Fill your design gap in 24 hours.
Kikai connects companies with pre-vetted HCD experts for workshops, audits, prototypes, and strategic design work — without agencies, subscriptions, or open bidding.
Identify the Gap
Tell us what’s stalling your roadmap – a workshop, a research sprint, a UX audit, or a prototype. We turn your request into a clear, task‑based brief.
Curated Shortlist
We hand pick 1–3 vetted experts from our vetted roster and send you a shortlist, usually within 12–24 hours, including rates and availability.
Meet or Start
Review your match, meet your preferred expert for a quick alignment, or start immediately. We handle the admin so you can focus on delivery.
For companies
Stop recruiting. Start shipping.
Share your context, timeline, and budget in one simple brief. We return a small curated shortlist, not a crowded directory.
Post your project
Share your context, timelines, and budget in one simple brief. No endless forms or logins required.
Get matched
We send you a small, curated shortlist instead of a crowded directory. Every expert is vetted by Kikai’s founder.
Start with confidence
You see day rates and Kikai’s 12% service fee upfront, so there are no surprises when you hire.
We’ll send you a shortlist within 12–24 hours.
For talent
Join a pre-vetted roster of HCD experts. Work on high-trust engagements, set your day rate, and avoid the race to the bottom.
Curated opportunities
Work with teams who value HCD and are ready to act on your expertise, not just “pick your brain.”
No bidding, no race to the bottom
You set your day rate. We match you to briefs that fit your skills, scope, and availability
High‑trust relationships
Every engagement is founded on clear expectations, transparent pricing, and a founder‑led vetting process.
Flexible scheduling
Choose projects that fit your schedule. Work on short-term engagements while maintaining your independence.
How Kikai pricing works
Kikai uses direct pricing. You set the expert’s day rate, and we add a flat 12% service fee. Everything is shown upfront before you commit.
What this looks like in practice
How Kikai pricing works Kikai uses a simple, direct-pricing model. You set the expert's day rate (including superannuation), and we add statutory costs plus our 12% service margin.
Everything is shown upfront before you commit. Example: 1,000 AUD expert day rate (inc. super),
You see this exact breakdown for every match before hiring. No subscriptions, no hidden fees – you only pay when you select an expert you're confident in.
✅ Complete statutory compliance (Australian regulations)
✅ Fixed 12% Kikai service margin
✅ You only pay when you hire
Kikai Transparent Rate Calculator
Transparent pricing. No hidden markups.
Why teams choose Kikai
No subscriptions. You only pay when you hire.
Founder-vetted talent.
No bidding wars.
Fast curated matches.
Transparent pricing.
Built for serious design work..