Things to Consider When Choosing a UI/UX Design Outsourcing Partner
Given the disruptions of the past couple of years, finding and hiring an efficient UI/UX design outsourcing partner could prove to be an uphill task.
There are a couple of pros to outsourcing UI/UX that not many speak about. So let’s get down to brass tacks. Why should you outsource your design and how do you find the ideal UI/UX design outsourcing partner? Fret not; we have your back.
Here is a comprehensive account of how and why to go about outsourcing UI UX design and the value it can offer your business. So let’s get to it!
Why does your digital touchpoint need a great UI/UX
Business goals have increasingly become intertwined with user acceptance and in the case of a digital touchpoint, a good UI/UX is imperative.
If a user does not feel safe and comfortable while interacting with your digital product, it could spell doom for your conversion rates. UI and UX are one of the first few thighs that a user observes once he lands on your website/app and the adage of a first impression being the last impression is all too true in this case.
A great UI/UX will be able to emote trustworthiness, security, efficiency and can also strengthen brand value and perception. According to recent stats, a company that invests in design surpasses the S&P stock market by index by a massive 228%.
The advantages of outsourcing UI/UX design
The battle between in-house development and UI/UX design outsourcing has raged on for quite some time now. While some organizations feel that the security of working with an in-house team can never be equaled by bringing an outsourcing partner on board, the numbers tell a different story.
A report from Statista states that the IT outsourcing segment’s revenue is expected to reach $500 billion in 2025. These massive numbers are clear indicators of the steady growth of the UI/UX design outsourcing industry and yet there exist puritans who swear by the virtues of in-house development.
Contrary to the conservative belief that UI UX design outsourcing is merely in vogue for the here and now, we believe that it holds significant strategic and real-world value for enterprises of all scales and verticals for many years to come. This section touches upon the advantages that UI/UX design outsourcing offers development initiatives.
There are a great many positive aspects to consider when it comes to UI/UX design outsourcing. The following are examples of some of them:
1. Reduction in expenses
The answer to how much does it cost to outsource UI UX design, is, not much! When compared to western countries like the United States, the cost of living in a number of the leading offshore outsourcing destinations, such as India and the Philippines, is significantly lower. If you want to engage a UI/UX design business in one of these nations, it will definitely have an effect on the total costs of developing the product.
2. Access to an incredible pool of talent
Outsourcing UI/UX design services opens up a global pool of developers that are skilled, experienced, and extremely gifted. These professionals are very knowledgeable about the technologies that are already in use, and they also continually expand their skill sets in response to developments in technology. India has risen to the position of world leader in the field of information technology outsourcing, with a lion’s share of the market.
3. Improved concentration on the primary business
Your focus is going to be pulled away from the operations that are most important to your actual business if you have an in-house team working on the same premises as you do. You would have to split the resources with the rest of the staff, and it’s possible that the business hours would need to be rearranged.
Outsourcing custom UI/UX design makes it feasible for a team to work on building your software in a different location without resulting in any disruptions of the current workflow, which is preferable.
4. Make the most of every minute of the day
Imagine a scenario in which your company works for the first half of the day, and the UI UX design team works in some other area of the world for the second half of the day. It means that each minute of the day is put to use in order to further the growth of your company.
Another advantage of outsourcing is that it shortens the amount of time required to bring a product to market, which, in the end, results in the highest possible return on investment.
5. A high degree of adaptability
The freedom of utilising the services of designers in a manner that is tailored to your requirements is yet another advantage brought about by outsourcing UI/UX design. Outsourcing enables businesses to hire design pros on a contractual basis according to their specific needs. The advantage of reducing the amount of time needed to bring a product to market is massive.
What to check before hiring a UI UX design outsourcing partner?
Now that you’ve taken the foundational steps to building UI/UX, it’s time to begin searching for an adept UI/UX design partner to render your design vision. Let’s look at the three essential criteria you need to check for before hiring a UI UX design partner.
1. Experience and expertise
Hiring a firm with vetted experience and hands-on expertise is a must-have. Check for partners with prior experience working on a project similar to the desired output, market segment, and scope.
2. Portfolio
Make it a point to carefully review every prospective partner’s portfolio, as this will give you insight into their skill levels, knowledge, and capabilities. Remember to ask potential partners about at least three of their past projects and ask them to detail their duties and responsibilities.
Ask them to talk about their preferred work style and if they have any personal tech-based achievements. Remember that you can check apps developed by them on a mobile app device for added assurance and even peruse through reviews for a real-world perspective.
3. Soft skills
Soft skills are as important as hard skills. Hire partners with values in congruence with your company ethos and culture. This eliminates or at the very least reduces management issues and speeds up the development process. Being respectful, proactive, and having the zeal to overcome issues are soft skills that are highly desirable when hiring a UI UX design partner.
Approachability, critical thinking, respect for deadlines, the ability to work with your teams, persistence, and diligence are also must-have soft skills.
4. Project approach
Seeing how your potential UI/UX design partner approaches a task will give essential insights into how and prepare to kick-off your UI UX design project with the service provider.
A great design is the foundation of a successful product and the approach your potential outsourcing partner takes towards your project is a deciding factor of success.
5. Recruitment process
Get your service provider to clarify their recruiting process and how they select the ideal human resources for each project.
Make sure to scan for any loopholes and associated hidden costs. The team you bring onboard should be flexible, scalable and most importantly capable. Leading UI/UX design firms employ the top 1% of the world’s UI UX design talent capital.
6. Detailed onboarding
Your potential service provider’s onboarding processes should include a detailed review of your expectations as a client, reporting procedures, quality standards, and orientation to the client company’s culture.
7. Team dynamic
Every organization has different degrees of abilities and maturity in their teams. Your potential outsourcing partner needs to comprehend your enterprise’s arrangements, strengths, and even weaknesses to fill need-gaps and meet requirements, ensuring that the collaboration progresses smoothly and effectively.
8. Scalability
Your service provider’s teams should be flexible and scalable (both up and down) to facilitate rapid project completion.
The service provider should clearly understand how to manage their “bench” and should provide you with info on the rate at which they can deploy talent to your project.
9. Crystal clear communication
Effective and lucid communication channels that enable two-way conversation are critical to project success. You have a’ hands down’ winner if your potential outsourcing partner has a transparent communication process augmented with the right tools.
10. Cost viability
Your outsourcing initiative should decrease costs by half on average and reduce your employee burn rate for a similar output. Note that payrolls aren’t a fixed cost in the outsourcing sphere but are variable, relying upon your immediate requirements.
11. Robust support
Don’t forget to ask your potential outsourcing partners how they intend to deal with updates and redesigns after the product is delivered. An efficient after-sales support team is mandatory to maintain product health.
Wrapping up
An in-house team does have its moments of glory given the ease of communication and sense of security that it offers. You know that your team is going to show up at your premises every day and work until your project is complete. However, this advantage, once only offered by an in-house team, is now offered by an ideal UI/UX design outsourcing partner as well.
The reputation of a UI/UX design outsourcing partner is on the line every time they take up a new project. World-class UI UX Design is their core business, and as organizations wishing to progress, they make sure that their delivery of the project matches all criteria of quality, stability, on-time delivery, maintenance, and support so as to stand out from the competition.
In the end, it is entirely up to you, the stakeholder, to decide between the options of an in-house team or an outsourcing partner. But wait for stellar UI/UX design, you need the right tag-team partner. Here is where we step in.
