Why You Should Hire UI/UX Consulting Specialists

Let me start by clarifying that User Interface Designer and User Experience Designer are different things.

Normally, UI and UX specialists consult on different topics. But many of them happen to be UI designers previously and combine UI/UX designer skills. Such specialists are competent in both areas.

UX design consultants identify the needs, habits, and emotional state of product users. Such specialists compare user needs with business goals, product challenges, and alternatives in the market.

UI specialists use the information provided by a client and researcher about the target audiences and their needs to do magic and create a clear, well-structured, and interactive look for a project.

Knowing the difference will save your time and resources on deciding on who you need and why to hire one or the other specialist.

Now, since it is clear who is who, read about why and when you may need the help of a UI/UX web design consulting professional.

You might wonder, why should you spend time and resources on a consultant instead of hiring a UI/UX engineer to do the work?

If you are sure your product or service is going to be an overnight success, you will probably spend the budget on a full-time specialist. But when you are experimenting with offers and target audiences, hiring a web design consulting specialist might be more convenient.

I have come across 4 cases when owners choose consulting services for business.

1. A fresh pair of eyes at a certain development phase. You may have only one full-time employee who volunteered or was assigned to perform UI or UX work. Most likely, you will need a consultant's help to audit the results and help meet quality requirements.

2. Discovery phase. We practice this phase at Solvd. Our clients receive assistance in developing their product ideas or improving a minimum viable product (MVP) concept. At this stage of the customer journey, consultants resolve UX and architecture issues working in cooperation with a business analyst.

If clients choose this consulting service, they may expect to get a good development basis. It will involve User Stories, Personas and diagrams, non-functional requirements, high-level wireframes, architect reviews, and high-level project estimation.

3. Sharing expertise. Clients may need in-depth knowledge of consultants to do UX research and draw up a strategy. Experts can share UI/UX best practices and provide tips on gathering, organizing, and analyzing valuable data.

I call this case design strategy consulting. The UI/UX expertise of external specialists helps business owners plan meaningful product and service development steps.

4. Shaping an in-house team. It frequently happens that clients outsource MVP when they are not sure about a project's success and test business ideas. As projects mature, owners decide to hire UI/UX design specialists in house. They need team leads who have worked over an MVP and can consult throughout the migration process.

If that is your case, a design consulting specialist will help you create a workspace and establish business processes, given that your project is scaling up and the number of employees is growing.

But remember, you as a client should have already hired your key employees who will form the backbone of your future product team.

It is hard to predict the exact responsibilities of a UI or UX consultant on your project. Anyway, the KPI of a professional consultant is the ability to unearth a working solution for your problem.

You gain expert vision and suggestions of using proven methods for your project success:

• A UI/UX consultant contributes in-depth expertise to your project.
  
  
• A professional consultant works independently, and you spend less time supervising the work.
  
  
• The price for consulting services is adequate, which allows you to save on hiring an entire team from the start.
  

The work of a UX design consulting specialist is investigative by nature. A professional will get to the core of your problem using universal methods.

Although the methods and tools suit many cases, increasing the chances to find a working solution, you should consider the likely risks:

• A consultant may lack experience in any specific area.
  
  
• Consulting doesn't deliver a ready-to-use product; it shows you the path.
  
  
• You need a specialist with ample skills in UI/UX, or you risk paying money for little value

If you have clearly defined the task, assessed the risks, and planned your budget, you are likely to know why you need UI or UX consulting services, and you can start looking for a consultant.

That is quite simple. You need to find a person who has already solved UI and UX issues similar to what you've faced.

Your business can find such specialists in the same way as you recruit developers for a new project. The most important thing that distinguishes a high-quality UI/UX design services consultant is current work in a team on a real-life project. Theoretical knowledge is not very effective without practical skills.