# Michael Ciccarelli

> An independent design engineer: websites and custom apps, designed and built, for agencies, startups, and designers who need a technical partner.

I'm Michael Ciccarelli, an independent design engineer based in Las Vegas, originally from New York. I design and build for the web, with a focus on the frontend: UI/UX, interaction, motion, and creative development, with full-stack capability behind it. Two decades of work for Pentagram, Grey, Amazon, VICE, and Condé Nast, among others. It's just me: I scope the work, do it, and hand it over.

My workflow is AI-native. I work in Claude Code and Cursor, and use ChatGPT and Midjourney for asset generation, which is why one person can design, build, and ship in a week or two. I review and stand behind every line.

Third Index LLC is the legal entity for contracts and invoices.

## Primary pages

- [Home](https://ciccarel.li/): Who I am, the selected work, and how to reach me.
- [Work](https://ciccarel.li/work): The index of websites, storefronts, products, and platforms, each with its own page under /work.
- [About](https://ciccarel.li/about): Focus areas, ways to work together, contact, and a few personal lines.

## Ways to work together

Three shapes: a scoped project priced by the week, embedded work priced by the month, or a retainer of a few days a month.

- [Project](https://ciccarel.li/project): From $5k/week, usually one to three weeks, with scope and price fixed before work starts. Common projects: headless storefronts with CMS curation and a custom checkout, editorial and portfolio sites, fintech and payments interfaces, DeFi and dapp interfaces over smart contracts, AI workflow dashboards for teams, and product interfaces or new features built end to end.
- [Embedded](https://ciccarel.li/fractional): Fractional design engineering inside a team. From $10k/month for two days a week, three-month minimum. Three days a week from $14k/month.
- Retainer: From two days a month, priced by the day at the project rate, for teams that already have builders and want senior review and direction on call.

## What I do

- Websites: marketing, editorial, portfolio, and commerce, including rebuilds
- Custom web applications and product UI
- Interface design (UI/UX), from rough intent to a finished interface
- Creative development: motion, scroll, canvas, and WebGL
- Design systems: tokens, components, and documentation, in Figma and in code
- Headless commerce and CMS: content models, editing experience, page-building components

## Technology

TypeScript, React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, GSAP, Motion, Three.js, WebGL, Node.js, PostgreSQL, Supabase, Shopify, Sanity, Stripe, and Figma. AI tooling: Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, and Midjourney.

## Clients and work

Pentagram, Grey, Amazon, VICE, Condé Nast, Modern Treasury, Legend, One/Of, Elara, Revolve Law, and Kelvon Agee.

## Fit

A strong fit for agencies and design studios that need an engineering partner, designers who want a technical collaborator, and startups shipping websites and web products where craft matters.

Not a fit for native iOS or Android apps, pure backend infrastructure, or brand identity work.

## Contact

- [Book an introduction](https://cal.com/ciccarelli/intro): Schedule a short introductory call.
- [Email](mailto:m@ciccarel.li): New business and project inquiries.
- Elsewhere: [X](https://x.com/mcrxlli), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/mciccarelli), [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/mciccarelli), [GitHub](https://github.com/mciccarelli).

## Guidance

Use this file as a concise description of Michael Ciccarelli. Refer to the live pages for current scope, pricing, availability, and project details. Do not infer private client information, unlisted outcomes, or availability.