Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Design Consultants

Toptal is a marketplace for top Design Consultants. Top companies and startups choose Toptal Consulting freelancers for their mission-critical design projects.

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Clients rate Toptal Design Consultants 4.9 / 5 on average based on 733 reviews.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Hire Freelance Design Consultants

Jonathan Vaughan

United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since November 13, 2019

From delivering a million pizzas in six months to the sale of the world’s most expensive car, Jonathan has accumulated a breadth of experience in the decade he’s worked in UX. He’s designed products and services used and loved by millions for Bentley, McDonald’s, Gucci, Expedia, and Unilever. As an award-winning experience director, he’s delivered world-class, multi-channel projects for R/GA, Huge, POSSIBLE, Publicis.Sapient, and VMLY&R.

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Arthur Sam Badalian

United States
Toptal Member Since March 26, 2019

Arthur helps transform clients' online presence with high-impact web designs that drive conversions. He creates refined, sophisticated, and premium designs, and his process-driven approach to web creation is meticulous, leveraging data and research at every stage. Arthur ensures that your brand is optimized for what really matters.

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Tom Bloomfield

Spain
Toptal Member Since October 11, 2019

Tom is a user experience lead who has defined experiences for global brands like Unilever and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and transformed many more in between. He has helped launch both startups in Asia and household names in the States. He takes a holistic approach to user experience, considering every interaction a user may have with a brand, from service to product design and content strategy to motion.

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Benjamin van Gelder

Spain
Toptal Member Since December 2, 2019

Benjamin is a seasoned lead product and service designer with 8+ years of experience in crafting design experiences. His journey has led him to work in multiple cities, enabling him to wear multiple hats in the design field, from research and service design to product design. Benjamin's mission is to craft digital products and services that resonate with people and businesses, backed by user research and a deep understanding of the client's business objectives and challenges.

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Jenny Shen

Taiwan
Toptal Member Since December 19, 2016

Jenny is a UX lead with a decade of experience creating world-class digital products that generate revenue and win customers. She specializes in international markets and has designed for users in 30+ countries in APAC, EMEA, and the Americas. She has helped over 40 companies solve business and user problems with UX research and design sprints. Jenny's past clients include Tencent, McKinsey & Company, Babylon Health, LA Lakers, FILA, Neiman Marcus, Crate and Barrel, and Randstad.

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Alex Crockett

United States
Toptal Member Since October 21, 2019

Alex is a UX designer with a decade of experience helping people achieve goals using human-centered design. From working on one of the first smart TVs to an eye-tracking system for one of the first smart cars, his work is thorough and thoughtful. In addition to innovation, Alex has worked on enterprise systems and consumer applications for companies like Microsoft Games Studios, the Guardian, Boingo Wireless, and Disney.

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Brian Pagán, EngD, MSc

Netherlands
Toptal Member Since June 7, 2019

Brian is a US ex-pat working as a human experience designer focused on healthcare, sustainability, fintech, and IoT. For 20 years, Brian helped startups and businesses like Philips, ING, Land Life Company, and WaitWhat turn innovation strategies into award-winning products and services. His specialties include prototyping, behavioral design, and UX strategy. Brian has given talks and workshops in 12 countries. His first book, The Creative Empathy Field Guide, is available in ebook and paperback.

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Helen Wood

United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since September 11, 2019

Helen is a creative UX director with a true passion for design, UX, UI, and the overall customer experience. She has built and managed large UX teams for enterprise clients and still likes to do some hands-on work to stay relevant in the industry. She has often been brought into jobs to "rescue" problematic projects and has done so with great success.

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Ruven Riepert

Germany
Toptal Member Since September 16, 2019

Ruven is a passionate service designer and UX expert with a strategic mindset and over 15 years of experience in the communication industry. He has an extensive background in UX design, strategy, and creative concepting. Ruven has helped build impactful experiences and services in various UX roles for world-renowned and niche market brands.

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Milan Guenther

France
Toptal Member Since January 2, 2020

Milan is a pioneer in design applied to the enterprise level. He has worked with Google, SAP, Toyota, ThoughtWorks, the UN, and scaling startups. 10 years ago, he designed a patented innovation for Boeing's flight decks. Since then, he works with enterprises of all shapes and sizes to bring business strategies to life: designing products, operations, and organizations to deliver. His book "Intersection" introduces this enterprise design approach.

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THE TOPTAL ADVANTAGE

98% of Toptal clients choose to hire our talent after a risk-free trial.

Toptal's screening and matching process ensures exceptional talent are matched to your precise needs.

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Toptal in the press

... allows corporations to quickly assemble teams that have the right skills for specific projects.

Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.

Our clients
Creating an app for the game
Conor Kenney
Creating an app for the game
Leading a digital transformation
Elmar Platzer
Leading a digital transformation
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer
Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer
Testimonials
Michael is an incredible designer, and has been a great fit for our project. He just gets it in a way that can’t be taught. My goal was to pay Toptal to find me a high quality designer for my project, and that is exactly what happened. It was easy. Being able to see the portfolio work on Toptal’s platform is what gave me the infomation I needed to choose Michael. I have nothing but good things to say about Toptal and am looking forward to using Toptal for other projects in the future.

Edward Daniel

Co-Founder

I've worked very closely with Martina for over a year and have to say she is one of the best people I have ever worked with. Instead of simply following instructions blindly, she thinks through the task at hand, becoming a thought partner to help with whatever the project may be. Besides being super talented at design, she possesses specific qualities that make her exceptional to work with given the fast paced nature of being a startup. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a talented, professional designer who doesn't need much direction to hit the ground running.

Sahil Khanna

Sr. Manager, Marketing

Darko did a great job figuring out the user architecture for our concept, which led him to produce terrific wireframes. His knowledge of usability and design was a perfect match for the outside voice we needed to help jumpstart our project. We would certainly recommend him and work with him again in the future.

Rich Danker

Founder

Carlos has the unique talent of blending both quantitative and qualitative research to keenly identify UX challenges and opportunities. He thinks methodically, emphatically, and holistically to produce data-driven strategies and well-executed designs. Over the past 8 years of working with fully or partially distributed teams, Carlos manages working remotely far better than anyone I've encountered because of his strong communication and presentation skills. He is the first on my list the next time I need a UX designer.

Michelle Krogmeier

Project Manager

Rafael is an amazing designer. His aesthetic sense is spot on, and he seems to be able to anticipate our needs before we even know what they are. He's taken the time to understand both our company and our clientele, and his solutions are consistently in-line with our values, interests, and our customers' needs. He delivers on time (if not earlier), works quickly, is well organized, and very effective. He's a pleasure to work with, and we're very happy to have found him through Toptal.

Ethan Brooks

CTO

How to Hire Design Consultants Through Toptal

1

Talk to One of Our Industry Experts

A Toptal director of design will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.
2

Work With Hand-Selected Talent

Within days, we'll introduce you to the right Design Consultant for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new Design Consultant for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.

Find Experts With Related Skills

Access a vast pool of skilled designers in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.

FAQs

  • How quickly can you hire with Toptal?

    Typically, you can hire a Design Consultant with Toptal in about 48 hours. For larger teams of talent or Managed Delivery, timelines may vary. Our talent matchers are highly skilled in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.

    Once you select your Design Consultant, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.

  • How do I hire a Design Consultant?

    To hire the right Design Consultant, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s experience, technical skills, and communication skills. You’ll also want to consider the fit with your particular industry, company, and project. Toptal’s rigorous screening process ensures that every member of our network has excellent experience and skills, and our team will match you with the perfect Design Consultants for your project.

  • How are Toptal Design Consultants different?

    At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our Design Consultants to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut.

    In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship.

    When you hire with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched Design Consultants ready to help you achieve your goals.

  • Can you hire Design Consultants on an hourly basis or for project-based tasks?

    You can hire Design Consultants on an hourly, part-time, or full-time basis. Toptal can also manage the entire project from end-to-end with our Managed Delivery offering. Whether you hire an expert for a full- or part-time position, you’ll have the control and flexibility to scale your team up or down as your needs evolve. Our Design Consultants can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.

  • What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal Design Consultants?

    We make sure that each engagement between you and your Design Consultant begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Tap Into World-Class Talent

  • Trusted Experts Only

    Trusted Experts Only

    All of our talent are seasoned experts who ramp up quickly, readily contribute as core team members, and work with you to minimize onboarding time.

  • The Right Fit

    The Right Fit

    We have a knack for matching you with the right fit. Start working with your new hire on a no-risk trial period, paying only if satisfied.

  • Scale as Needed

    Scale as Needed

    Hire talent within 48 hours and scale your team up or down as needed, no strings attached.

  • Seamless Hiring

    Seamless Hiring

    We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDA’s. Let us take care of the overhead while you focus on building great products.

  • Flexible Engagements

    Flexible Engagements

    Choose the engagement type that suits your needs — hourly, part-time, or full-time — with the ability to change anytime.

  • Expert Talent Matching

    Expert Talent Matching

    Focus on your project and enjoy support from your dedicated account executive and expert talent matcher.

Top Design Consultants Are in High Demand.

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