A Complete Guide to Know Before Hiring UI/UX Designers to Make Great Websites

To stay competitive, keeping abreast of emerging trends and techniques is essential. This is achieved by bringing on board the right experts who can ideate, craft, and roll out impactful solutions. By doing so, customers are assured of premium products that address their requirements. This is where UI/UX designers come into play.

However, pinpointing the right UI/UX designer to partner with can be a tedious task. In this guide, ProCoders will outline best practices for hiring a UI/UX designer, the competencies they should bring to the table, and ensuring alignment with your project to maximize your budget and avoid outdated digital designs. Dive in to learn more!

Who are UI/UX designers?

UI/UX designers hold the reins in crafting user-centric software, websites, and mobile apps. Their work amplifies user retention through intuitive design.

Consider this: You run an online shoe store but notice a dwindling return rate. The challenge is retaining customers and encouraging repeat purchases. In such situations, the user experience of your store should top the list of considerations. Questions about ease of navigation, design intuitiveness, color choices, and mobile compatibility arise. Collaborating with UI/UX designers and developers can provide the answers.

What Do UI/UX Designers Do?

UI/UX designers transform complex software into user-friendly platforms through intuitive interfaces. A UX designer shapes the user interface’s functionality, while a UI designer focuses on aesthetics.

Many companies have a dual role where one person handles both UI and UX, but some have dedicated individuals for each role.

Beyond merely designing interfaces, these experts troubleshoot issues. They liaise with product leads, managers, and developers to grasp user needs and refine the product. This involves deep market and customer insight before initiating design work.

Main Responsibilities of UI/UX Designers

• Sketching design concepts using storyboards, prototypes, flowcharts, etc.
• Crafting UI tools like widgets and navigation menus.
• Evaluating UI components such as CTAs, banners, and page layouts
• Teaming up with marketing to tailor the user experience.
• Drafting mock-ups for the team’s visualization of the future product
• Monitoring and rectifying design glitches
• Adjusting designs based on user feedback

Reasons to Employ UI/UX Designers

• They ascertain the end users of your product.
• They discern the pain points and necessities of your product’s users.
• They create user-centric products, which are crucial for customer loyalty.
• They add a distinct touch to your content, enhancing its market visibility.
• They amplify the impact of your endeavors through visual solutions.

What is Important to Check Before Hiring a UI/UX Designer?

Hiring the perfect UX designer requires scrutinizing their technical abilities, interpersonal skills, professional experience, and alignment with your specific project. Oprim’s seasoned recruitment team suggests looking for the following credentials and attributes when seeking a top-notch UX designer:

1. Hard Skills

1. Understanding UX Design Fundamentals: It’s crucial for a UX designer to have a grasp of user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and user journey maps.
2. Expertise in Information Architecture: The designer should efficiently structure content to expedite users’ interactions with the product.
3. Proficiency with Leading UX Design Software: This includes graphic design tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe products, and prototyping software such as InVision and Framer.
4. Experience with UX Research Techniques and Instruments: Familiarity with usability testing and platforms like Google Analytics is vital.
5. Ability to Identify and Prioritize Issues: A competent UX designer can pinpoint and rank problems.
6. User-Oriented Design Philosophy: Their designs should be influenced by user feedback and insights.
7. Capacity for Idea Generation: They should be adept at rapidly producing effective design solutions.
8. Understanding Psychology Principles: Basic psychological concepts are key to effective UX design.

2. Soft Skills

1. Innovativeness: Their designs should be fresh and distinctive.
2. Aesthetic Sensibility: They should design with the target audience in mind.
3. Problem-Solving Prowess: They should efficiently interpret business needs and translate them into compelling UX designs.
4. Effective Communication: It’s vital they liaise seamlessly with team members and stakeholders.
5. Collaboration Ability: A good UX designer collaborates effortlessly, advocates for their designs, prioritizes user requirements, and maintains diplomacy.
6. Cultural Compatibility: They should resonate with and embody your organization’s culture.
7. Design Portfolio: It’s essential that the designer’s past work aligns with your project’s nature, requirements, and industry. For instance, if your focus is on SaaS product design, they should understand its unique challenges. Their portfolio offers insights into their design taste, showcasing their skill in layouts, typography, user flows, and more

3. Review of Their Sketch Files

Inspecting their sketch files can reveal their organizational prowess. It helps in assessing how they structure layers, name elements, determine text styles and space layout components. Organized work processes reflect their dedication to quality and clarity.

4. Commitment to Your Project

The right candidate will immerse themselves in understanding your product, posing detailed questions. Their in-depth inquiry indicates their commitment level and ensures they grasp your product’s context to deliver optimal design solutions.

5. Tools and Workflow

Their familiarity with tools like Adobe, Figma, Sketch, and InVision is key. Discussing their workflow provides insights into their teamwork style, their focal areas, and their proficiency in auxiliary tasks such as documentation.

Determining the Right Experience Level

Based on budget, design demands, and business requirements, you might opt for a senior, middle, or junior UX designer:

1. Senior UX Designer

These experts excel in crafting exceptional user journeys and interactions. Acting as team leads, they guide junior and middle designers and collaborate with engineers and product managers. If resources permit, consider investing in a senior UX designer for their vast expertise and forward-thinking solutions.

2. Middle UX Designer

These are seasoned professionals with substantial experience. They handle every stage of the UX design process, from initial concepts to finalized user interactions. They’re a valuable asset to any team, offering expertise at a reasonable cost.

3. Junior UX Designer

While they might lack some advanced skills, their enthusiasm and drive to learn make them valuable. With the right guidance, they can effectively handle well-defined tasks. If budget constraints prevent hiring a senior designer, consider bringing in a part-time senior consultant to lay the groundwork, then let junior designers carry forward the tasks.

8-Step Guide to Hiring a UX Designer

1. Outline Objectives and Resources: Understand your needs and determine whether you require a freelance or in-house designer.
2. Draft Key Criteria and Job Description: Clearly define what you expect from potential candidates.
3. Organize the search: Choose the primary channels for sourcing candidates.
4. Review Portfolio and Feedback: Gauge candidates’ previous work and client reviews.
5. Assess both hard and soft skills: Interviews and test tasks can be utilized for this.
6. Design Test Assignments: Create tests based on the type of project.
7. Finalize and ink the contract: Include critical aspects like goals, compensation, trial period, and contract termination terms.
8. Onboard the Designer: Incorporate the new hire into your team and company culture.

Channels to Locate and Onboard Proficient UI/UX Designers

• Freelance Designers: Suitable for startups with limited projects due to cost-effectiveness.
• Software Outsourcing Firms: Reliable for complex projects, offering quality assurance.
• In-house Designers: Ideal for companies seeking direct control over projects and teams.
• Recruitment Agencies: They manage the entire hiring process based on company requirements.

How Oprim Can Aid in Hiring UI/UX Designers in Canada

• We present seasoned IT experts with diverse backgrounds.
• Our designers are continuously updated to stay ahead in the industry.
• Our designers and developers operate as an integrated unit.
• Based in Canada, we offer cost-effective services.
• We charge solely for the core work, taking care of additional expenses.
• Apart from design, we assist in business analysis and project management.
• We’re conversant with leading software development methods.
• We’re versatile, customizing our offerings as per client needs.

Conclusion:

The influence of a UI/UX designer on software development is undeniable. Regardless of the features or innovations, a product needs to be designed appealingly and user-friendly to capture the market. Alongside a dedicated software team, hiring adept UI/UX designers is paramount for your venture. Oprim offers experienced UI/UX designers equipped to handle intricate tech projects.

Reach out to Oprim at info@oprim.ca or (833) 556-7746 to hire UI/UX designers in Canada. Together, let’s create success tales!