Hire the Top 3% of Freelance User Research Designers

Toptal is a marketplace for top User Research Designers. Top companies and start-ups choose Toptal User Research freelancers for their mission-critical design projects.

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Hire Freelance User Research Designers

Calin Balea

User Research DesignerWireframingUser InterviewsWeb UIWeb App UIWeb App UXAndroid App DesignWeb DesignMobile WalletMobile UX DesignLogotypeBrandingAndroid UI Design

RomaniaToptal Member Since November 30, 2017

Calin is a product designer, lean UX practitioner, and brand design specialist with experience at startups and scale-ups. He's worked on end-to-end product design, from concept and strategy to usability testing to visual design. Calin works well with small teams and startup founders to iterate quickly, test early, and turn ideas into solid products.

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Gabriel Maldonado

User Research DesignerFigmaUser PersonasSaaSDesign SystemseCommerce UXMobile ApplicationsResponsive Web Design (RWD)Photoshop CCIllustrator CCUsability TestingMobileSketch

United StatesToptal Member Since March 28, 2019

Gabriel has an MBA in digital media management and spent a year overseeing the planning and execution of the first native mobile app for Sears Corporation. He specializes in UI/UX human-centered design solutions on internal and external platforms, offering maximum visibility and efficiency for clients. Gabriel also enhanced CareerBuilder's client platform based on extensive design research and UI/UX best practices.

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Alejandro Velasco

User Research DesignerPrototypingUI BrandingSketchInVisionVisual ArtResponsive UIMobile UXUser ResearchDigital DesignProduct DesignWeb DesignAdobe Illustrator

SpainToptal Member Since March 30, 2017

Alejandro is a passionate designer—a former industrial designer turned digital over the years—taking advantage of his skills in user-centered designs and interests in technology and digital image rendering. He's been working in the user interface field for more than eight years—specializing in working with teams to create visual and interaction languages. Nowadays, he's helping startups build their identities through their interfaces.

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Tatjana Zavadja

User Research DesignerUser ResearchUser InterviewsProduct DesigniOSUX DesignAndroidUsability TestingWireframingPrototypingInformation Architecture (IA)Responsive Web Design (RWD)Lean UX

FinlandToptal Member Since April 2, 2018

Design strategist and product person with over seven years of experience in designing various digital products, including enterprise-level fintech and procurement solutions. Tatjana works well with small teams and startup founders to iterate quickly, test early, and deliver fast. Her passion for entrepreneurship inspired her to organize UX Designers Camp, where she further polished her business, marketing, and leadership skills.

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Amy Mew

User Research DesignerSketchInDesign CCInVisionUsability TestingPersonasUser Journey MapsUser Experience (UX)User ResearchSitemapsInformation Architecture (IA)User FlowsWireframing

United StatesToptal Member Since May 30, 2019

Amy is a UX designer and researcher with over 15+ years of professional experience working with advertising and branding agencies on projects for small startups to Fortune 500. She has worked in-house and remotely with multidisciplinary teams of all sizes to help guide a product's functionality, development, content, and layout into an engaging, rewarding experience. Amy is always on the lookout for exciting and innovative collaborations.

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Strahil Hadzhiev

User Research DesignerWeb DesignUI DesignUser Experience (UX)User Interface (UI)UI MotionDashboard DesignFigmaAdobe Experience Design (XD)User InterviewsUser ResearchUX DesignMobile UX

United KingdomToptal Member Since March 22, 2019

Strahil is the proud owner of a small but powerful studio for design and development in Sofia, Bulgaria. His focus is mainly on design and project management, in addition to UX and UI. Before that, Strahil spent eight years in Los Angeles, California, working on various entertainment projects, including work for Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Viacom, Infiniti, Nissan, Sony, and others.

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Weiyun Hsu

User Research DesignerAxure RP ProFigmaUX DesigniOS App DesignUser ResearchWireframingInformation Architecture (IA)Photoshop CCPrototyping

TaiwanToptal Member Since January 22, 2018

For the past seven years, Weiyun has been working as a data-informed UX designer, mainly dealing with complicated, international services that create massive business growth and high user satisfaction. Weiyun's cross-cultural and international experience, working with giant companies, global agencies, and promising startups, has benefited her with a comprehensive perspective on product design.

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Mini Kim

User Research DesignerSketchOmniGraffleUX SketchingUser ResearchUX StrategyUsability TestingWeb UsabilityUser InterviewsUX ResearchUser Journey MapsUser FlowsPersonas

United StatesToptal Member Since July 19, 2018

Mini has worked with a diverse array of clients for over a decade in New York City. She enjoys learning about different industries and their unique challenges having worked with healthcare, finance, and technology companies amongst others. Mini believes strongly that UX is about collaboration between the business, users, and technology. In every project, she uses various UX methods and deliverables to get the best results.

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Chris Mismash

User Research DesignerCommunicationProduct DesignUser Experience (UX)Information Architecture (IA)UX StrategySaaS DesignDigital StrategyTechnical Project ManagementUser ResearchFigmaUser Interface (UI)UI Design

United StatesToptal Member Since September 1, 2017

As a creator of software-based products for almost two decades, Chris has worked on some truly amazing projects. His passion for putting the customer first has resulted in products used by millions. Along the way, Chris has been noted as a member of innovators 40 people under 40, had products noted as "Excellent 4/5" from PC Mag, and has built award-winning consumer products.

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... allows corporations to quickly assemble teams that have the right skills for specific projects.

Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.

Our clients
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Thierry Jakicevic
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Testimonials

Michael is an incredible designer, and has been a great fit for our project. He just gets it in a way that can’t be taught. My goal was to pay Toptal to find me a high quality designer for my project, and that is exactly what happened. It was easy. Being able to see the portfolio work on Toptal’s platform is what gave me the infomation I needed to choose Michael. I have nothing but good things to say about Toptal and am looking forward to using Toptal for other projects in the future.

Edward Daniel, Co-Founder

improvemygun.com

I've worked very closely with Martina for over a year and have to say she is one of the best people I have ever worked with. Instead of simply following instructions blindly, she thinks through the task at hand, becoming a thought partner to help with whatever the project may be. Besides being super talented at design, she possesses specific qualities that make her exceptional to work with given the fast paced nature of being a startup. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a talented, professional designer who doesn't need much direction to hit the ground running.

Sahil Khanna, Sr. Manager, Marketing

LeanTaaS, Inc.

Darko did a great job figuring out the user architecture for our concept, which led him to produce terrific wireframes. His knowledge of usability and design was a perfect match for the outside voice we needed to help jumpstart our project. We would certainly recommend him and work with him again in the future.

Rich Danker, Founder

Prose Market

Carlos has the unique talent of blending both quantitative and qualitative research to keenly identify UX challenges and opportunities. He thinks methodically, emphatically, and holistically to produce data-driven strategies and well-executed designs. Over the past 8 years of working with fully or partially distributed teams, Carlos manages working remotely far better than anyone I've encountered because of his strong communication and presentation skills. He is the first on my list the next time I need a UX designer.

Michelle Krogmeier, Project Manager

Union Station

Rafael is an amazing designer. His aesthetic sense is spot on, and he seems to be able to anticipate our needs before we even know what they are. He's taken the time to understand both our company and our clientele, and his solutions are consistently in-line with our values, interests, and our customers' needs. He delivers on time (if not earlier), works quickly, is well organized, and very effective. He's a pleasure to work with, and we're very happy to have found him through Toptal.

Ethan Brooks, CTO

Langlotz Patent & Trademark Works, Inc.

Toptal gave us access to the best designers out there. They’re not easy to find. Those designers integrated very quickly with our existing teams. They very quickly understood our business case and the value of our solution. Toptal really allowed us to focus on building the best possible product and save a lot of time on the typical administrative pains that goes with it -- specifically, finding the best talent. Toptal designers were very responsive, always online -- and that made life very easy for us. We have ambitious goals on how to grow the application and already Toptal has been a key contributor to that success.

Thierry Jakircevic, General Manager, Digital Solutions, Bridgestone Head Office, Tokyo

Bridgestone Corporation

We had an amazing experience working with our Toptal designer. In only two weeks, we accomplished what would've taken most companies 3 months to complete. We also enjoyed working with the Toptal team to make sure we were paired up with the right designer that would fit both our company culture and working style.

Ted Blosser, Head of Sales and Customer Success

WorkRamp

Dean blew us away. He ranks right up there as one of the top five designers of the hundreds I have worked with in the past. He listened, was totally professional, and came up with a 3D rotating cube design completely on his own. We didn't even ask for it, and yet it has become the centerpiece of our app and how users engage with it right off the bat. What he produced inspired all of us at Votify, and put us on track for launch and investor funding.

Michael Lawrence, Founder & CEO

Votify LLC

How to Hire User Research Designers through Toptal

1

Talk to One of Our Industry Experts

A Toptal director of design will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.
2

Work With Hand-Selected Talent

Within days, we'll introduce you to the right user research designer for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new user research designer for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.

FAQs

  • How are Toptal user research designers different?

    At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our user research designers to ensure we only match you with talent of the highest caliber. Of the more than 100,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. You'll work with design experts (never generalized recruiters or HR reps) to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. The end result: expert vetted talent from our network, custom matched to fit your business needs. Start now.

  • Can I hire user research designers in less than 48 hours through Toptal?

    Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a user research designer within 48 hours of signing up. Start now.

  • What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal user research designers?

    We make sure that each engagement between you and your user research designer begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you're completely satisfied with the results, we'll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you'd like. If you're not completely satisfied, you won't be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial. Start now.

  • What type of talent does Toptal have?

    Our platform hosts a diverse group of skill sets, experiences, and backgrounds. Our freelancers range from software engineers, user experience designers, project management experts, and product managers to finance experts who have worked at leading companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and many more. Our senior UX researchers are highly skilled in design processes in UX/UI, visual design, and user research. They also have years of experience in research methods to build high quality digital products such as mobile apps, e-commerce stores, landing pages, and SaaS and web applications.

  • What other services does Toptal provide?

    Besides our talent matching services, we also provide web and application development services like a development company. Through our Toptal Projects team, we assemble cross-functional teams of senior project managers, web developers, app developers, user interface designers, and freelancers with other technical skills. Our team members follow a well-defined development process to build a fully functional solution.

Tap Into World-Class Talent

  • Trusted Experts Only

    All of our talent are seasoned experts who ramp up quickly, readily contribute as core team members, and work with you to minimize onboarding time.

  • The Right Fit

    We have a knack for matching you with the right fit. Start working with your new hire on a no-risk trial period, paying only if satisfied.

  • Scale as Needed

    Hire in under 2 weeks and scale your team up or down as needed, no strings attached.

  • Seamless Hiring

    We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDA’s. Let us take care of the overhead while you focus on building great products.

  • Flexible Engagements

    Choose the engagement type that suits your needs — hourly, part-time, or full-time — with the ability to change anytime.

  • Expert Talent Matching

    Focus on your project and enjoy support from your dedicated account executive and expert talent matcher.

Top User Research Designers are in High Demand.

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