Our expertise is the intersection of design and technology.

Research & Design provides both digital design and full-stack development capabilities. We are passionate about design and committed to robust implementation. We take no shortcuts and are dedicated to delivering intuitive, sustainable technology solutions from concept to completion.

Discovery & Research

Research is first in our name because it is foundational to our ethos and process. We believe our success depends on our ability to understand our clients inside and out.

Strategy & Design

Human-centered design is at the heart of what we do. We look to improve the user experience on all fronts through strategic decisions and intuitive design.

Implementation & Launch

A great design is nothing without robust implementation. Whether choosing the right technology or coding a website design, our priority is follow-through.

We’re focused on higher education.

Not only are we experts in both design and technology, but we are well-versed in the language, culture, challenges, and the unique positioning of universities and colleges. We’re able to focus on leading trends in design and technology specific to the sector. We’re fluent in the conventions and best practices of higher-education and are passionate about elevating the digital experiences to reflect the excellence of the colleges and universities we serve.

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Our values come first.
At Research & Design, we’ve developed a team culture and philosophy that puts people ahead of profit. We seek to partner with like-minded clients to equip them with the digital tools sufficient to reach their audience and succeed in fulfilling their mission.
Martin Lee
Principal / Anacortes, Washington
As principal of Research & Design, Martin provides leadership in areas of web strategy and technology and serves as Creative Director on projects. Having spent nine years leading an internal university web team, Martin combines deep knowledge in higher education with best practices from his digital agency background of solving problems for startups, fortune 500s, and non-profits.
Ryan Morabito
Senior Vice President / Wilmington, North Carolina
Ryan is a seasoned brand marketing professional with 17 years of higher education experience. Since 1998, he has partnered with more than 75 colleges and universities in the development and implementation of marketing initiatives. He is a proven leader at delivering high-quality market research, optimizing brand awareness, and developing strategic models that drive results.
Robert Fusté
Director of Strategy / Berrien Springs, Michigan
Robert’s experience as an in-house university web communications manager gives him insight on what design and content solutions are effective, sustainable, and integrate well with marketing initiatives.
Michael Castelbuono
Director of Engineering / Dayton, Ohio
As our Director of Engineering, Michael pays close attention to changes in technology and the ways in which they might affect the experience of marketing higher education.
Justin Hutauruk
Director of Business Development / Austin, Texas
Justin comes to Research & Design bringing a wealth of experience in business development. Justin is often the first point of contact for our clients and facilitates the RFP, proposal, and onboarding processes. He is an integral liason between our team and our clients.
Lindsey Weigley
Director of Design / Orlando, Florida
Lindsey has expertise in web and print design through her experience working with a wide range of industries and audiences. As Design Director at Research & Design, Lindsey takes the lead in our human-centered design process, focusing on strategic, finely crafted visual design and an overall intuitive digital experience.
Matthew Leffler
Software Engineer / Eureka, Montana
Matthew brings extensive expertise to the team and is a skilled engineer with over 14 years focused on web and application development.
Sarah Lee
UX Architect / Anacortes, Washington
Sarah comes to Research & Design from Whirlpool Corporation and has experience in designing award-winning UX for everyday devices and websites. She analyzes user behavior and designs the logic and flow of our projects to give users the best possible browsing experience.
Danny Ruiz
Software Engineer / Chicago, Illinois
Danny is an expert software engineer with a focus in iOS and MacOS application development.
Bjorn Karlman
Copywriter / London, United Kingdom
Bjorn is a seasoned writer and editor for nonprofit publications. Bjorn’s expertise is in devising marketing, public relations, and fundraising campaigns for international nonprofit educational institutions, hospitals and other organizations.
Jesse Leyh
Lead Designer / Haddon Heights, New Jersey
Jesse brings years of agency, product and in-house design experience to his role as Lead Designer. His human-centered design process is built on a foundation of strategy, empathy and creativity that yields transformative, award-winning digital experiences for clients in the higher education, nonprofit and healthcare industries.
Thomas Michaud
UX Lead / Chattanooga, Tennessee
Thomas brings over 25 years of experience in illustration, design, and user experience education. He enjoys working with clients to provide design solutions to solve user needs and business challenges through understanding the problem, defining a vision, exploring options, and creating solutions.