Toptal is a marketplace for clients to find website designers and web design services in the world. Each Toptal freelance web designer is thoroughly vetted and trusted by top companies for their most critical web design projects.
Michael is an experienced creative director with over 20 years of industry experience in all aspects of the design process. He's gained his experience by founding a web design agency as well as working for a larger global telco organization as their creative digital lead. Michael has an acute sense of visual design aesthetics and strives for continuous improvement outcomes—this experience has led to his own startup initiatives.
Liz is a visual designer and self-taught web developer with a background. She focuses on shaping functional, attractive, and useful user experiences using her thorough knowledge of design principles, digital and print processes, web design, color, iconography, and corporate identity. A life-long learner who's savvy in tech and design, she values sharing knowledge and ideas with cross-functional teams and individuals.
United StatesToptal Member Since September 17, 2021
Karen's 18-year journey in tech uniquely blends UI/UX design with AI, impacting millions. At PicsArt, his designs captivated a global audience, while Alias AI showcases his innovative use of technology in design. His leadership roles, including those at Joomag and ventures like Memopin, highlight his ability to drive user engagement through thoughtful design. Karen's approach reflects a deep understanding of user needs and a commitment to leveraging technology to enhance the digital experience.
Chris is a full-stack UI/UX product designer and art director with 15+ years of international experience. His expertise includes UI, UX, mobile (iOS and Android) and web design, advertising, and branding. Chris has planned, designed, and shipped B2C and B2B products for startups like Curve and multinationals like Meetup. His industry experience includes fintech, gaming, real estate, and transportation. Originally from Australia, Chris has spent time in New York and is now based in London.
United StatesToptal Member Since November 10, 2015
Fernando is an art director with more than nine years of experience working for major brands in the US and global advertising agencies. He combines his knowledge as an art director in the fashion and luxury industries with current tech and web design trends. Fernando has helped multiple brands build their identity and full online presence from the ground up.
Dainius is a digital product and web designer with 14 years of experience. He has helped digital companies and startups to boost their revenues and acquire new users by making the right design choices. He has a great understanding of digital marketing, SEO, and front-end coding, which helps immensely when working in small teams with developers or decision-makers.
Kriss is a seasoned UI/UX product designer with more than 15 years of experience under his belt. He specializes in apps, particularly for fintech, lifestyle, travel, legal tech, and SaaS companies. His portfolio includes innovative projects with renowned brands like Shell and Virgin Money. Kriss is a passionate and innovative designer who strives to create designs that not only look great but also provide a seamless user experience.
Since 2010, Roman has been working as a product designer for startups and some of the largest companies worldwide, such as Vogue, Oriflame, Socialbakers, and more. He specializes in clean and functional mobile apps and eye-catching web designs. Roman joined Toptal to work with companies that value a human approach and have a strong passion for design and life.
Bojan is a zealous visual designer who freelances for clients worldwide and specializes in UI/UX, websites, mobile apps, and motion graphics design with 7+ years of experience. He is passionate about working on creative designs, overcoming challenges, and solving real users' problems that help companies scale. Bojan's creativity, promptness, quality, and responsiveness are only some of the strengths that attract clients to him.
Raoul is a product and UI/UX designer with ten years of experience, focusing on creating purpose-led apps and websites that stand out through user-friendly experiences and creative details. He has extensive design experience in various fields and environments through seven years of international freelance design work. Raoul works cross-disciplinary to provide the best possible solution to problems while always prioritizing usability.
Holly is a senior digital designer who has worked for multiple digital agencies in Sydney. Her expertise covers the entire digital product design process for both websites and mobile apps, including brand, UI/UX, and interaction design. Holly is passionate about creating products with strong visual identities and works to create seamless and intuitive experiences.
Web designers are experts at creating and maintaining online content. This guide to hiring web designers features an overview of relevant skills, job description tips, and interview questions and answers that will help you identify the best candidates for your company.
... 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
Creating an app for the game
Leading a digital transformation
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer
What our clients think
Clients Rate Toptal Web Designers4.4 / 5.0on average across 4,467 reviews as of Mar 30, 2024
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 Web 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 web designer for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3
The Right Fit, Guaranteed
Work with your new web designer for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.
Find Experts With Related Skills
Access a vast pool of skilled designers in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.
Typically, you can hire a web designer with Toptal in about 48 hours. Our talent matchers are experts in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.
Once you select your web designer, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.
How are Toptal web designers different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our web designers to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut.
In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship.
When you hire a web designer with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched designers ready to help you achieve your goals.
How do I hire freelance web designers?
To hire a freelance website designer, define the goals for your web design project, and identify the skills and experience level needed to complete it. Write a job description and post it on job boards. As candidates apply, review résumés and portfolios, and invite the strongest candidates to interview. Once you’ve found the right candidate for your web design project, make an offer.
How much does it cost to hire a web designer?
Web designer rates vary depending on the project scope, timeline, and the web designer’s geography. Some web designers charge hourly rates, while others charge a flat project fee. In general, more experienced and accomplished web designers charge more for their services. As a point of reference, Glassdoor lists the average salary for web designers in the United States to be $75,733 as of November 15, 2023.
What industries do web designers work in?
Web designers work in all industries and sectors, such as technology, e-commerce, media, marketing, and more. Every online business requires a website, whether their style of commerce is B2B, B2C, or government contracting, as the demand for visually appealing and user-friendly websites is essential for businesses in the digital age.
How in demand is web design?
Top web designers are in high demand due to the billion-plus existing websites and the many commercial and organizational sites that need to be created, maintained, and updated every year. In the US, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported 97,350 web designers in 2022.
Muhammad is a full-stack product designer who helps companies—from startups to enterprises—build world-class products with exceptional CX and UX. His past clients include Kraft Heinz and BCG.
There are more than 1 billion websites, and more are created every year. Well-designed, easy-to-use websites are crucial touchpoints between organizations and their audiences, whether users go online to make a purchase, find information, make an appointment, or complete other tasks. In the retail space, for instance, e-commerce sales are predicted to account for 24% of all retail sales by 2026.
To stay competitive, businesses need individuals with design expertise to create, maintain, and update content such as business websites, e-commerce platforms, blogs, and landing pages—generating significant demand for skilled web designers. According to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 2022, 97,350 UI/UX designers were employed in the US alone.
Identifying and hiring web designers can be challenging. In this guide, we describe the key skills and qualities employers should look for when hiring freelance and remote designers to help develop websites and user interfaces. These qualities include tool mastery, depth of portfolio, business savvy, creativity, meticulous approach, knowledge of rapidly evolving technology, and most importantly, a focus on the user.
What attributes distinguish quality Web Designers from others?
What you look for when hiring a professional web designer will depend on the particular needs of your project. However, many skills and qualities are essential for any design project. Designers with these abilities stand out:
User-centric Mindset
The best websites combine usability and utility, meaning they are easy to use and enable users to achieve what they set out to do. Even if you plan to hire a dedicated user experience expert, look for web designers who prioritize user and customer needs in all their design work.
In résumés and interviews, you can recognize a user-centric mindset and expertise from phrases such as user experience (UX) design and user-centered design (UCD). Even better, when you review candidates’ portfolios, notice whether their work samples connect to user needs or whether the designs focus only on aesthetics without serving a clear purpose.
Business and Marketing Savvy
In addition to understanding the needs of users, look for web designer candidates who understand business priorities, such as optimizing conversions, increasing time on site, and building brand credibility. Designers should learn what a business wants to achieve with its online presence and the business’s marketing plans to achieve these objectives. They then align design strategy with business goals.
Creativity and Problem-solving
Creativity is an essential skill for any designer. It helps them solve problems, ask the right questions, incorporate user and stakeholder feedback, and find innovative solutions that support user needs and business goals. The design process—from identifying goals to the development of wireframes to polishing the final product—is iterative, and designers encounter and resolve problems along the way.
Attention to Detail
Minor details matter in design. A meticulous attention to detail is especially important when you hire a remote web designer because they will work with less direct supervision than on-site staff. You can identify this quality from the sites in a designer’s portfolio, as well as during the interview process.
Aesthetic Sensibility
Visual aspects of design are extremely important. Aesthetics can spark an emotional response—which has been shown to influence purchasing decisions—and users often form an impression of a website in less than a minute. Strong visual elements like effective typography and imagery can help users process information. Designers with an aesthetic sensibility and a clear vision of what a site should look like can forge the path toward success.
How can you identify the ideal Web Designer for you?
While finding the best web designer for your project can be challenging, the considerations below can help you determine the project’s needs and identify the right fit:
Junior and Senior Talent
Depending on budget and other project constraints like team size and talent availability, you may need different levels of experience in web designers.
Senior designers have both broader and deeper experience, and are better able to craft a coherent vision of how a site should appear. They have superior mastery of the overall design process. Veteran designers are more capable of handling a variety of problems and circumstances, and are better-suited for leading teams and projects. On the other hand, junior designers are more likely to be current with the latest tools and trends. Less-experienced designers can do a great job on assignments that closely match their particular skills and knowledge.
Talent Requirements
By matching the skill sets and designer qualities described above, you can maximize your chances of hiring top talent, whether at the junior or senior level. When searching for the right freelance web designer, begin by identifying the specific skills needed on a per-project basis—and which skills your team may lack that a freelance designer can bring to the table.
Designer-Project Match
There are several considerations when matching candidates with projects. For example, if you’ve already chosen a design tool suite, candidates must have experience with the relevant tools and software. Even without a predetermined tool set, candidates should have up-to-date experience with popular tools and packages. Industry experience in your particular commercial sector is also important, as is a portfolio with websites similar in form and function to the one you intend to create or update.
Will the hire be a developer as well as a designer? Will they perform their own user research, or will they work alongside a UX specialist? The answers to these questions will help determine the skills to look for when screening applicants. For additional support, talent agencies are well versed in matching candidates with projects that fit their skills and expertise.
How to Write a Web Designer Job Description for Your Project
The leading job boards and agencies have templates for web designer job descriptions that you can customize for your project. Some key competencies to include are:
Mastery of relevant design tools
Web designers may use a combination of tools to create visually appealing, functional websites. If you need a designer with experience using a particular tool, list that in the job posting as a required skill. Figma and Sketch are prominent web design tools. In addition, consider whether your project requires experience with a website builder such as Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, or Webflow, or an image editing tool like Adobe Photoshop.
Experience with responsive web design
Responsive web design ensures that content adapts to the user’s screen size whether they’re on a desktop, mobile phone, or tablet. This is essential for ensuring content is accessible and user-friendly regardless of device. According to StatCounter, more than half of web traffic worldwide is driven by mobile devices.
Emphasize the terms responsive design or adaptive design to ensure candidates can design for multiple device types and screen sizes. If you’re also looking for design support for a mobile app in addition to web design, include that in the job description.
Strong communication and presentation skills
These skills are especially important for design leads and remote hires, but all designers should cultivate strong communication skills and be able to articulate design decisions and rationales to key stakeholders.
Ability to work effectively in a collaborative environment
No designer works in a vacuum. Creative feedback is an essential aspect of design iteration and refinement. Most web projects include designers from multiple disciplines (such as graphic designers and UX experts), along with stakeholders from nondesign departments such as sales, marketing, and engineering.
What are the most important Web Designer interview questions?
While you screen web designers’ suitability for your project using résumés and portfolios, the interview process is crucial to confirm these assessments and to validate their soft skills—consider questions such as:
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a designer?
This question allows you to get to know candidates’ more in-depth, and it gives them an opportunity to highlight what skills they would bring to the project. Look for strengths such as the ability to balance user needs and business objectives, creativity, and attention to detail. This answer to this question will also give you a sense of each designer’s growth areas.
How do you employ a user focus in website design? Please give some examples of user research or incorporating user feedback in your past projects.
User research is a crucial resource for web design. Asking about a designer’s specific experience with incorporating user feedback can give you an inside look into their approach. Top candidates are familiar with user research techniques such as interviews, surveys, or usability testing, as well as the use of personas or empathy maps.
Do you understand the business goals for this project? Please explain your impression of our needs.
While the designer may not yet know your business’s unique goals, they should understand the general goals of businesses in your sector. The answer to this question can help you understand whether a candidate is the right designer for a particular project.
How do you go about solving design problems? Please give some examples of creative problem-solving you’ve performed on other projects.
Challenges will arise in any web design project. Stories about problems that the designer encountered in past projects—and how they overcame those issues—will give you insight into how they will manage future obstacles. This question also gives candidates a chance to showcase their use of creativity to accomplish business goals and maximize the utility and usability of the website.
How do you approach a new web design project from start to finish?
Web designers should have mastered every project phase from inception and ideation to site maintenance. Responses to this question reveal a candidate’s ability to see a project through and can provide a feel for how they collaborate and communicate during all the steps in between.
How do you ensure a seamless experience across different devices and screen sizes?
Users may access your content from various devices, and a poor experience can cause them to navigate away. Ensuring usability across devices and screen sizes is a prerequisite for web design. Designers should understand the importance of responsive design and be able to speak to their experience with ensuring a smooth experience across screen sizes.
Why do companies hire Web Designers?
A strong online presence is no longer a nice-to-have for businesses. Consumers expect to be able to access information and make purchases online. Web designers fill an important need: designing and maintaining aesthetically appealing, user friendly, on-brand websites that support business goals—paying meticulous attention to detail in all phases of development.
While staffing a web design project can be challenging for business owners and hiring managers, outlining your specific needs and goals will help you find the right designer to deliver value for your company.
