How to Hire a UX/UI Designer in 2023 (FULL GUIDE)

Let's cut to the chase: 99,9% of products need a designer. But which one? With so many different types of designers out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That's where we come in. We've examined the differences between the main types of designers — UI, UX, product, graphic designers, and even designer-developers so that you can find the right professional for your project.

Don't waste time and money on the wrong designer. Let us help you optimize costs, streamline development, and create intuitive and reliable software that appeals to your target audience.

Why hire a UI/UX designer?

Creating software that users will love requires more than just good code. You need a UI/UX designer who can bring a fresh perspective to your product and help you make it stand out from the competition.

A skilled designer will ensure that your product looks great, meets industry standards, and is easy to use. They'll work with you to understand your users' needs and create a design that addresses those needs in a way that makes sense.

In fact, good design can be the difference between a successful product and one that fails. Without it, users can become frustrated and abandon your software altogether, no matter how good the underlying code may be. That's why it's essential to invest in a UI/UX designer who can help you create a product that not only meets your users' needs but also delights them.

Now that "why should we hire a UX designer" is no longer a question, let's explore "who to hire” and then go to "how to hire ux designers”.

UX Designer 

A User Experience (UX) designer is responsible for how users interact with software, whether a website, app or desktop program. In other words, a UX designer determines users' actions to achieve their intended results and how to make these actions intuitive.

For instance, have you ever experienced a frustratingly long sign-up process that required too much information or had inconvenient drop-down menus? Let us introduce — bad user experience design.

When do you need a UI designer? 

In the business world, looks matter. That's why you need a UI designer who can make your website or app visually appealing and downright irresistible. And when it's time to freshen things up, they're the ones to call. Don't settle for a dull and forgettable design – hire a UI designer.

UI and UX are the yin and yang of software design. Though you rarely find a pure UI designer or UX designer. Often, the skills are combined in the face of a UX/UI designer.

UX/UI Designer 

As the name suggests, some designers combine both UI and UX skills, which makes them a jack of all trades in software design.

Many modern designers learn both disciplines to be more efficient and in demand. Understanding UI design helps establish a solid foundation for visually appealing products at the early stages of UX design. With this knowledge, they can handle UI design with a deeper understanding of the underlying functionality without consulting other designers.

When do you need a product designer? 

A product designer is a go-to person for directing the strategic growth of your product through well-planned updates and changes.

Graphic designer

A graphic designer, sometimes known as a brand designer, is the magic maker that will help you communicate your company's ideas and messages while also crafting a stunning visual identity for your brand and online presence. From creating eye-catching social media banners and infographics to designing captivating posters, flyers, and corporate presentations, they are the creative force you need to stand out from the crowd.

Summing Up

Design can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Here's a simple breakdown:

• Software development needs UX/UI designers;
• Brand development needs visual designers and graphic design professionals;
• Product and business growth requires product designers.

Not sure where to start? Contact us for an expert consultation or to relieve the burden of choosing the right designer from your shoulders — outsourcing is a great way to do just that.

Now that you know which designers you need, you may wonder, what is the best way to hire a designer? You've come to the right place.

In this section, you will get practical advice based on Cieden's experience, and we'll explore all the options available and cover

• The details of each type of collaboration;
• The critical differences between emerging and established businesses, freelancers, and agencies;
• Methods for collaborating with an agency or dedicated designers.

Hiring an in-house design team

A company without a designer is like a phone without a camera — it still functions, but you miss out on the benefits.

Hiring an in-house design team seems like a straightforward, convenient, and lasting solution. Well, I find it logical — you get a specialist who will permanently work only for you and know your product like the palm of a hand. Seems like the perfect scenario?

Let's break it down to see all the pros and cons.

Pros of in-house design team:

• Independence from third parties. Your in-house designers know the company's needs and processes, work more efficiently, and don't juggle tasks from ten other clients.
• Full control over the management processes. You get to decide how to manage the team and which approach is the best within the company’s framework.
• Brand consistency. The idea is obvious — your in-house designers are the most familiar people with the company's vision and brand identity, especially if they are the ones who created this identity.
• A long-term benefit. If your designers stay, they will become well aware of your company processes, product peculiarities, and the “internal kitchen.”

Cons of in-house design team:

• Price. Businesses must pay salaries, office rent, additional taxes, and employee benefits. Don't forget about modern equipment and software for designers — an in-house team may cost a pretty penny.
• Time. Finding a single designer can take a few months considering the preparation, search, and interviewing process. And even after all the recruitment challenges, you can’t be sure that the person you’ve found is a proper match. If you need several designers, multiply the effort by their number.
• Unpredictability. If your employees get sick or go on vacation, the work stops or slows down.
• Liability. After you’ve hired in-house designers, you have to keep them busy. With no workload, you're forced to cover unjustifiable expenses, and your employees can become frustrated.

When to hire an in-house design team?

An in-house design team can greatly help companies with substantial budgets and a stable design workload. Consider that each month of downtime will cost money.

An in-house design team is overkill if you only require a limited scope of tasks, such as with minor updates here and there. In this case, you'll likely spend more time hiring than working on the design.

Addressing the main risk of hiring an in-house design team

 If you see that the in-house model is suitable for you, spend money and time — your most valuable resource — searching and interviewing. Then, finally, you find the one and sign an offer. But what if the candidate only seemed a good choice?

Hiring the wrong people is the most significant risk of an in-house design team. You must validate their portfolios and skills to ensure you have relevant professionals. How to do it? Well, it’s a complex topic that deserves its own guide. You can read more about it down below.

Hiring freelance designers

Hiring a freelance designer can be a great way to get professional services without the overhead of a full-time design team. The attitude towards work from home changes; people prefer flexibility and freedom, so the freelance niche is booming.

Pros of hiring freelance designers:

• Price. Hiring a freelance designer is less expensive than hiring an in-house designer or partnering with a design company. There are no overhead costs, and you usually pay an hourly rate.
• Time. If you needed the work done yesterday, freelancers are the best choice, as they often work on short notice. Also, they’re used to quickly switching between various small projects.
• A huge pool of pros to choose from. There are hundreds of thousands of freelance designers, and most are ready to go to great lengths to get a gig.

Cons of hiring freelance designers:

• Reliability. The saturation of the market also means there are a lot of beginners. Finding an experienced freelance designer with a free slot soon enough may prove difficult.
• No supervision. Not all people can organize and plan work equally well. While agencies and in-house teams have dedicated professionals, freelancers have no choice but to do it themselves.
• Less focus on design. Freelancer designers are also their own managers, supervisors, and salespeople. It means they have less time and energy for design.
• Design-development conflict. Freelancers are so used to working independently that they may lose sight of one crucial point: they need to create projects that can be transferred to the development stage. This is a big one — what is the point of a beautiful draft if devs cannot make it a working website?
• Bad for big and complex projects. Complex projects usually require a whole design team. Hiring a team of freelancers is difficult, but making them work together efficiently is a true challenge.

When to hire freelance designers?

As we see, freelancers are great for minor tasks. For example, if you need a single-screen design, a simple landing page UI, or basic marketing materials.

When the scope of work is not so large to pay a full-time specialist, and there is just a need to fulfill your design needs once — start browsing the freelance marketplace.

If the task is hefty or requires a wide range of design skills — UI, UX, product, and brand design — you're better off with an in-house team or design agency.

Addressing the main risk of hiring freelance designers

Finding freelance designers that’ll deliver on time or deliver at all is the greatest challenge of this approach. To minimize the risk, there are two main tips:

1. Pick freelancers with proven track records and either sign a contract or work through specific platforms that offer some guarantee. The lowest rate is not the reason to set fifteen milestones at once and hope for a marvelous result.
2. Find an in-house manager for a freelancer. It is tricky to normalize work with freelancers because they are simultaneously accountants, PMs, designers, and testers. Take the load off the freelancer's shoulders and leave him only those tasks he needs to do.

Keep in mind that 99.9% of freelancers are solo businesses that are not trying to build a "name." Therefore, no company brand will be responsible for the quality of their work. That is what brings us to the last point.

Hiring design agencies

Design agencies combine the best of both worlds. On one hand, you don’t have to spend time and money hiring and supporting the in-house workforce. On the other hand, you have the access to a well-put-together design-focused team under professional supervision. In short, the best way to get things done without breaking the bank.

Pros of design agencies:

• A battle-ready team. You get a team fully equipped with all the professionals you need for the project, including a project manager and HR to keep them happy and productive. Whether you need animations, illustrations, graphic design, or branding materials, there will be the right person for the job.
• Best designers. Agencies invest a lot in professional growth: courses, libraries, certifications, time for self-development, and challenging tasks. It means you get skilled, experienced designers. Besides, the best agencies need to have robust recruitment departments. It helps to hire and grow strong teams — a crucial competitive advantage.
• Time to market. A design agency will deliver if you need a quality product on the market ASAP. Besides, you don’t have to spend time hiring freelancers or assembling an in-house team.
• Reliability. You don’t get to worry about designers getting sick, leaving their jobs, or underperforming. It’s an agency’s responsibility to make any bumps unnoticeable to you.
  

Cons of design agencies

• Price. Partnering with a design agency will be more expensive than hiring freelancers (but less expensive than hiring an in-house team if it’s an offshore design agency).
• Lack of total control. You’ll have some control over your team, but the agency will handle the management/supervision. Also, like in-house teams, design agencies rarely work on weekends or during late hours.

When to partner with a design agency? 

Design agencies are great for complex design tasks, including UI/UX design, product development,  business analysis, high-level consultancy, customer relationships management, or design audit. If the job is too big for a freelancer, and you don’t want the hassle of an in-house team — partner with a design agency.

Sometimes, it’s beneficial to mix hiring approaches. For example:

• A design agency can bootstrap a product and create the initial style;
• In-house designers can be hired later to manage A/B and usability testing, long-term support, and optimization.

Addressing the main risk of hiring a design agency

When looking for a design agency to handle all your needs, it is common to consider hiring an onshore team. However, this solution has a few drawbacks.

First, onshore teams are usually more expensive than offshore ones. The difference in economic conditions between countries allows offshore agencies to keep costs low and margins thin.

Second, onshore teams don't necessarily mean better quality. Offshore agencies often compete with onshore companies and other offshore agencies globally, forcing them to maintain high-quality standards.

To select an offshore design agency that meets your needs:

• Check their reviews on websites like Clutch;
• Carefully examine their portfolio on Bribbble or Behance;
• Inquire about the team's level of English proficiency;
• Schedule a call with them to discuss their approach and vision;
• Request information on working hours and the team members who will be working on your project

With many excellent design agencies worldwide, finding the perfect match is possible. Don't settle for less than the best — partner with a design agency to complete your project.

Whether you need an in-house team, a freelance designer, or a design agency, the first step is knowing where to look. We've got you covered with the most popular hunting grounds for designers and agencies. But before you start your search, you need a killer job description. Let's make sure you're attracting the right candidates from the get-go.

How to write a perfect job description

Writing a proper job description is half the battle in finding a high-end professional designer. Although it may seem straightforward, many people still get it wrong by either trying too hard or not at all.

Our advice is to avoid reinventing the wheel. Be straight to the point and include all essential information with minimum to no vague statements and cliches. You can read a perfect job description diagonally and still get all the info you need.

You don’t necessarily need a job description. Suppose you want to partner with a design agency. Give an agency enough information about your project, and they will provide you with the project estimate and optimal team composition.

Where to search for designers and design agencies? 

So you have your killer job description, but where do you find the right candidates? Different platforms will help with the task depending on which approach you prefer. Let’s check them out. 

So far, you've learned how to find design experts and agencies that match your requirements. Now, it's time to evaluate their portfolios to determine their skills and find the best candidate.

However, analyzing design portfolios can be tricky. You shouldn't be fooled by flashy visuals alone! Designers know how to make things look beautiful, even if there isn't much substance underneath. It's only by looking past these tricks and evaluating the work itself that you can determine the most suitable candidate.

In this document, we'll show you how to analyze UI/UX portfolios to determine whether a designer has the necessary skills.

How to analyze a UX designer’s skills through portfolio 

Analyzing a UX designer's skills through their portfolio is an important step in the actual hiring process. Here are some key things to look for:

How to analyze a UI Designer’s skills through portfolio

A good portfolio is a selection of works that demonstrate a designer’s ability to create interfaces for different software products in different styles. Also, such a portfolio should demonstrate the general flow of the products and consistency of style and not present the best screens from different apps.  

To analyze a UI designer’s skills check their portfolio for:

While you can analyze aspects such as those mentioned above without much experience, other factors require extensive UI training, such as contrast ratios, grids, adherence to platform guidelines, and data alignment in forms and tables. However, the analytical basis we provided is enough to identify inexperienced designers.

Additionally, you can test your ability to detect UI imperfections with this fun test. It also explains correct answers, allowing you to learn in the process.

How to analyze UI/UX designers portfolio

A portfolio for a UI/UX designer should showcase their user experience and user interface design skills. Such portfolios often combine both UI and UX cases, providing not only the visuals of the software but also the analysis and thinking behind the solutions. To analyze a UI/UX designer's portfolio, refer to the recommendations provided in the previous two chapters. But remember:

Some designers have stronger UI skills, while others are stronger in UX. When looking for a UI/UX designer, pay more attention to whichever skill your company needs. Sometimes, finding a unicorn is easier than finding someone with equally powerful UI and UX expertise.

General designer interview questions to find the best design portfolios

Here are a few questions you can ask about UI/UX portfolios to find the best candidate.

Do you see a story?

In a portfolio, each case should weave together into a captivating story. The viewer should be left with a crystal-clear understanding of the designer's contributions. Without this essential skill, a designer may struggle to communicate their ideas and construct a flowing narrative.

Is their role in those cases transparent? 

In many cases, an entire design department works on a product. If a designer presents such a case in their portfolio, it should be clear what their specific contribution was. For example, the designer may have created wireframes, designed UI based on wireframes created by other designers, or conducted customer research. 

Are there any cases in your industry or domain?

We can’t stress this enough: if you want the best match, find designers who have experience in your domain or industry. 

So, pay twice as much attention to portfolios with cases similar to your product. The more similarities, the better: market niche, platform, target audience, etc.

Are there any views and comments from other people?

Social proof can be tricky, especially if you don't know anything about the credentials of those providing it. However, if the portfolio is publicly accessible, check the comments section. Medium, Behance, and Dribble are particularly useful in this regard. 

Besides, you can always do some quick Googling to check whether the commenters have the experience to back up their claims.

Do you personally like their cases?

To achieve productive "creative chemistry" between you and a designer, it's important to find someone whose taste matches yours. This will result in a better and more beautiful product with each iteration, inspiring you even more.

Therefore, choose designers with portfolios that you find attractive or, if that's not an option, ensure their work doesn't cause aesthetic discomfort.

Do you like their way of thinking and solving problems?

Designing a product involves continuous problem-solving. How can user flow be made more intuitive? How can the conversion rate be increased? How can design freshness and appeal be maintained? How can usability be improved?

If you appreciate a designer's problem-solving approach in their specialized field, you will likely have a long-lasting professional partnership.

Does it address business goals? 

Designers, particularly those in middle and senior positions, should contribute to the company's goals through their work. Portfolios that state the product's mission objective and demonstrate how designers helped to achieve it will earn bonus points.

Summing Up

Our recommendations will help you identify inexperienced or under-skilled designers, but let's face it: there's no substitute for a true design expert. Game recognizes game, and only an experienced designer will spot all the nuances and red flags of a design portfolio. So, if you need help finding the perfect designer for your team, don't hesitate to contact us. We'll make sure you get the best of the best.

After checking dozens of resumes and portfolios, it's time to ace the interviews! In this section, we'll share our expert tips on how to get the most out of your interviews, including:

In this section, you will learn about the following:

• Three types of designer thinkers;
• Questions to ask during the interview;
• Test assignments to evaluate UI/UX skills;
• Is there a perfect interview?

3 Types of Thinkers in Design

Why hire a UI/UX designer?

A UX designer can transform your product into a visually stunning, user-friendly experience. With their expertise, they can conduct user research, create prototypes, and design the overall user interface to elevate your brand. UX designers can help improve employee satisfaction and retention by designing interfaces that make it easy to access and understand employment benefits. By hiring a UX designer, you can provide an exceptional user experience that builds customer loyalty and retention.

Where to hire a UX designer?

You can find and hire top talent from online job boards, design agencies, and freelance platforms. Check out popular job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. Or, connect with agency designers or freelance platform to access a network of talented specialists.

How much does it cost to hire a UX/UI designer?

The average salary of UI/UX experts range from $25 to $100+ per hour, depending on the project scope and the level of experience. Note that UX designer salaries vary greatly depending on factors such as location, experience, and industry. Whether you need junior designers or seasoned pros, there is a UI/UX expert out there who can take your project to the next level.

How to hire a UX designer?

First, determine your needs and budget. Then, scour job boards, professional networks, and design communities. But don't stop there! Conduct thorough interviews and review portfolios to ensure the designer has the skills and experience to meet your requirements. 

What is design thinking?

Design thinking is a way to solve problems that focuses on understanding the needs of users, coming up with ideas, testing solutions, and making improvements until a good solution is found. It is important for businesses to have deep understanding of design thinking so they can create new and better solutions that meet the needs of their users in a competitive market.

Why consider Cieden design agency?

Cieden is not your average design agency. Our experienced designers are passionate about creating innovative and user-centered designs that stand out from the competition. We have a proven track record of delivering successful projects for clients across various industries, and our collaborative design process ensures that we provide designs that meet your specific needs. 

With Cieden, you can expect high-quality designs that are both functional and visually stunning. Don't settle for the ordinary — choose Cieden.