Our Design Culture

Why We’re Here

We design to make business banking not just functional, but trustworthy, transparent, and empowering. Our work helps our customers grow.

We believe design is a strategic force in helping small businesses succeed. Our goal is to make Relay feel like a partner, not just a platform. Design at Relay is a craft, a responsibility, and a shared journey toward high-impact, high-integrity work.

Our Core Tenets

Principle	What it Looks Like in Practice
Shared Success	We root for each other. A win for one is a win for all.
Autonomy with Accountability	You’re trusted to lead your work end-to-end. From ambiguity to insight to implementation.
Action-Oriented	We don’t just spot problems—we solve them. Bias toward movement.
Low Ego, High Standards	Feedback is a gift. We care about the work more than being right.
Feedback Loops Everywhere	Critique, research, user testing, async reviews — we believe good work is team sport.

How We Work

Designers partner early with PM + Eng to define the problem space, not just the solution.
We write design briefs that clarify intent, constraints, and risks—not just mock up ideas.
Research is integrated at the start, not added later.
- Anyone can talk to customers. You’re expected to seek firsthand insight.
- We don’t wait for perfect data to start, but we build understanding as we go.
- We synthesize insights out loud, in Slack, Figma, Looms, and crit.
Handoff means alignment, not just exporting files.
- We partner with engineers to land polished, performant, and accessible interfaces.
- We document intent, logic, and motion—not just visuals.
Designers stay close to the work after launch: what shipped, what changed, what worked.

How We Collaborate

Practice	Principle
Design crits	Safe space for vulnerability and sharpening the work.
1:1s	Used to unblock, support, and grow. Not just for status updates.
Slack Updates	We narrate our work in public channels—visibility builds trust.
Cross-Team Jams	Research planning, system design, and experience reviews are cross-functional by default.