How DesignLevel handles your data and AI

Last updated: 2 October 2026

DesignLevel is run by one person, Vlad Derdeicea (Subsign Studios SRL, Romania). These are the rules I follow with your data. Each one is a promise I can check, not a slogan. The full legal version is in the Privacy Policy.

The short version

Your raw assessment answers stay on your device.
I keep only what I need to show your results and send you career content.
I never sell your data and never run ads.
Nothing you share is used to improve the AI coach unless you opt in.
Only I can see your data. You can ask me to delete all of it, any time.

What stays on your device

Your context answers (work setup, title, mentorship and management interests) never leave your browser. They are kept in your browser's local storage so you can pick up where you left off, together with your email (if you entered it) and the salary region you picked, if you changed it. DesignLevel only sends out a summary profile worked out from your answers, such as "small team" or "large team IC".

What I collect, where it lives, and for how long

What	Where	Why	Kept for
Your email	Kit (email service)	to send you career content and product updates	until you unsubscribe
Your results: level, profile, strongest and weakest categories	Kit	to tailor what I send you	until you unsubscribe
Approximate location (city, country), worked out from your IP by Kit	Kit	not needed by me; set by Kit	until you unsubscribe
Feedback you type in	Kit	to improve DesignLevel	until you unsubscribe or ask me to delete it. Please don't include names.
Usage analytics: pages, steps completed, your profile, stated level, salary region and your browser's time zone (a rough location). No salary amounts.	Google Analytics 4, only after you accept cookies. IP addresses are not stored.	to see where people get stuck	14 months
Technical logs: IP address, browser	Vercel (hosting)	to keep the site running	1 hour

Research conversations

Sometimes I invite subscribers to a 30-minute call about how they were assessed. If you join:

I take written notes only. Calls are never recorded.
Notes use a code (like P01), not your name.
Notes are used only to understand how designers grow, and to shape DesignLevel.
Quotes I publish are anonymous and never identify you or your employer.
Notes are deleted 12 months after the call at the latest.
The booking (name, email, time) stays in my calendar tool, Calendly.

The AI coach (coming soon)

These rules apply from the day the coach launches.

Sign-in: you sign in with a magic link sent to your email. No passwords.
Memory: your conversations are linked to your account so the coach can remember your progress. Your email is stored separately from your conversations and linked only by an internal ID.
How long: conversations are deleted 12 months after your last activity.
Your control: you can delete all your conversations at any time. The coach will then lose context on your progress.
Improving the coach: only if you opt in. Opted-in conversations are anonymised first. Conversations about sensitive topics (health, harassment, discrimination, legal issues, or any risk to your safety) are never used, even with opt-in.
No personal details needed: the coach will never ask for real names, your employer, your address or other details that identify you. Please don't share them.
The AI provider: your messages will be processed by Anthropic (the company behind Claude) to generate replies, under its commercial terms. Before the coach launches, this page will state exactly what Anthropic keeps and for how long.

What I never do

Sell or rent your data.
Run ads or use advertising cookies.
Use your data to train AI models without your opt-in.
Use any employer's data in DesignLevel.

Who can see your data

Only me. No team, no contractors, no partners.

Your rights

You can ask to see, export, correct or delete your data, or withdraw consent. Email vlad@derdeicea.com. I reply within 30 days.

Changes

If these rules change, I'll update this page, change the date at the top, and tell subscribers by email.