Essential tips for choosing a web designer: freelance or agency.

When embarking on a digital project, there are many topics that need to be addressed. It's difficult to be on top of everything yourself, which is why delegating some tasks often becomes necessary.

It makes sense to delegate the most time-consuming and technical tasks. Indeed, relying on a professional for complex tasks will make the biggest difference compared to doing things yourself, both in terms of time spent and the results achieved.
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Among these complex tasks is the design of the digital product, whether it's a website or an application. Engaging a professional web designer is the natural choice to create a product that is optimized and effective for users. A web designer must demonstrate numerous combined expertises to bring to life a product that performs even better than initially imagined.

If needed, here's an article that presents everything you need to know about web design.

So, one question remains: how to find the right web designer? In this article, we provide you with a list of skills to look for and a comparison between what you can expect from a freelancer versus an agency.

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I. Web Designer Skills

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1. Web project management

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The web design process has many varied steps and components. These components must be orchestrated in the best way to ask the right questions while being efficient and productive.

Therefore, it is essential that the web designer you work with is very well organized. They must have comprehensive and cross-functional knowledge of all the steps involved in web design. This way, their time estimates will be more precise and relevant.

Thus, the web designer must be able to take on the role of product manager or product owner to lead your project to success.

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2. Essential UX skills for a web designer

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A good web designer will be able to conduct in-depth work on the user experience (UX) you wish to offer.

This UX work uses various processes such as UX Mapping, User Journey analysis, and the implementation of numerous tests. These allow the web designer to define as precisely as possible what you want to create and who your target audience is, in order to design the most effective and high-performing wireframe.

Reminder: the wireframe is the skeleton of your digital project: it represents its structure and hierarchy purely at an organizational level.

Today, it is also crucial that the web designer you work with creates a wireframe dedicated to desktop navigation and a wireframe dedicated to mobile navigation. Indeed, the codes and conventions are not the same for these two navigation modes.

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3. The Design Skills Needed to Be a Good Web Designer

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It is generally recommended to work with a web designer who has the necessary UI skills to style their mock-up, in addition to the UX skills mentioned above.

Reminder: UI stands for User Interface. This term refers to the elements that are seen by the user and with which they interact.

A web designer with UI skills will be able to transform a wireframe into a ready-to-use mock-up. They therefore know, among other things:

- Create and develop a graphic charter (logos, fonts, colorimetry…)

- Apply this to style a wireframe in an engaging and appealing way

- Design graphic and visual elements to perfect the website's aesthetic

- Optimize usability through aesthetics, not the other way around

Today, Figma is universally recognized as the most comprehensive and optimized tool for web design as a whole. Here's an article that explains what Figma is and its advantages.

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4. Cross-functional skills that make a difference in web design

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In addition to comprehensive UI/UX designer and project manager skills, a well-rounded web designer also possesses knowledge that will ensure the success of your website:

- Understanding of the software development environment. Knowing how to communicate effectively with developers is essential. Ideally, they should be able to discuss various topics: hosting, software architecture, back-end and front-end development, and development on no-code tools (Webflow, WordPress, Wix, etc.). This saves everyone a lot of time and ensures a coded result that is faithful to the mock-ups.
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- Knowledge of accessibility issues. A good product is accessible to everyone. As such, a good web designer takes into consideration the various disabilities and situations that users may face. This way, they design a product that any internet user can navigate comfortably. We'll explain everything about digital accessibility in our dedicated article.
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- SEO knowledge. More and more people are offering their products or services online. It is therefore all the more important to optimize digital products from the design stage for their natural search engine optimization in the future. To learn more about the subject, you can check out our complete guide to SEO.

You now have a good overview of the skills and knowledge that make an ideal web designer! This provides insights for selecting the right person. Let's now compare what to expect when working with a freelancer versus an agency.

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II. The differences between a freelance web designer and a web design agency

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1. Freelancer and agency: two different approaches

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Generally, a freelancer can be fully dedicated to your project. They often work quickly because finishing one project allows them to start a new one. You will therefore often get a quick and efficient result. Be careful, you also run the risk of never seeing a result because freelancers' commitment can fluctuate.

The process might be slightly longer initially with an agency. However, working with an agency guarantees a result. In the vast majority of cases, this ensures a high-quality product because agencies have all the necessary experts for the project in-house. Finally, this offers the advantage of being able to centralize various services if needed : design, development, SEO…

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2. What is the cost for a freelance web designer, what is the cost for a web design agency?

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No matter who you work with, the amount to allocate to the web design of your digital project primarily depends on the project itself.

Creating a showcase website for an association does not require the same time or effort as designing a cryptocurrency comparison and storage application, for example.

That said, both types of providers will charge a daily rate (TJM - average daily rate) based on their practice. The daily rate itself depends on the provider's experience, skills, location, positioning, and the tools they use.

With a freelance web designer, expect to pay between €300 and €700 per day for good quality work. A project without major complexity is completed in 1 to 3 months.

With a web agency, expect to pay between €400 and €800 per day worked. A project without major complexity is then completed in 1 to 4 months.

The fact that an agency has multiple contributors with complementary skills justifies the difference and compensates for it in terms of reliability and quality of the delivered product.

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3. How to choose the right web designer for your project?

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In this article, we have listed all the technical elements to pay attention to when selecting your web designer.

However, the most important thing is that you want to work with your web designer and that you trust them.

The attention and interest a web designer gives to your project is crucial. The human connection is very important, as is ensuring that the person you're working with is motivated by the project you're undertaking!

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III. Frequently Asked Questions

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1. What is a web designer?

A web designer is someone who handles the design of a digital product, website, or application. This person must have diverse cross-functional skills and/or be well-supported to lead the project to success.

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2. Why look for a web designer?

A web designer is essential for the success of your digital project because they know how to work with all related stakeholders and understand user experience. A web designer often acts as a digital project manager and possesses the UI/UX skills necessary to successfully complete it.

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3. How to do web design?

Web design is a complex discipline, comprising several interconnected fields. Web design involves working on the entire process of creating a digital product. To pursue this field, it's recommended to join a web design agency or a company in need of a web designer.

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4. How much does a web designer cost?

A web designer typically costs between €350 and €550 per day worked on your project. The amount primarily depends on the tasks to be completed, as well as their skills and experience.

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We hope this article has helped you in your search for the ideal web designer. To discuss this with us, contact us !