Knowledge and expertise in UX and UI design is essential if you want people to be happy with your offerings. If you aren’t an expert in this, you can hardly detect the errors in your ways. UX or UI designers know what to include and exclude from the design, which resources to use, and how to research for the best solutions to improve the interface.
What is a UX/ UI designer?
Before we go into how you can find the best designers, the first task is to find out what makes them the best. Some of the main tasks of these experts include:
- Finding your user’s pain points and needs
- Design appealing and engaging visual elements
- Validate and draw up prototypes
- Analyze your competition
- Build information architecture for your site
- Test and analyze the progress
The tasks of a UI and UX designer will vary, but in the end, both experts will aspire to do the same thing – make your product meaningful, attractive, and easy to navigate.
Need to hire a designer? Here are some tips that will help!
If you want to maximize the success of your design, you need the right people on your side. That being said, here are some actionable tips to use when hiring designers.
Test them
A portfolio or a resume can mislead and share inaccurate information. Designing is a skill that can be proved, which is best to do before you hire a candidate. Luckily, there are some great tests you can perform to check the knowledge of people you are considering to work on your design.
One excellent testing tool that’s applicable for diverse brands and websites is that of Test Gorilla. TestGorilla’s UI design test is a simple task that will help you evaluate applicants’ ability to create intuitive and useful design products. It covers the essential skills such as:
- UI design and wireframing
- Developer handoff
- Design thinking
- Testing and prototyping
The results of such tests will give you an idea of how successful and creative the designer is in his work. This way, you won’t just make sure that you’ll get what you need, but you can also get an idea of what the designer will deliver.
Carefully evaluate their resume/ cover letter
When you get applications for the job, you already know that you need a designer. But, do you know exactly what that designer should possess?
Their application can tell you a lot about the skills and experience. Still, you need to know what to look for. Let’s see what this includes.
1. Focus on their responsibilities instead of job titles
A good resume will include the responsibilities and tasks the designer handled in addition to the company they worked for or their position there. Look for such details – they’ll show you what the designer is capable of doing.
2. Ask for confirmations
Whether you’ll call a previous client or employer to ask about the candidate, or you’ll check the designer’s website, portfolio or blog – it is up to you. According to CNBC, 78% of job candidates lie or misinterpret things due to stress or fear of missing out on a good job. Knowing this, you need to try and confirm the responsibilities and skills mentioned in the resume.
3. Look for feedback and reputation
One of the great things about these digital-driven jobs is that you can find tons of information about candidates online. If you’re considering an experienced designer, you should be able to find some client feedback on the Web. Start with their website, but don’t finish your search there. The candidate might be mentioned in forums or other websites.
If you cannot find any information about a candidate that appears good in their resume, this is a huge red flag. This makes that person an inexperienced designer.
Take your time in assessing their portfolio
Checking resumes is only half your work. Before you jump to do those tests you found on your best candidates, you should check their portfolio. We don’t mean just a short peek into them, but a comprehensive assessment of all that the portfolios include.
The designers may be annoyed by this process, but it is your right as their employer to get the information you need. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Assess their work and ask them how they completed the most interesting or difficult tasks. This should tell you about their work and show you how the designers perform when given a task.
A big portfolio means that you can also trace the candidate’s growth over the years. You can see how they’ve progressed, what they’ve learned, and maybe even pick the strategies you prefer they use in your particular project.
Ask the right questions during the interview
At this point, you should have narrowed down your choices to the best candidates. You picked the ones with the most impressive resume and portfolio, and tested their skills to see if they fit your criteria. So, how do you proceed with the interview and make your final decisions?
Some good questions to ask are:
- How do you handle criticism? Design is a tricky work, and not everyone has the same style or idea in mind. If you dislike something about their work, you should be free to tell them so without worrying that they’ll get offensive or lose motivation.
- How experienced are you in handling this type of project? The person can be a great designer, but have no knowledge or experience in the field, which can diminish the quality of their work.
- What do you think will improve if I hire you? After seeing your project and current work, the designer should have at least some idea of what needs to be improved. This will show you if they think in the right direction.
- How well do you work with others? Great designers are communicative and have excellent soft skills. While working on your task, they’ll need to work with other team members for optimal results. For starters, the UX designer will need to work with the UI designer – and vice versa. Take some time to discuss this to evaluate their soft skills.
Finding good UX/UI designers for the project
The design market is trending more than ever so naturally, there’s a talent deficiency in it. The competition is big, so it will take some effort to find the best candidate for the job. Since a simple ad won’t give you access to the best candidates, you need to know where to look to find them.
That being said, here are some smart tips about finding the best designers:
1. Start with a targeted search
This is the easiest way to find great experts. If you heard about designers who do great work or have collaborated with some in the past, this is your starting point. Reach out to the people whose portfolios you came across and liked, or who your friends recommended as good experts.
If you’re lucky, one of the people you know are great will be available to work on your product. However, this might not yield results since the great ones are usually booked, so be prepared to take other steps, too.
2. Scour social media platforms and forums
Feedback is a strong indicator about the expertise of a designer, and this is your best tool for finding a good candidate. Go through forums and comments on social media, and DM the candidates that pique your interest. According to Glassdoor, social media channels are used by 79% of job seekers today.
3. Post your vacancy on different sites and platforms
Posting the UI or UX designer vacancy on your website or social media page is not enough. There are tons of job boards that are visited by experts in the design world, so these make an even better option. Getting your ad on such pages helps you better reach your target audience. Some examples of such sites are UX Jobs Board, Just UX Jobs, and Toptal.
If this doesn’t bring you the desired results or you want an even wider reach, you can also visit online communities where your target audience communicates and shares portfolios. Websites like Behance and Dribbble are already allowing for vacancy posts, and many of the great designers use them.
Lastly, you can post your ads on platforms dedicated to helping people find talent. Such platforms include the infamous Upwork, as well as wewer options such as Fiverr.
Wrapping up
At this point, you’re probably thinking – this will take a lot of my time. You are right – finding a great designer does take time, but that’s the only way to ensure that your product is in the best shape. This is not a process that you should or can afford to rush. The experience of your users, as well as the interface you are offering depend greatly on who handles them. To pick the best out of the crowd and stay ahead of the competition, consider all of your options and take your time. Good luck with your search!
