Top UI/UX Design Agencies

What Is A UI/UX Design Agency?

 

It is a company that builds and designs digital platforms like websites, apps or software while taking a user-centered approach.

They focus on various aspects that go beyond the visual appearance of the products they create including the way information is structured and presented.

These specialized agencies pay close attention to how users interact with these platforms and how they feel about them.

Their job is to ensure they are easy to use and navigate while creating a simple, efficient and all-around engaging experience for the users so that they can accomplish their desired tasks effectively.

This can be anything from finding some info to buying a product - no matter how simple or complex the task can be, the goal of UI and UX designers is to help brands improve visitors’ satisfaction, increase loyalty and drive engagement.

What Do UI/UX Design Companies Do?

Research by Kent State University on UX design careers shows that the role of user experience designers involves three main areas:

• Discovery
• Concepting
• Prototyping and usability testing

The primary responsibilities of these companies include:

• Defining strategies: This includes defining goals, target audience, mission and core values right at the start of the process. With this structure in mind, these professionals can layout the web platform they plan on creating with key targets and user research on hand.
• Conducting research: Research is important for UX designers because it helps them further understand who your brand is and the audience is and what your industry is all about. This allows them to cater to their UX design specifically to your brand so that they can deliver successful projects.
• Designing platforms: Designing the digital platform is the next step in the process. Whether creating a website, mobile-friendly platform or an app, this information is used to build a robust user interface that puts the user first. This process includes user flows and user experience, information architecture and feature outline.
• Performing QA testing: Quality assurance testing is an imperative step in the UX design process because it is intrinsically linked to better user experiences. It’s at this step that designers and developers can see how the app or website platform works. They can see how users interact with it and what fixes to make it easy to use and navigate.
• Launching platforms: For this step, these agencies ensure they help with problem-solving (design thinking), user experience, the customer journey and more by finalizing key features and functionalities. They provide insights through final analysis while making sure they infuse the right integrations like chatbots, VR and more to answer questions and solve problems. Once the design launches, more user testing and monitoring takes place to keep performance at peak capacity.
• Maintaining products: Websites and apps need to grow with brands and industry changes. There will always be new trends, new technological innovations and insights that can change how a platform should look and feel. And technically, there will definitely be bugs that need fixing. So, maintenance is vital.

What Professionals Do UI/UX Design Firms Employ?

To build a cutting-edge digital platform that is intuitive and engaging, these firms have a team of skilled experts including:

• Project managers: Project management plays a key role in delivering successful projects. This is why they employ experts who are the points of contact during the UX design process. They provide key insights and information about status and goals, keep you in the loop and ensure your project is a success from start to finish.
• Branding experts: These specialists have deep research skills. They analyze market data and collect key info which helps designers to infuse the right coloring, messaging and overall design that takes users on the right journey.
• Content writers: Messaging is the epicenter of the user experience. In order for these specialists to ensure their designs blend with content the right way and evoke the right emotions and actions they have a team of skilled content writers.
• Web designers and developers: These experts specialize in giving your platform a solid technical foundation. They focus on usability while making sure your website offers meaningful and relevant experiences to users.
• App designers and developers: In addition to web designers, the best user experience design agencies also have app developers and designers on board. They innately understand what goes into building, testing and launching a successful mobile app. From knowing what features to integrate into creating a journey within the app, these developers have the skills and experience to build an app that consumers use long after their initial download.
• QA testers: The best-performing specialized companies employ QA testers who ensure that digital platforms are fully functional and ready to use pre and post-launch. They keep consumers happy because this testing is conducted from the user’s perspective. It ensures the platforms have a great first impression and are easy to use. QA testing gives your brand and your app the ability to grow and adapt before you release it and even after it launches. It allows you to add integrations and get rid of things blocking users on their journey — which results in a successful app overall.
• And more

How Much Does An User Experience Design Agency Charge For Their Services?

The most common billing option among is the fee per hour which will depend on various factors like:

• Industry focus
• Project complexity
• Company reputation

Most firms will ask between $20 and $100 per hour. However, there are some more established companies that will charge as much as $150 and even $200 per hour.

Project-based pricing, on the other hand, is another option that starts under $1,000. But, most firms accept projects valued at 10,000 - $50,000+.

Why Hire A UX Design Agency?

87% of companies say that hiring UX designers is a top priority. (Adobe)

Businesses believe that UX designers are critical for their brands’ future and with a reason.

Let’s take a look at a few statistics that support this fact:

32% of consumers claim that they would share more information with a business that offers a great experience.

Collecting customer data matters in:

• Improving shopping experiences
• Refining marketing strategies
• Converting prospects
• Generating revenue

However...

One in three consumers would walk away from a brand they love after a single bad experience.

This number highlights the importance of having:

• Fast loading pages
• Mobile responsive design
• Clear structure
• Readable fonts
• Clear call to actions
• And more

… all of which are elements of user experience design because they ensure intuitive user interface.

The way your digital platform looks and feels can either engage your visitors or push them away.

Having a dedicated agency partner will ensure improved user satisfaction which increases loyalty to the brand and ultimately brings more conversions and sales.

Choosing A UI/UX Agency: 5 Tips To Consider

While the search for the best partner can be tricky and overwhelming, these five tips will help you make a smarter and quicker choice:

• Understand their process: Having a functioning process is key to success. The partner you hire should have a structure and a digital strategy in place in order to meet key deadlines and achieve results. This is why you need to understand how they create their platforms from start to finish.
• Search for a past record of success: Past experience can shed a unique perspective on the track record and capabilities of a UX design agency. When you take a look at their portfolio or work and the goals they’ve been able to achieve, you can get a better sense of the digital work they can do for you. Similarly, this deep dive into their past can tell you just how much or little they invest in their professional partnerships.
• Consider communication: Proper communication plays a key role in delivering a successful project. The company you hire should present determination and enthusiasm to work with you. They should also define their channels and contacts from the very start. This will ensure an effective flow of information.
• Read their reviews: Client feedback will give you valuable insights on user experience design agencies’ reliability, management structure and flexibility. It will help you understand how easy it is to collaborate with them and what results they are capable of delivering.
• Learn if they perform QA testing: This type of testing plays a key role in user experience design because it ensures that digital platforms are fully functional and meet the usability and interaction specifications. So, find out what processes the prospective firms have in place to help meet the end-user expectations.

10 Questions To Ask User Experience Design Companies

When you first set out to begin a user experience design project, you want to know that the agency you’re working with has a plan of action they can follow to ensure results.

Asking potential agencies the following questions will help you make the right choice:

1. How will you create a strategy and process for designing and building this website?
2. How would the overall progress be measured considering the scale and timeline?
3. Do you have prior experience in our or a similar industry?
4. What tools do you use to gather information about my brand and audiences?
5. What elements go into your strategy from brainstorm to launch?
6. What problems will this user centric design solve and how?
7. Do you conduct QA testing?
8. How long after launch will you continue to monitor our designs?
9. Are there any additional services or collateral you can create?
10. What can you do to ensure our website keeps working at peak capacity?

Takeaways On User Experience Agencies

User experience companies can help brands like yours design a digital platform that improves visitors’ satisfaction, increases loyalty and drives engagement.

The cost of these agencies ranges between $20 and $200 per hour.

To choose the best company for your brand, make sure you:

• Understand their process
• Search for past record of success
• Consider communication
• Read their review
• Learn if they perform QA testing

Best of luck!

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