Thought Over Design

Design-first. People-always.

The team at Thought Over Design (TOD) isn’t just designing brands—they’re designing the future. As a tight-knit studio driven by storytelling and strategic design, TOD has grown rapidly over the past few years. With growth, however, came the need for stronger internal systems to support their team and vision.

The Problem

As the studio expanded, TOD was grappling with a few core challenges:

• HR policies were fragmented and inconsistent

• Despite receiving high-quality inbound applications, there was no structured hiring process

• Basic systems—from contracts to onboarding—didn’t exist or needed streamlining

• In essence, TOD’s growth was being held back by a lack of people systems that matched their creative ambition.

How UAC Helped

We partnered with TOD to build their HR foundation from scratch—without compromising their creative, people-first culture.

First came structure: we co-created a clear, practical employee handbook, formalized contracts, and built an end-to-end onboarding and offboarding flow. From setting up attendance tracking and payroll systems to leading bimonthly check-ins, we became an embedded partner in their people ops.

Then came hiring: we helped TOD build a structured recruitment process and close key roles across experience levels—including Design Directors, Strategists, Project Managers, Junior Copywriters, Studio Admins, Executive Assistants, Illustrators, and Interns.

By the end of a year of our engagement, TOD had the infrastructure to not just hire well, but to nurture a team with intention and clarity.