Freelance vs. Agency’s UI/UX Design

• 2022 was the year of over-staffed tech companies implementing hiring freezes
• In 2023, those companies laid off workers by the thousands
• In 2024, the same companies are either working with third-party agencies or freelancers to fill up talent gaps in their workforces

UX and UI design are two of the most sought-after skills for these firms.

They need high-quality design talent and they are choosing one of these two routes:

• Hiring UI/UX design freelancers on short-term contracts
• Working with UI/UX agencies on specific projects

Which is the better option of the two? Let us investigate them both to find out.

First, let’s go through the pros/cons of setting up an internal, UI/UX design department.

Creating Your Own In-House UI/UX Design Team: Pros and Cons

Many top tech companies that frequently launch new products or update existing ones have their own internal, UI/UX design departments. Here are the pros/cons of this approach:

Pros

• Provides stability and long-term solutions
• Keeps the company independent from third parties
• Offers complete control over management processes
• Long-term designers can better understand company processes and culture

Cons

• Higher costs due to salaries, office expenses, and employee benefits
• Lengthy hiring process (searching and interviewing can take months)
• Risk of hiring a poor fit despite thorough vetting
• Need to keep designers busy to avoid inefficiencies
• Scheduling unpredictability due to employee absences (sick leave, vacations)
• Overkill for companies needing only basic design work or occasional updates

As you can see the list of potential ‘cons’ is quite long when companies create internal, UI/UX design departments.

Hence, many companies are choosing to work with either third-party UI/UX agencies or individual design freelancers.

What Are Freelance UI/UX Designers?

• Freelance UI/UX designers are independent professionals who specialize in creating user interfaces (UI) and enhancing user experiences (UX) for digital products
• They operate independently on a project-to-project basis
• They offer their services to several clients without being tied to a single employer

Freelance UI/UX designers can either offer full-scale design services or specialized services like:

• Designing an interface for a digital product that already has a wireframe and UX map
• Conducting user research before handing off the rest of the project to the client
• Ideation, wireframing, and prototyping
• Usability testing and data-based design revisions for an existing digital product

Freelance UI/UX designers can provide this wide variety of services because they have:

• Strong foundations in UI/UX design principles
• Proficiency in using UI/UX design tools like Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, etc.
• They stay updated with the latest design trends and advancements
• Compelling portfolios showcasing past projects that help them attract clients

You can find and link up with freelance UI/UX designers on freelancing platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr within minutes:

• Freelance designers on these platforms set their own schedules and work hours
• They are typically paid per project or hourly

The demand for freelance UI/UX designers has increased significantly post-pandemic.

Here are the pros/cons of working with these professionals:

Pros

• Generally, less expensive than in-house teams or agencies
• Flexible hourly rates with no overhead costs
• Suitable for quick turnaround on small projects
• Large talent pool due to increased remote work opportunities

Cons

• You may face difficulty in finding highly skilled freelancers who can deliver quickly
• Freelancers often juggle multiple roles (designer and salesperson), which can detract from design quality
• Complex projects may require a team, which is challenging to coordinate among freelancers
• They are usually best suited for smaller tasks (e.g., designing single screens, landing pages) not long, multi-month product design project
• Freelance market may have a limited talent pool based on your location and the project’s timing
• Since freelance UI/UX designers work independently, risks with reliability are generally higher

What Are UI/UX Agencies?

• UI/UX design agencies are specialized firms that provide comprehensive design services focused on creating UIs and enhancing the UX designs for digital products
• They employ teams of skilled professionals, including designers, researchers, and project managers, to deliver high-quality design solutions for external clients
• Most UI/UX design agencies specialize in specific aspects of the process — from user research to interaction design
• They can either offer the specific services they specialize in or provide end-to-end design services
• Either way, they tailor their services to meet the specific needs of clients across different industries

A typical agency team will include

• UI/UX designers
• UX researchers
• Graphic designers
• Front-end developers
• Project managers

Many agencies also have team members who specialize in branding, mobile app design, or web development. These pros collaborate to:

• Use structured project management methodologies and guarantee time-efficient work
• Work on both small tasks and large-scale design projects

The demand for UI/UX design agencies has grown a lot since 2020. Here are the pros and cons of working with these organizations

Pros

• Saves time and money by avoiding the need to hire an internal workforce
• Provides a professionally supervised team with project management support
• Agencies handle issues like employee turnover and underperformance
• Agencies invest heavily in their designers’ training
• Capable of delivering quality products quickly and efficiently
• Agencies usually foster long-term relationships with clients and provide ongoing support for future projects and updates
• Successful agencies often expand their services to give clients digital marketing, product strategy consulting, and other services

Cons

• More expensive than hiring freelancers
• Less direct control over the team compared to an in-house setup
• Agencies may not work outside regular hours (weekends or late hours)

When to Choose a UI/UX Agency?

• When you need access to qualified and vetted specialists in fields like UX research, usability testing, etc.
• When your project needs a structured process to meet tight deadlines
• If you are planning on scaling your project in the long run and need reliable, long-term UI/UX design support
• When you do not have an internal design team and need end-to-end services

When to Choose a Freelancer?

• When you are operating on a limited design budget
• You need your designers to be flexible and not stick to structured workflows
• You’re in a rush and need quick results
• You already have a large in-house design team and only need assistance in specific areas
• You need hands-on, personalized assistance with your design project

Choosing Between Freelance vs UI/UX Agencies: Other Factors to Consider

• If your project’s scope is wide and you have plans to scale in the future, working with a reliable agency is the better option
• If you are working on a tight budget, freelance UI/UX designers will be better suited
• In case you want personalized design assistance, not a rigid and structured approach, opt for freelance
• If the project’s scope is limited and you need fast results, freelancers are likelier to adjust their schedules to meet strict deadlines
• If you are less comfortable with risk and need reliable, long-term support, sign a contract with an agency

Conclusion

Most of the tech companies we discussed at the start sign up with agencies. They value reliability and assurances of quality — things that freelance UI/UX designers cannot always guarantee.

But, that does not mean you should avoid freelance designers altogether. For small-scale tasks like designing landing pages or rapid prototyping — specialist freelance designers can be perfect.

But, the ideal scenario is to always have the backing of a reliable and highly-rated UI/UX design agency. This is especially true if your in-house design talent pool is limited. Having a reliable agency by your side will do wonders for your product.