In the United States, there is close to double the number of online businesses compared to brick-and-mortar. You can expect the numbers to be similar in most technologically advanced countries and regions.
In fact, since COVID, 16% of companies globally are entirely remote.
Having an online presence for your business is more than desirable. It’s vital. Even for companies with a physical location.
You can think of your website as a virtual storefront. Just as signage or a window display does in “real life,” you need to make it attractive and functional for visitors. Your website should encourage them to engage in ways that meet your company’s goals.
That’s where UI and UX design cost comes in.
This guide explains what UI/UX design is and why it costs what it does (read: good UI and UX design is on the pricier side). Then, it answers the question, “How much does UI/UX design cost?”
Let’s get started!
What Is UI/UX Design?
UI and UX design are different disciplines but often paired because of their symbiotic relationship in web design.
UI refers to the user interface of a website—how site visitors navigate the site and interact with it.
UX refers to user experience—a broader concept that attempts to positively guide every aspect of a person’s visit to a website.
Both of these terms fall under the umbrella term “web design.”
Typically, web designers work with these disciplines simultaneously because they’re closely related. This requires a deep understanding of contemporary web design and a long list of special skills.
How Much Does UI/UX Design Cost, and Why Is It So Expensive?
Most UI/UX designers have at least a bachelor’s degree and additional training. According to Glassdoor, a UI/UX designer’s average salary is nearly US$95,000 annually.
As you can see, this is an in-demand position filled by highly trained individuals.
Given these figures, you can expect a comprehensive UI/UX design service for ground-up design to start in the low thousands and go up (and up…) from there.
That sounds pretty expensive, but it’s for a good reason. UI/UX design is a specialty service necessary for practically every business—especially those operating solely online—requiring extensive skills and tools to do it correctly.
Want to know what web design tools the MK Way design team loves and actually uses? We list them here!
Several key factors affect the high price tag of a UI/UX design project, from how experienced the designer or team is to the project’s complexity.
Designer Experience Level
The designer’s experience is one of the most significant determining factors in UI/UX cost. As is true for any skilled service, the more experience your service provider has, the more compensation they demand.
While a highly experienced designer will cost far more than someone with few projects on their resume, you’ll likely receive a better end product for your money. It’s especially important to invest in experience when dealing with complex site design or product/service needs is especially important.
On the other hand, a less experienced designer may be more affordable for small businesses or simple projects. If your website isn’t overly complex and you vet the service provider’s skills carefully, this could be a budget-friendly option.
Project Complexity
If your project requires a lot of extra work, the service charge will rise accordingly.
Take it from Charlie, project complexity is always worth a bit extra… everything.
For example, a three-page website designed to drive customers to your brick-and-mortar business or help them find your phone number will cost considerably less than an e-commerce website designed to provide the best possible buying experience.
A skilled designer should be able to accurately quote you a rate for any project. However, the burden is on you, the business owner, to provide them with detailed information about your project.
The Planning Stage
Some people think you just come up with a few ideas, email them to a designer, and they get to work. But that’s not how you get stellar UI/UX design results.
The designer will develop a project brief, a step that involves comprehensive:
- Research
- Planning
- Infrastructure set up
Your designer (or the project manager) will also establish timelines and other functional aspects of the project at this stage.
To put it bluntly, this takes time. In fact, it’s the most time-intensive part of the project. Mapping out the project’s course before starting the design process ensures a smooth transition between phases.
This period of research is included in the quoted price. And if the project is complex, this phase takes more time and, of course, costs more. Expect a long planning phase if you’re building a large site with unique requirements.
Number and Complexity of Features
We touched on this above… Site complexity also influences UI and UX design cost. But we want to expand on this a bit.
Let’s say you need a designer to:
- Handle standard navigation tasks
- Make your online ads look good
- Make sure your site is Google-friendly
- Ensure a generally good user experience
- Meet the business goals of the site
Believe it or not, but this is a fairly standard or typical UI/UX build, and it will have a price tag reflecting that.
Knowing UI/UX basics can help you better analyze the portfolios of prospective design partners. Start your knowledge journey by downloading MK Way’s FREE homepage checklist.
But what if you need a website that also has a ton of complex features? Things like:
- AI response assistants
- Various interaction types
- Lots of pages
- Download options
- Fancy features, like a browser game that launches right from the site
Well, it perhaps goes without saying that the price will reflect this complexity. This second iteration will be a lot more expensive to build than the first website we outlined.
Integrating every feature into a website—whether standard or special—takes time, energy, and experience. The more features you want on your website, the more the project will cost.
Testing
A designer doesn’t just draw features up in Sketch or Figma, add them to your site, and hand it to you as is.
Every feature, design element, and hidden corner of a website is tested before it goes live. Like creating the project brief, this is a time-intensive process.
Some testing, like infrastructure testing, will happen early in the creation process. But the bulk of the testing takes place at the end of the project to ensure the work meets the necessary standards, requirements, and goals.
Getting Help With UI/UX Design
A website is imperative to your business’ success. Without an online presence, customers, new and old, will struggle to find you. It’s not something you want to take lightly, hiring whoever is quickest and cheapest.
The question shouldn’t be, “How much does UI/UX design cost?” Instead, it should be, what kind of UI/UX designer do I want to hire?”
You want a designer—whether a freelancer or an agency—who will get your project from point A to point B with as few hiccups as possible. You want someone or some team who understands your goals, can confidently quote you a price, and has the necessary skills to achieve the task on time and on budget.
At MK Way, we have the experience and the team to make your website dreams a reality. Schedule a free consultation with an MK Way web design expert now.
