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UI/UX Design Cost And The Factors It Depends On

Nataliya Kostyshak
Nataliya Kostyshak
August 22, 2022 7 min read 5316 views
August 22, 2022 7 min read 5316 views
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How To Avoid Overpaying For App Design Without Compromising Its Quality

Of course, none of us like paying too much, especially if it is not justified. In order to feel confident about the UI UX design cost you are about to face, you need to have all the information: the average price, the price in other countries, the factors that influence it, etc. In this article, we will try to untangle this equation and build a strategy for finding reasonable prices for UI UX design.

Is It Expensive?

How much does UI UX design cost? High-quality app design cannot be cheap. However, a reasonable price is the one that allows you to return the money you invest and get a profit as well. ROI is the potential return of investment you can hope for, and your aim is to use this potential to its fullest.

How much does it cost to redesign an app? The answer will be similar, as it requires the same work, based only on an app that has already been created.

Let us take a look at the main factors that influence the UI UX design cost.

Main factors that impact a design cost

Complexity

All sorts of design, including app design, can have a variable level of complexity. Therefore, there is a wide range of prices on the market. These are the main aspects that make your design more or less complicated to create:

  • How many roles it requires.
  • How many screens there are
  • How many different features you want to have.

Consequently, all of these aspects influence the UI UX design services cost.

What Team You Hire

The team you hire for this job also has a drastic effect on the cost to design an application. It does not only mean that a smaller team will cost you less, but also that whether it is in-house or freelance matters, too.

1. In-house

This is a popular choice because the team can focus on one project, and you can manage the process. However, these teams cost a lot to maintain.

2. Local

The benefits of hiring local teams are good market comprehension, quick solutions, and local resources. On the other hand, their view can be a bit narrow, making some changes to the team is more challenging and it is quite expensive.

3. Freelance

Freelancers are quite cheap, and they are likely to have plenty of experience. However, you may end up having a lot of trouble with time management and deadlines.

4. Outsourcing

This is probably the smartest move, as outsourcing companies offer the best app design cost while also giving you all the benefits of the previous options. The possibility of having a time difference with your team is the only disadvantage of this approach.

While freelancers charge around $150 per hour, outsourcing agencies in Ukraine charge about $40.

What  Else Can Influence The Price?

To summarize, the following factors have the biggest effect on the cost of designing an app:

  • Complexity
  • Cross-platform functioning
  • Android or iOS
  • Design preferences
  • The team you hire

These are the other issues you should keep in mind:

Analysis And Research

In order to plan a project and estimate how much to design an app, virtual design companies have to analyze your requirements and preferences as well as understand your main goal. You do not have to be a business analyst to give clear answers to all the questions and pinpoint your goals transparently. 

User Experience

Prioritizing your client’s comfort is always a great strategy. This must be taken into consideration when creating a UX prototype design. In order to achieve the highest level of convenience, your design team has to understand how a person will use your app and what may get in their way. Quality Assurance is also crucial for this.

This is an essential step, which is why it is where about 70 % of your design budget goes.

Interface Design

This phase does more than make your app look attractive. It creates a brand style, which is very important for your marketing strategy and is likely to determine whether a user will open your app again. Shockingly, almost a quarter of all applications that customers download are instantly deleted after the first interaction. User interfaces may be the reason why.

In addition, user interface design is quite time-consuming. If you want a completely fresh design with a unique style and interesting graphics, it might take about a hundred hours to create.

Mobile Accessibility

You have to determine which mobile platforms your mobile application should work on. Every system has its own specifics, which may influence the mobile app and, consequently, the design cost. Your mobile app development choice may vary depending on the country you want to target, as different platforms are popular in different countries.

The UX UI Price In Different Places

UX UI design cost worldwide

How much does UI UX design cost in different countries? The app design price may vary drastically from one country to another. For example, UK designers charge between $10,000 and $30,000, whereas Ukrainian designers would charge you around $7,000 and $20,000 for the same scope of work.

Generally, countries with a higher average price of living charge more for design too. That is why it is often wise to outsource your design tasks.

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What Should You Do To Pay Less?

There are no magical ways to get amazing design service for a low app design cost. Nevertheless, there are a few steps you can take in order to ensure that the design price you pay is reasonable or lucrative, even.

Do Your Research

The first thing you have to do if you want to reduce your mobile app design cost is to look for better mobile app design prices. Taking the first offer you get might be tempting, but good solutions rarely come easy. Therefore, take this task with all your seriousness and make sure to consult this research with all due scrutiny.

Luckily, the Internet gives you endless possibilities for looking for the best partners to work with without any limitations whatsoever.

Prioritize

First of all, you cannot realistically hope to give your app all possible features without paying a fortune. Second, it does not necessarily need many components. The best solution is to pinpoint the features that are essential for your application to function properly and let go of the other ideas.

Evidently, a complicated design with too many features can only confuse users and incline them to delete the app after their first attempt to use it. Basic app design may be a great solution for now. Remember that it is never too late to make it look better, so why not do it later?

Hire Outsourcing Teams

As we have mentioned earlier, outsourcing teams give you all the benefits the other app designers do, but for smaller prices. The reason is that design prices vary so drastically, so the best design company in Eastern Europe will still charge less than the worst company in Western Europe, for example.

Naturally, to ensure that the company you are hiring offers high-quality services, you have to see their portfolio and make inquiries about their former experience in similar projects first. These factors can be more helpful for understanding how well they work than just looking at the price of their services.

Ukraine is one of the Eastern Europe countries that have a wide range of skilled professionals that charge very little in comparison with Western Europe, the USA, and Canada. 

MVP

Do not aim at making your application huge at once. A minimum viable product is a great goal to reach when you begin your future application. Must-have features can be enough to attract users and make their experience convenient. In addition, there will always be space for improvement, and you will always be able to upgrade your app and add some functionality. 

This approach also gives you the luxury of analyzing your users’ feedback before finalizing your app idea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find the answers to the questions you might have:

  • How expensive is app design?

The price depends on the platform you choose (Android or IOS may cost more), the team you hire, and the country where they work. The functionality you would like to see is also crucial for estimating the price.

  • How can I design an app for my business?

You need to start by finding a company to hire and explaining your business goals. After that, your team starts analyzing the market and creating prototypes to ensure user comfort. The next stage is creating a design that fits your brand perfectly.

  • Can I reduce the price?

You can reduce the price significantly by limiting the features to the essential ones and working with outsourcing companies with more budget-friendly prices.

  • What team should I look for?

You can hire an in-house, a local, a freelance, or an outsourcing team. The last option is the best for reducing the expenses without compromising the quality.

  • Why are outsourcing teams better?

Outsourcing teams can be less expensive because different companies have different price policies. For example, UK designers charge between $10,000 and $30,000, whereas Ukrainian designers would charge you around $7,000 and $20,000 for the same scope of work.

  • What is the most important thing about app design?

Almost a quarter of all applications that people download are instantly deleted after the first interaction. Therefore, making your app easy to use and visually attractive should be your number one priority.

  • Which part of app design is the most expensive?

User experience development is the most important step, which is why it is where about 70 % of your design budget goes. This design process is focused on researching how people will use your app and how their experience can be improved.

  • What are the main aspects that affect the cost?

The following may affect it:

  1. Complexity
  2. Cross-platform functioning
  3. Android or iOS
  4. Design preferences
  5. The team you hire
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