphasizes a customized product-development process rather than a rigid agency workflow. www.primaldesign.com
   • Primal Design

4. LaunchPad Lab — good design + build option
   • River North digital product studio doing discovery, UX/UI, research/usability, product roadmapping and software development.
   • I'd put them on the list if your prototype is likely to turn into an actual web/mobile product fairly quickly.

5. Rubik.design — interesting if you primarily need fast UX/UI + high-fidelity prototypes
   • They specifically target startups, advertise 6–8 week MVP design, interactive prototypes, Figma/Framer and rapid iteration.
   • Their site explicitly lists Fulton Market among the Chicago neighborhoods they serve. www.rubik.design
   • I'd vet them more heavily on actual shipped-product references before choosing them over Highland/TXI.

6. Grand Studio — best for figuring out the experience
   • Stronger on research, product/service strategy and human-centered UX than simply cranking out screens.
   • I'd consider them if the problem is still somewhat fuzzy and you need help determining the right workflow/product before prototyping.

If it were my startup

I'd take 3 calls first: Highland, Primal, and TXI.

I'd give all three exactly the same brief:

“We're early-stage, we don't want a giant strategy engagement. We need to turn our current concept into a testable prototype, put it in front of 5–10 target users, learn what's wrong, and iterate rapidly. We'd like a senior product designer working directly with the founders, ideally in short weekly cycles.”

Then ask them:

• How quickly can we get to the first clickable prototype?
• Who actually does the work—the partner/senior designer or junior team?
• Can we change direction mid-sprint without change-order hell?
• Do you conduct actual user testing, or just stakeholder reviews?
• Can you go from Figma prototype → functional MVP?
• Can we work directly in Slack/Figma with the designers?
• What's the smallest engagement you'd recommend?
• Show me 2–3 examples of products you helped take from ambiguous idea → prototype → iteration.

One particularly relevant signal: Highland says its rapid-prototyping work can range from sketches and wireframes through clickable and low-code functional prototypes, with user feedback continuously incorporated. That's very close to the workflow you're describing. www.highlandsolutions.comwww.highlandsolutions.com

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, marketplace, AI product, fintech, physical/digital, etc.) and roughly what budget you have ($10–25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to 3 agencies that are genuinely appropriate, including smaller Chicago shops that may be a better early-stage fit than the names above.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small product-design partner that can sit with you, prototype in Figma/low-code, test assumptions, and iterate weekly—not a big agency that wants a 3-month discovery phase.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Primal Design — best if you want someone literally in Fulton Market
   • 1623 W Fulton St.
   • Very hands-on, founder-oriented, and explicitly works from early concepts through prototyping.
   • Stronger fit if your product has a physical/hardware component; less compelling if you're purely SaaS. www.primaldesign.com
   • Primal Design

2. Highland — best overall for UX + rapid validation
   • Chicago-based product consultancy with explicit rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, usability testing and iterative UX/UI capabilities.
   • Their process is specifically oriented around building just enough prototype to learn, then iterating based on user behavior. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • Probably my first call if you need product thinking + UX + prototype, rather than just pretty screens.

3. TXI — best if you may want them to build as well
   • Product strategy + UX research/design + engineering under one roof.
   • Good option if the prototype needs to evolve into an actual MVP without a painful agency handoff.
   • I'd expect them to be more substantial/expensive than a boutique design shop.

4. LaunchPad Lab — good startup/product-build option
   • Chicago product studio combining discovery, UX/UI, user research and software development.
   • Particularly attractive if your question is really “can you help us figure out what to build, prototype it, and then build the first version?”

5. Eight Bit Studios — good design + engineering alternative
   • Chicago product studio focused on planning, designing and shipping web/mobile products.
   • Their design work is integrated with engineering rather than being a standalone handoff, which is useful for rapid iteration.

6. UX Brite — worth considering for a leaner engagement
   • Chicago-based UX/product/MVP shop.
   • More explicitly oriented toward startups, MVPs, UX and go-to-market than some of the larger consultancies.

One more I'd put on the interview list

Wolfco looks particularly aligned with what you're describing: lightweight interactive prototypes before investing in polished UI, followed by usability testing and iteration. That's exactly the workflow I'd want at an early-stage company. www.wolfco.us

Wolfco

How I'd narrow it

And MNML is actually right in Fulton Market at 170 N Sangamon if you're doing a physical/digital product; their work spans product design, UX, engineering and prototyping. MNML

My top 3 to interview first: Highland, Wolfco, and Primal if you want a design-heavy partner; TXI instead of Primal if this is purely software and you expect the agency to eventually build the product.

One thing I'd insist on in the first call: “We don't want a giant UX strategy engagement. We want to spend 1–2 weeks understanding the problem, get something clickable in users' hands, learn, and iterate. Can you work that way?” Their answer will tell you a lot.

Yes. For an early-stage startup that wants to prototype fast, test UX, and iterate without a giant agency process, I’d shortlist these Chicago firms:

1. Rocket Wagon — best overall fit
   • 600 W Fulton St, right in Fulton Market.
   • Does UX/product design and software development, so you can go from concept → prototype → working product without a handoff.
   • Particularly attractive if you want the agency to challenge the product, not just make Figma screens.

2. Highland — strongest UX/validation process
   • Chicago-based product design + development firm.
   • Explicitly offers rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, usability testing and iterative product design. They say their design sprints can produce/test prototypes in days. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • More established/larger than what I'd normally pick for a very early startup, but excellent if you need rigorous product discovery.

3. Next Sketch — interesting smaller/early-stage option
   • Chicago-based and specifically oriented toward early-stage product experience, product strategy, UX/UI, prototyping and rapid iteration.
   • I'd talk to them if you want a more hands-on design partner rather than a traditional software agency.

4. TXI — best if the product is technically complicated
   • Chicago-headquartered product consultancy combining research, UX, prototyping and engineering.
   • Stronger choice if you're building something involving data, AI, IoT, complex workflows, etc.

5. Eight Bit Studios — good startup/MVP orientation
   • Product studio doing strategy + UI/UX + engineering.
   • Their positioning is particularly geared toward founders/non-technical teams getting from concept to MVP and beyond.

One I'd especially investigate

Primal Design is literally at 1623 W Fulton St and works directly with founders/product leaders. However, they're much more oriented toward physical/hardware products than pure SaaS. If you're building something involving hardware, this jumps way up the list. www.primaldesign.com

My ranking for your use case

If I were you, I'd take first calls with Rocket Wagon, Next Sketch, and Highland. I'd frame the engagement as a 2–3 week product/UX sprint, rather than asking for a conventional “MVP build.” You want them to prove they can repeatedly do:

hypothesis → prototype → 3–5 user tests → design change → prototype again

before committing to a big development budget.

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, marketplace, AI product, hardware, etc.) and roughly your budget, I can narrow this to the 3 agencies I'd actually contact, including who is likely to be too expensive/too slow.

For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d look for a partner that behaves more like an embedded product team than a traditional agency: senior UX/product designer(s), fast Figma prototyping, user testing, and willingness to change direction weekly.

A few Chicago options worth talking to:

Best fit for early-stage MVPs / rapid iteration

Highland Solutions — strong if you need both UX and product thinking

• Good for: turning a fuzzy idea into flows, prototypes, MVP scope, and eventually a build plan.
• They explicitly do rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, and iterative product design. www.highlandsolutions.com
• More consultancy/product partner than “make us pretty screens.”

Primal Design — very close to Fulton Market

• Located at 1623 W Fulton St. www.primaldesign.com
• Good fit if you want a hands-on design partner for a new product, especially if there’s a physical/digital product angle.
• Their positioning is founder/product-leader oriented rather than pure marketing design. www.primaldesign.com

Vault Innovation — better if you want design + engineering under one roof

• Good for: prototype → working MVP.
• Their services include UX/UI, prototypes, and digital product development.

More design-led / UX-heavy

Grand Studio

• Good for complex products where you need discovery, user research, service design, and UX strategy before building.
• They focus on human-centered digital product experiences.

Wolfco

• Good boutique option for UX research, prototypes, usability testing, and iterative design. www.wolfco.us

Next Sketch

• Smaller/founder-friendly option focused on early-stage product experience, prototyping, and iteration.

If I were an early-stage founder, I’d shortlist:

1. Highland — if you’re still figuring out the product and need a thinking partner.
2. Vault Innovation — if you want to get something usable built quickly.
3. Primal — if being physically close in Fulton Market and working tightly matters.
4. Grand Studio — if the UX problem is complex and strategic.

For your first call, I’d ask:

• “Can you put a senior product designer on this weekly?”
• “How fast can we get from idea → clickable prototype?”
• “Do you run user tests with prototypes?”
• “Can you stay involved through MVP build, or do you hand off after Figma?”
• “Who will actually do the work?”

For a very early startup, I’d avoid agencies that mainly sell brand sites or large fixed discovery projects—you want a partner comfortable killing ideas and iterating fast.

Yes. If you’re early-stage, based in Fulton Market, and want a partner that can prototype → put it in front of users → iterate UX quickly, I’d shortlist these rather than going after a big generic digital agency:

1. Primal Design — strongest Fulton Market fit if there’s a physical/hardware component
   • Literally at 1623 W Fulton St.
   • Founder/product-leader oriented, with design + engineering + prototyping under one roof.
   • Their work is more physical-product focused, so I’d only put them first if your product has hardware or a physical interaction. www.primaldesign.com

2. Highland — strongest pure digital product option
   • Chicago-based product/design consultancy.
   • Specifically offers UX research, rapid prototyping, design sprints, usability testing and iterative UX, followed by actual software development.
   • Their stated process is explicitly designed around repeatedly testing and refining prototypes rather than throwing a finished design over the wall. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • Probably my first call if you're building SaaS/web/mobile and have some budget.

3. Rubik.design — interesting if you want a very fast, lightweight startup engagement
   • Positions itself specifically around Chicago startups and claims 6–8 week MVPs, interactive prototypes, and rapid iteration.
   • Their model is a dedicated monthly design team rather than a traditional large agency engagement. www.rubik.design
   • I'd vet portfolio quality carefully, but the operating model sounds well aligned with what you're asking for.

4. Concept Studio — best fit if you're still figuring out what the product should be
   • Explicitly works with startups on discovery → UX prototyping → usability validation → MVP.
   • Their prototype sprint is advertised at 2–4 weeks, with the emphasis on testing flows rather than merely producing pretty Figma screens. www.conceptstudioagency.com
   • This would be high on my list if your product direction is still fluid.

5. Next Sketch — worth talking to for an early product
   • Chicago-based and focused on early-stage product experience, strategy, UX/UI, prototyping and ongoing iteration.
   • Smaller-specialist feel could be useful if you don't want the overhead of a larger consultancy.

6. LUNAR — high-end option
   • Has a West Loop/Fulton Market presence and combines product design, UX, engineering and prototyping.
   • However, given its relationship with McKinsey, I'd expect a substantially more heavyweight engagement than you may need at the very early stage.

My ranking for your situation

If it were my startup, I'd take three calls: Highland, Concept Studio, and Next Sketch. I'd ask each for a 2–3 week paid prototype sprint, not a giant discovery engagement. The deliverable should be something like: core user journey → clickable prototype → 5–8 user tests → prioritized UX changes → revised prototype → technical MVP recommendation.

That structure lets you see very quickly whether the agency actually thinks with you or just produces Figma screens.

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, AI product, marketplace, hardware, etc.) and rough budget ($10–25k / $25–50k / $50k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago agencies I'd actually contact, including their relevant startup work and official sites.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small, senior product-design partner that can sit with you, prototype in Figma quickly, test ideas, and iterate—not a big “digital transformation” agency.

My Chicago shortlist

1. TXI — best overall if you want product thinking + UX + eventual engineering
   • Chicago-based product strategy/design/engineering firm.
   • Strong human-centered design, discovery, prototyping, usability testing, and lean UX.
   • Better fit if you expect the agency to eventually help build the product, not just design screens.

2. Highland — best for structured rapid experimentation
   • Explicitly offers rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, UI/UX and product strategy.
   • Their prototyping approach emphasizes getting something testable in front of customers and iterating from actual behavior. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • More established than a typical startup boutique, so I'd ask specifically for their smallest/senior team.

3. IDEO Chicago — best if the problem itself is still fuzzy
   • Strongest choice if you're still figuring out the product, customer journey, or business model rather than simply needing UI.
   • Their Chicago studio does research, product/service design and iterative prototyping.
   • Likely the most expensive/structured option on this list.

4. UX 4Sight — best if UX is the immediate bottleneck
   • Chicago UX/UI specialist with UX audits, research, usability testing and design validation.
   • I'd consider them if you already know what you're building but need to make the experience substantially better and iterate rapidly.

5. Primal Design — particularly interesting because they're actually in Fulton Market
   • Their studio is at 1623 W. Fulton St.
   • They work directly with founders and product leaders and describe a flexible, hands-on product-development process rather than a rigid agency methodology. www.primaldesign.com
   • I'd put them high on the list if being able to work together in person matters.

6. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — better if brand + UX + web are intertwined
   • Chicago agency combining UX research/design, visual design, branding and development.
   • Less narrowly “startup product studio,” but useful if your prototype also needs to establish the company's visual identity.

One I'd look at if you want very fast iteration

Rubik.design specifically markets a senior-level, flexible design-team model for Chicago startups, with interactive prototypes and rapid iteration; it says it can typically start within 24–48 hours and targets 6–8 week MVPs. www.rubik.design

I would interview them alongside Primal and Highland, rather than assuming the bigger firms are better.

What I'd ask for

Don't ask agencies for a generic “UX engagement.” Give them a very concrete first phase:

2-week product sprint → user flows → clickable prototype → 5–8 user tests → prioritized UX changes → prototype v2

Then ask:

• Who will actually do the work? Can we meet the senior designer?
• Can we work together 2–3 times per week, rather than weekly status meetings?
• How quickly can they turn around a UX change?
• Do they conduct actual user interviews/testing, or just produce designs?
• Can they prototype something that feels like the real product, rather than static screens?
• Can they stay on for another 4–6 weeks of iteration?
• What's the smallest engagement they'd take on?

For an early-stage company, I'd avoid signing a big redesign/build contract initially. Buy a short sprint and see whether the team has the speed and product judgment you're looking for.

If I were making the first three calls: Primal (especially given your Fulton Market location), TXI, and Highland. If you're extremely prototype/iteration-oriented and want a lighter-weight engagement, add Rubik.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small product/design partner that can sit close to the founders, prototype in Figma (or working software), test with users, and iterate weekly—not a big branding agency.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Highland — strongest overall fit
   • Chicago-based digital product consultancy.
   • Explicitly offers UX research, UI/UX, rapid prototyping, design sprints, and product strategy, plus the ability to build the product afterward. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • Good choice if you want prototype → validate → build without handing the work between separate firms.
   • More established/structured than a tiny studio, so I'd ask specifically for their startup team and senior design involvement.

2. Primal Design — particularly interesting if you're building hardware
   • Literally on W. Fulton St.
   • Founder/product-leader oriented, with design, engineering and prototyping under one roof. www.primaldesign.com
   • I'd put this near the top if your "UX" includes a physical product, device, or hardware/software interaction.

3. LaunchPad Lab — good if you want prototype + actual software
   • Chicago digital product shop doing discovery, UX/UI, user research and development.
   • Better fit if the goal is to get from idea → clickable prototype → functioning MVP rather than just polished UX.

4. Next Sketch — worth talking to for a leaner engagement
   • Small Chicago consultancy focused on early-stage product experience, product strategy and rapid iteration, with explicit UX/UI and prototyping capabilities.
   • This is the type I'd investigate if you want a senior, founder-friendly boutique rather than a large agency.

5. Vault Innovation — good design-to-development bridge
   • Chicago-based software/product agency serving founders and smaller teams.
   • Offers product discovery, UX/UI, wireframes and prototypes alongside development.

6. Rubik.design — interesting if speed is the overriding priority
   • Their Chicago offering is explicitly aimed at startups, with a dedicated design team, Figma/Framer, rapid iteration and claimed 6–8 week MVP timelines. www.rubik.design
   • I'd vet the actual senior people and portfolio carefully before committing; their positioning is much more "speed/MVP design subscription" than traditional product consultancy.

Who I'd call first

For your specific description, I'd probably take three intro calls:

Highland → Next Sketch → LaunchPad Lab

And I'd frame the engagement as:

"We're not looking for a conventional agency to disappear for six weeks and return with designs. We want a senior product/UX team that can work alongside the founders, prototype rapidly, put concepts in front of users, and iterate based on what we learn."

That's an important distinction. You want them comfortable with unfinished thinking and changing requirements, not just executing a requirements document.

I'd also ask each one to price a 2–3 week paid discovery/prototype sprint rather than asking for a giant project proposal. The output should ideally be: prioritized user problems, core flows, clickable prototype, a few rounds of user feedback, and a clear recommendation about what not to build.

If you tell me what the startup is building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, fintech, AI, hardware, etc.) and roughly what stage you're at, I can narrow this to the 3 best Chicago firms and compare their likely fit, size, location, and engagement model.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small product/design team that can sit with you, prototype in Figma (or functional/no-code), test, and iterate—not a big branding or enterprise UX shop.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Rocket Wagon — strongest geographic/product fit
   • Literally in Fulton Market at 600 W Fulton.
   • Combines UX/UI, product strategy, and engineering, so you can go from rough concept → prototype → build without a big agency handoff.
   • Particularly interesting if the prototype needs to become a real MVP quickly. www.bolderapps.com

2. Highland — strongest for structured UX iteration
   • Chicago product/design + development firm with a long track record.
   • Explicitly offers rapid prototyping, UX research, usability testing, wireframes, clickable prototypes, and iterative design. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • Probably a better fit if you want someone to help figure out what to build, not merely make the UI pretty.

3. LaunchPad Lab — good design + engineering partner
   • Chicago product-development shop covering discovery, UX/UI, product strategy and engineering.
   • I'd consider them if you expect the agency to stay involved beyond the prototype into MVP development.

4. Primal Design — worth talking to for founder-led product work
   • Located at 1623 W Fulton St, so very convenient to your neighborhood.
   • They explicitly work with founders and describe a flexible product-development process rather than a rigid agency methodology. www.primaldesign.com

5. Grand Studio — strongest if the problem is still fuzzy
   • More strategy/design-consultancy oriented.
   • Good candidate when you're still figuring out the user problem, workflows, service model, and product direction before committing to an MVP.

6. Rubik.design — interesting if you want speed above all
   • Their Chicago offering is specifically aimed at startups: dedicated design team, interactive prototypes, Figma/Framer, and frequent iteration.
   • They advertise 1–2 business-day updates and typical MVP work in the 6–8 week range. I'd scrutinize their actual portfolio and team before choosing them, but the operating model sounds very aligned with what you're describing. www.rubik.design

If I were you

I'd take 3 intro calls first: Rocket Wagon, Primal, and Highland.

I'd give all three exactly the same brief:

“We're an early-stage startup in Fulton Market. We have [rough concept/current product], and we're looking for a partner who can help us rapidly prototype core workflows, put them in front of users, iterate UX, and potentially carry the prototype into an MVP. We care much more about speed of learning than producing a giant design-system deliverable.”

Then ask:

• Can you get from kickoff to a clickable prototype in 1–2 weeks?
• Who exactly will be doing the work—not who sells the engagement?
• Can we change direction mid-sprint without restarting the project?
• Do you run actual user testing, or just stakeholder reviews?
• Can the same team take a validated prototype into production?
• What's the smallest engagement you'd recommend before committing to a larger build?

One important distinction: if your product is already pretty well defined, I'd favor Rocket Wagon / Primal. If you're still asking “what exactly should this product be?”, I'd lean Highland / Grand Studio.

If you tell me what you're building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, marketplace, AI product, etc.) and roughly what you want to spend, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies that are particularly suited to your situation.

Yes. For an early-stage startup that wants to prototype quickly and iterate UX, I’d focus less on traditional branding agencies and more on product-design shops that can sit with you, prototype in Figma, test with users, and turn changes around quickly.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Highland — strongest overall fit
   • Chicago-based, with 25+ years in product design/development.
   • Explicitly offers UX research, rapid prototyping, design sprints, and product development.
   • Their process is designed around repeated customer-feedback loops rather than handing you a static design. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • Best if: you want an agency that can take you from fuzzy concept → prototype → validated MVP → engineering.
   • Caveat: probably more substantial/expensive than a tiny startup needs.

2. Wolfco — best for tight design ↔ engineering iteration
   • Chicago-based digital product agency combining product strategy, UX/UI, prototyping, usability testing and software development.
   • They specifically describe using lightweight interactive prototypes, usability testing and frequent iteration to validate ideas before committing to development. www.wolfco.uswww.wolfco.us
   • Best if: you don't just need UX—you want the same team capable of building the product after the prototype.
   • They're based in Wheaton rather than Fulton Market, but work with Chicago clients. www.highlandsolutions.comwww.wolfco.uswww.wolfco.uswww.wolfco.us

3. BIT Studios — best if speed + actual software build matter
   • Their Chicago offering is explicitly UX + rapid prototyping.
   • They build clickable/semi-functional prototypes, incorporate feedback early, and develop in increments so the client can see and change things continuously. www.bitstudios.com
   • Best if: you're looking for more of a product-development partner than a pure UX consultancy.

4. Primal Design — interesting if there's a hardware/physical-product component
   • They're actually on Fulton Street at 1623 W. Fulton.
   • Their model is very hands-on and founder-oriented, taking products from concept through design, engineering and prototyping. www.primaldesign.com
   • Best if: "prototype" includes hardware, physical interfaces, or something beyond a web/mobile product.
   • For a pure SaaS/app UX engagement, I'd choose one of the three above.

5. Wolfco's prototyping practice is worth a particularly close look if your main question is "are we building the right thing?" They emphasize testing hypotheses with lightweight prototypes and pivoting often rather than polishing screens prematurely. www.wolfco.uswww.wolfco.us

What I'd do in your shoes

I'd interview Highland, Wolfco, and BIT Studios and give all three exactly the same brief:

"We're an early-stage startup in Fulton Market. We have [idea/current product] and need a partner for a 3–6 week sprint to clarify the UX, build a high-fidelity prototype, put it in front of users, iterate rapidly, and leave us with a validated product direction."

Then ask:

• Who exactly will do the work? Get the names of the designer/product lead, not just the agency.
• Can we work weekly or even daily, rather than milestone → handoff?
• How quickly can you go from rough idea → clickable prototype?
• Do you conduct the user interviews/testing yourselves?
• Can we change direction mid-sprint without triggering a new SOW?
• What does a typical 3–4 week engagement cost?
• Can the resulting Figma/design system be handed to our eventual internal engineering team?
• Can you show me 2–3 examples where the agency changed the product based on user feedback, rather than just showing pretty final screens?

My ranking for your specific description:
Wolfco ≈ Highland > BIT Studios for a digital startup. I'd lean Wolfco if rapid product/UX iteration is the priority; Highland if you want a more comprehensive product-development partner.

If you tell me what the startup is building (B2B SaaS, consumer app, AI product, marketplace, fintech, etc.) and roughly what you're willing to spend ($10–25k vs. $25–75k vs. $75k+), I can narrow this to 3 agencies that are much more likely to be a fit.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small senior product-design team that can sit close to you, prototype in Figma, test with users, and change direction without turning every iteration into a new SOW.

My Chicago shortlist

1. TXI — strongest overall fit
   • Strategy + UX research + product design + engineering.
   • Their process explicitly includes prototyping, usability testing and lean UX.
   • Better fit if you want someone who can eventually help build, not just hand you designs. www.wolfco.us
   • Caveat: likely more substantial/expensive than a tiny startup studio.

2. Highland — best for rapid UX experimentation
   • Particularly strong match to what you described: rapid prototyping, design sprints, UX research, wireframes, clickable prototypes and iterative testing.
   • They explicitly describe a "build to learn" approach rather than designing everything upfront. www.highlandsolutions.com
   • Caveat: established consultancy, so I'd make sure the proposed team is senior and startup-oriented.

3. Grand Studio — strong product/UX thinking
   • Chicago-based and focused on human-centered product/service design.
   • I'd consider them if the problem itself is still somewhat fuzzy and you need help figuring out what to build, not merely making screens prettier.

4. Eight Bit Studios — good if prototype → MVP is the path
   • Product studio combining strategy, UX/UI and engineering.
   • Particularly interesting if you want the agency to prototype something and then continue into a real web/mobile MVP without a design/development handoff.

5. Primal Design — especially worth a conversation given your location
   • This one is actually in Fulton Market/West Loop, at 1623 W Fulton St.
   • They work directly with founders and describe a flexible product-development process rather than a rigid agency methodology. www.primaldesign.com
   • I'd put them high on the list if in-person working sessions matter.

6. IDE Interactive — boutique-ish product/design + development option
   • Chicago experience-design and development shop spanning UX, websites, custom software and mobile.
   • Worth talking to if you want a relatively integrated design/build relationship.

One I'd investigate carefully

Rubik.design is almost exactly positioning itself around the problem you're describing: Chicago startups, interactive MVP prototypes, Figma/Framer, rapid iteration and a monthly design-team model. It claims 48-hour average turnaround and 24–48-hour project starts. www.rubik.design

I would validate those claims through references, though—the site is very sales-oriented. If you're trying to move extremely fast with a small budget, the model could nevertheless be interesting.

How I'd narrow it down

For an early-stage company, I'd interview 3 agencies, not 10:

If I were you, I'd start with Primal + Highland + Eight Bit. That gives you three meaningfully different agency models: local product-design partner, UX/prototyping consultancy, and integrated product studio.

The key question I'd ask all three is:

"We don't want a 6-week discovery phase followed by a giant design deliverable. We want to work together for 2–3 weeks, get a prototype in users' hands, learn, change it, and repeat. Can you structure the engagement around that—and who exactly will be doing the work day-to-day?"

That question will eliminate a lot of traditional agencies very quickly.

Yes. For an early-stage startup in Fulton Market, I’d bias toward a small senior product team that can go from rough concept → clickable prototype → user testing → iteration without turning it into a six-month agency engagement.

My Chicago shortlist

1. LUNAR — closest geographic fit / high-end option

They’re right in West Loop/Fulton Market and combine product design, UX and engineering. Good if you want a partner who can eventually take the prototype toward a real product, although they may be more substantial than you need at very early stage.

2. Next Sketch — my first call for early-stage iteration

Small Chicago consultancy explicitly focused on early-stage product experience, product strategy, UX/UI, prototyping and rapid iteration. This is the profile I'd prioritize if you want close founder-level collaboration rather than a big agency process.

3. TXI — best for product discovery + UX + engineering

Strong choice if the problem is still somewhat fuzzy. They combine user research, discovery, prototyping, design and engineering rather than treating UX as a deliverable handed over to developers.

4. LaunchPad Lab — good if you want prototype → MVP

More engineering-oriented. Their offering combines product discovery, UX/UI and software development, so they're worth considering if you already know you want the agency to build the first real version.

5. Vault Innovation — good middle ground

Chicago-based product/design shop with UX-focused discovery, wireframes, prototypes and implementation. I'd put them on the RFP list if you want a partner that can stay involved beyond the prototype.

6. UX 4Sight — UX-heavy option

Particularly worth considering if your biggest uncertainty is how the product should work, rather than the engineering. They emphasize UX research, usability testing, UX/UI and validation.

One particularly interesting option

Highland isn't in Fulton Market, but their offering is almost exactly what you described: rapid prototypes, user testing, iterative UX, wireframes through functional/low-code prototypes, and close design/development collaboration. They explicitly describe a “build to learn” approach rather than producing a static design handoff. www.highlandsolutions.com

Highland's rapid prototyping practice

How I'd narrow it

I would not start with a traditional branding/web agency. For your stage, I'd ask each firm for a 2–4 week paid discovery/prototyping sprint, not a giant project proposal.

The brief I'd give them is essentially: “We have an early product concept. We need to rapidly explore the core user journey, prototype it at high fidelity, put it in front of 5–10 users, and iterate. We want senior designers working directly with the founders, with minimal process overhead.”

If you tell me what the startup actually does (B2B SaaS, consumer, fintech, marketplace, AI, physical product, etc.) and roughly what you're willing to spend ($10–25k vs. $25–75k+), I can narrow this to the 3 I'd interview first and pull their relevant startup case studies.