Hiring guide
How to hire a UI/UX designer
Last reviewed , published by Gjethe
The short answer
To hire a UI/UX designer, look beyond attractive screens to case studies that explain problems, research and decisions; check experience with your type of product; ask how they test designs with users and hand over to developers; review a real Figma file if possible; and agree deliverables, revisions and ownership in writing.
Product design is easy to judge by appearance and hard to judge by results. Beautiful mock-ups can hide confusing flows, and a strong designer may show plainer visuals with excellent reasoning. This guide helps you evaluate designers on what matters: understanding users, solving problems and delivering designs that can actually be built.
What a strong case study shows
- The problem and who it affected
- Research and what it revealed
- Options considered and why one was chosen
- Wireframes and iterations, not just final screens
- Testing and changes made as a result
- Outcomes, where shareable
UX, UI or both?
| Role | Focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| UX designer | Research, flows, structure, testing | Complex products and unclear problems |
| UI designer | Visual design, components, polish | Products with clear structure needing quality visuals |
| Product designer | Both, plus collaboration with product and engineering | Most startups and product teams |
Questions to ask
| Question | Why |
|---|---|
| How do you start a project? | Shows whether they research before designing |
| How do you test designs? | User testing prevents costly mistakes |
| How do you hand off to developers? | Organised files reduce build errors |
| Do you design all states? | Empty, error and loading states are often forgotten |
| How do you handle accessibility? | Essential for usable, compliant products |
Look inside the Figma file
If possible, ask to see a sanitised Figma file from a past project. Well-organised files use components, consistent spacing and named layers, and show different states and breakpoints. Messy files often lead to inconsistent products and slower development.
It's also a good sign when designers talk naturally about working with developers and constraints, not just visuals.
Fair design exercises
Large unpaid design tests are unfair and often attract weaker candidates. A short, paid exercise or a walkthrough of a past project, explaining decisions, gives you better insight into how a designer thinks.
Focus on reasoning: how they understood the problem, what they would ask users and how they'd measure success.
Red flags
Be careful with portfolios full of concept redesigns of famous apps with no real constraints, designers who never test with users, or files that can't be handed to developers.
Also watch out for designs that ignore accessibility basics like contrast and readable text sizes.
Questions that reveal design thinking
Ask a designer how they would approach your product in the first few weeks of work. Strong answers include understanding users and business goals, reviewing analytics or support tickets, mapping key flows and testing early prototypes.
Weak answers jump straight to colours and visual style without discussing users or problems.
Design deliverables by project stage
| Stage | Typical deliverables |
|---|---|
| Discovery | Research notes, user needs, competitor review |
| Structure | User flows, sitemap, wireframes |
| Visual design | High-fidelity screens and components |
| Testing | Prototype, test findings, revisions |
| Handoff | Organised Figma files, specs, design tokens |
Working between design and development
Designers and developers should talk early and often. Developers can flag what's expensive to build; designers can explain why details matter. Reviewing the built product against designs before launch catches inconsistencies.
Teams that treat handoff as a conversation, not a file transfer, ship better products.
Freelance designer or design team
A freelance designer can be ideal for focused work or a small product. A design team or agency offers research, UI, motion and development support together, and continuity if someone is unavailable.
For products that will grow over time, ask how the designer or team handles design systems and ongoing work.
Budgeting for design
Design is sometimes squeezed to save money, but changes are far cheaper in Figma than in code. Investing in research, wireframes and testing usually lowers development cost and improves results.
Gjethe quotes UI/UX work per project, based on the number of flows, screens and the research involved.
What to share with a new designer
- Business goals and target users
- Analytics, support tickets or research you have
- Brand guidelines
- Competitors and examples you like
- Technical constraints from developers
Accessibility from the start
Ask how a designer handles accessibility: colour contrast, text sizes, focus states, touch targets and clear error messages. Accessible design helps every user and is increasingly a legal expectation in many markets.
Retrofitting accessibility after development is much more expensive than designing it in.
Design and business goals
Good designers tie design decisions to business goals: higher sign-ups, fewer support calls, faster task completion. Ask candidates how they've measured the impact of their work.
Design that can't be connected to an outcome is harder to justify and improve.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UX researcher too?
For most projects, a product designer can handle research. Large or complex products may benefit from dedicated research.
Should the designer also build the product?
Usually not, but close collaboration with developers is essential. Some teams offer design and development together.
How many revisions should be included?
Two rounds per stage is common and included in Gjethe's design work.
Who owns the designs?
You should, including Figma files, once paid.
Can a designer work remotely?
Yes. Figma makes remote design collaboration straightforward.
What deliverables should I expect?
Flows, wireframes, high-fidelity screens, prototypes and a component library ready for handoff.
How do I judge visual quality?
Look for consistency, clear hierarchy and readability rather than trends.
Is a design system necessary?
For growing products, yes. It keeps design consistent and speeds up future work.
Can a designer improve an existing product without a full redesign?
Yes. A UX audit can identify the most important improvements, which can be designed and released step by step.
Should we test designs with real users?
Yes, even a handful of sessions reveals major problems before development.
How do I know if a design is good?
Test it with real users and check it against your goals. Good design makes key tasks easy and clear.
Do designers need to know how to code?
Not necessarily, but understanding how interfaces are built helps designers create realistic, buildable designs.
How long should a designer stay involved?
Ideally through development and launch, to answer questions and review the built product.
Can you design both web and mobile versions?
Yes, with shared foundations and platform-appropriate patterns for each.
Can a designer work from our existing brand?
Yes. Designers extend your brand guidelines into interface components and screens.
What if users dislike the new design?
Testing before launch reduces this risk, and gradual rollouts let you adjust based on feedback.
Who owns the Figma files?
You should, ideally in your own Figma workspace.
Related services
UI/UX Design
Research, wireframes, prototypes and interfaces.
Figma Design & Design Systems
Components, variables and libraries your team can scale.
Web Applications & SaaS
Portals, dashboards and subscription products.
Mobile App Development
iOS and Android apps, from design to store launch.
Brand Identity Design
Logo, colour, type and guidelines as one system.
Talk it through with us.
Tell us what you need. You get an honest assessment, a clear plan and a written quote. The first consultation is always free.
- What happens next
- 1You tell us what you need
- 2We aim to reply within 24 hours with questions
- 3You get a written quote for your project