UX design is on everyone's lips. In many internet posts, we can find reflections on its importance and how it can help your company. But are you having trouble hiring a UX designer?
This post will analyze three ways you can hire a UX designer: freelance, in-house, and agency. We will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Also, try to determine which option is the best one for you.
3 ways of hiring a UX designer
Freelance UX designer
Hiring a freelance UX designer is a popular way of getting professional design services for your company. This can be one of the most on-budget options in the market. You will pay a person only for the number of hours needed to complete his job.
Another advantage is that you can select someone from all over the world. Working remotely and not set hours will enable you to look for professionals from other regions, try to incorporate new skills, or find competitive prices.
Also, a freelance contract is way more flexible than an in-house contract. If you are uncomfortable with the designer you hired or need a different set of skills, it will be easier this way.
Although there are some excellent characteristics of hiring a freelance designer, there are some cons too. First, depositing all design work in only one person is quite limited. This can create a lack of perspective and different points of view on your project.
Reliability can be another problem when working with freelancers. Even though there are excellent freelancers and you can have a great experience, sometimes it can happen oppositely. If this happens, no one can help you to deal with it.
In-house UX designer
This is the most traditional option that most people think is the best. Hiring an in-house UX designer has some advantages, but be careful with the disadvantages because they can be a real headache.
On the bright side of hiring an in-house designer, we can mention d¡the advantage of exclusivity. A professional e working with your product and nothing else than your product will generate a deep and professional familiarization with it.
On the other side, all the disadvantages. The first one is that, unless you own enough big business, it is costly to hire an in-house designer. Imagine you can make an effort and pay a full salary to one of them. Then, you will still have the same problem when you hire a freelancer (but waste more money): you will deposit all the work in only one designer.
Training the employee, insurance, documentation, and an extensive list of legal stuff can be another big con of hiring an in-house UX designer.
UX agency
UX agencies are the sweet spot between hiring a freelance or an in-house designer. This option brings a solution that the other two could not handle: having a whole team of designers working on your project.
When you hire a UX agency, like The Design Project, a professional designer will be assigned to lead your project. Also, the designer will work with the rest of the team, so perspective and multiple points of view will be achieved.
On agencies, you will find a different talent that will work on your project for the same price that you may hire only one in-house designer. Also, you will not have to go through the tedious task of training new employees and handling legal stuff.
When you hire the services of an agency, you are sure that the designers that will work with you are good at their jobs. Agencies make a preselection that you will not find when hiring in-house or freelance designers.
The main advantage of design agencies is the diversity and professionalism you can acquire for the same price as hiring a single full-time designer.
Final thoughts
There are no correct and incorrect answers or better and worse options but different needs and realities. A freelancer will probably be the most suitable option if you are starting and have a small budget to spend on design. If you are an enormous company with huge design needs, maybe you should consider hiring a whole in-house designer team if your business has some budget for design. If you want a service, many professionals will work on your project. If you want to avoid the problems (and money) that an in-house worker can generate, then an agency will be the answer.
