You’re building a new digital product, or maybe you need to improve an existing one. You need a stellar UX designer or product designer to help you do so.
So the big question becomes: should you hire an in-house product designer, work with a freelancer, or partner with a design agency? Let’s break down the pros and cons of each model so you can make the right decision for your team.
Whether you're a startup founder, a design leader, or a product owner, getting your design strategy right is crucial. Here are some insights to help guide your decision-making process.
Hiring an in-house product designer
An in-house designer is a full-time employee embedded deeply within your company's culture and processes. They’re like a chef who knows every spice in your cabinet.
Pros of hiring an in-house designer
- Full-time focus and expertise: An in-house designer lives and breathes your product's journey, offering consistent attention and accumulating deep product knowledge.
- Cultural alignment: They align with your long-term vision, embodying your brand's ethos.
- Seamless collaboration: They can collaborate more seamlessly across departments.
Cons of hiring an in-house designer
- Costly: Hiring a full-time employee is expensive (salary + benefits + taxes)
- Training and development: You’ll need to invest in onboarding, training, and growth
- Slow hiring time: Finding the right person can take time and can cause project dealy. You will need to review multiple candidates and do rounds of interviews.
Hiring a freelance product designer
A freelancer is an independent contractor you hire on a project or hourly basis. They’re ideal for short-term or flexible engagements without long-term commitment.
Pros of hiring an in-house designer
- Cost-effectiveness: Compared to hiring full-time, freelancers can be more budget-friendly.
- Rapid onboarding: With fewer hoops to jump through, they can start making an impact quickly.
Cons of hiring an in-house designer
- Huge variance in skill level: finding a good one takes effort
- Temporary: They can pause or cancel contracts anytime
- Limited availability: if they’re juggling multiple clients
Hiring a product design agency
A design agency is a team of designers and strategists who provide end-to-end product design services — often including research, prototyping, UX/UI, and development handoff.
Pros of hiring a product design agency
- Broad expertise: Agencies bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.
- Structured processes: They deploy proven frameworks and structured processes to ensure efficient delivery.
- Speed and scale: If you're working on complex or large-scale initiatives, they can often move quickly.
Cons of hiring a product design agency
- Variance in quality: There are countless agencies — and quality varies drastically
- Potential overhead cost: Higher overhead cost compared to freelancers
- Integration with your team: Some agencies don’t make enough effort to be a part of your team
Want the benefits but not the cons? Work with Koi Studios!
At Koi Studios, we understand every design path is a unique recipe. We combine the depth of in-house product expertise with the strategic insights of an agency. Here’s how we compare:
- High design expertise with in-house product mindset
- We’re your thinking partner — we consider design scalability, edge cases, and future opportunities
- Transparent pricing — we agree on scope and a budget cap, then bill hourly
- Flexible contract term — collaborate with us for as long or as briefly as you need
- We’ve designed for companies like OpenTable, Ticketmaster, Deloitte, Mars, and fast-growing startups
Curious to learn more about how we can support your next design chapter? Reach out to chat with our team!
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