We live in a world where most of the software is web and mobile-first. Native apps and businesses based on native apps are no longer trending. That is the economy of web and mobile apps. Only apps that need more compute power, like 3d modeling and rendering apps, are native.
Whatever niche you operate in, your success depends upon the user experience of your app. To make your app a success, you need a good design. User Experience makes or breaks the app.
For a good user experience, you need to hire a good designer. The elements used in the app, the colors, the homepage design, and every design element contribute to the app’s user experience.
You have a choice now. Either go with an in-house designer or outsource your design. In-house designers are hard to find. And, it will be a problem for you to manage designers and developers. Also, in-house designers will cost you a hefty amount of money. Their salaries are high, and since branding/designing is a one-time job, you’ll be paying them without even working.
A solution to this is outsourcing your design work. You pay them a one-time fee, and they get your job done. You will be focusing on the core business activities. And, you’ll save a ton of money.
In this guide, we’re going to give you a holistic view of how you can outsource your web design.
Reasons to Outsource Web Design?
Like any other business decision, you need to be cautious while deciding to go with outsourcing. There are many reasons to opt for getting your web designs outsourced. Some of them are listed below:
- Cost-effectiveness
If you go with an in-house design team to get your web designs, you’ll be paying
a ton of money. Hiring, training, and onboarding a new team is a costly thing to do. Alongside increasing hiring costs and salaries, you’ll be spending a hefty amount on aligning your design team with developers.
Instead of choosing this costly route, a better alternative is to outsource the web design. This way, you will not have to stress about any recruiting, onboarding, and salaries. The focus of the design team will be solely on getting quality designs. And you will stay focused on the core business functions.
Some people say that outsourcing is a costlier option but, they fail to identify the costs associated with recruiting an in-house designer.
2. Time-saving
Outsourcing your web or mobile app design not only saves your money but also
saves your time. As discussed earlier, recruitment processes for the in-house design team will take many weeks, if not months.
Web design agencies work on a contract basis, which is why they deliver on time. Time is money for them. And, if you opt to go with a design agency, you will get it even before the time.
3. Exposure to top-notch talent
Looking for an in-house designer means that you’ll be sacrificing the talent that works. Agencies and independent designers may not be interested in working in your company.
But, if you choose to outsource your web design to agencies/independent web designers, you’ll get the opportunity to hire top-notch talent. Talent that was not available to you otherwise. This exposure to exceptional talent gives you the ability to achieve better results.
4. More focus on the functionality of the app
Designing the app’s interface in-house means spending energy and resources on activities that have less to do with the app’s actual functionality. This makes the focus tilt towards UI and less time spend on the UX.
UX is not only about the design but also about interactivity and functionality. If an outsider handles the design stuff, you get to focus more on the functionality. This shift of focus will help you in the long run. Your app’s overall interface will benefit.
5. Independent talent has more experience
If you opt for an outsourced design partner, you’ll most hire independent talent. Independent contractors have very vast experience. They work with both small and large companies. And, if you find someone with experience in your industry, you’ll get industry-leading designs.
5 Steps on How to Find a Reliable Outsourced Design Partner?
Now that we’ve established the importance of outsourcing your design work – let’s see what steps should take before doing so. Here’s a list of things you must take into account before going with an outsourced design partner:
1. Define the goals, objectives, and scope of your design project.
It will give you clarity. Also, the project will stay on track.
2. Look for design agencies/independent designers through multiple channels.
Look for freelance contractors worldwide. Keep searching until you find someone who can work well with you and is okay with your budget. Channels such as Upwork, Behance, Dribbble, and LinkedIn will be your best friends!
3. Shortlist the most prominent contractors and ask for their bids.
You will shortlist very few contractors based on their portfolio and experience.
And, once you’ve shortlisted them, start negotiating the budget.
4. Close the deal with the best contractor.
The most common mistake that people make in this stage is that they go with the lowest bid. Instead, what you should do is to go with a contractor with the most relevant experience. Focus on expertise instead of price.
5. Assign a team member to the agency/contractor and get your work done.
Assigning someone from the development team will also be a good idea. It will ensure that the design works fine with the functionality of the web app.
Tips to Outsource Design
Business decisions must take with proper consideration. And, decisions as crucial as the design of your web/mobile app can make or break your business. Below are some tips that will help you make that decision a success.
- Keep your requirements clear and straightforward.
Having clarity in your goals and objectives about the project will help you get the most out of it. The design partner will be an outsider and will help to a limited extent. But, if you are clear about what you need from him, you’ll not be in trouble.
- Hire the right guy!
An ideal design partner is not the one who charges you the least amount of money but the one who is the most relevant to your niche. If you’re a healthcare startup, better hire someone with healthcare experience!
- Look for freelancers/agencies with a good amount of positive reviews.
Look for social proof. If people from different industries are praising them, they must have worked hard on their projects.
- Use industry-standard tools for monitoring the project progress.
Tools like JIRA, Harvest, and Dropbox will help you organize files that increase productivity. After all, it will not only be their responsibility to keep things on track.
- Try to include outside testers/reviewers for the designs.
Sometimes, people can not decide if the result is on par or substandard due to a lack of creative thinking. So, to bring in an out-of-the-box opinion, you can show the beta versions to users/outsiders. Their opinion may help in a way that could change the whole design. Also, you get to know how the users will feel about the look and feel of your site.
Conclusion
Your website is the first interaction of your customer with your business. The design of your website/app has played a vital role in your success. Good design can take your business to the next level. So, poor web design can take it down to its knees. Necessary efforts and strategies should go into designing your website.
Getting your website designed in-house has many disadvantages. You incur unnecessary costs and efforts. Needless time/money gets spent in activities such as training, onboarding, and paying salaries of the design team. It leads to a ton of unnecessary costs that you could save otherwise.
But, if you hire an agency or independent contractor, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is the quality of your design. You also get to invest your time and efforts into the core business activities – instead of worrying about your website’s design. They do the hustle and bustle of managing the designers. You get the results. And that too, professional. Designs produced by these people are top-notch – because they have vast experience in working with diverse clients.
Though hiring independent talent has its benefits, you will still need to take the necessary steps to ensure the quality of the work. You need to define your goals beforehand and track the project enough to meet your objectives. Staying on track with the deadlines is also another hurdle that may come your way.
But in a nutshell, it is far more efficient to go with the option to work with an outsourced partner instead of hiring an in-house team. You need to be more proactive with deadlines and stuff.
