How are Toptal design leads different?

At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our design leads to ensure we only match you with talent of the highest caliber. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. You’ll work with design experts (never generalized recruiters or HR reps) to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. The end result: expert vetted talent from our network, custom matched to fit your business needs.

Can I hire design leads in less than 48 hours through Toptal?

Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a design lead within 48 hours of signing up.

What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal design leads?

We make sure that each engagement between you and your design lead 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.

Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Design Leads

Toptal is a marketplace for clients to find top design leads from around the world. Each Toptal freelance design lead is thoroughly vetted and trusted by top companies for their most critical design projects.

Hire a Top Design Lead Now

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Watch the case study

Hire Freelance Design Leads

View Matt

Matt Gillespie

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Web Design, Responsive, Sketch, UI Design, Web UX, Marketing, Mobile UX, Figma, Adobe Photoshop,

United StatesToptal Member Since May 29, 2019

Matt is a designer with a decade of experience crafting user-centric strategies to design and build digital experiences for startups, Fortune 500 companies, advertising agencies, and individual clients. He's guided user research sessions, conducted user interviews, led marketing campaigns, built style guides, and published many websites and mobile apps.

Tom Bloomfield

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Sketch, InVision, OmniGraffle, Photoshop CC, Web, iOS, Product Design, User Experience (UX), Service Design, eCommerce UX, Mobile Web, Web UX,

SpainToptal 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.

Casey Weeks

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Adobe Suite, User Interface (UI), Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Balsamiq, Art Direction, User Experience (UX), Game Design, Communication, Creative Direction, Web Design,

BrazilToptal Member Since March 23, 2018

Casey has run his own design studio for 15+ years, specializing in UI/UX and graphic design. He has learned the hard way that the key to guaranteeing success is the speed at which you can test and adapt. A nontrivial number of people think fondly of the time they spent working with Casey, and he loved working with all of them. Casey also has 10+ years of experience designing and programming indie games. He has released more than 20 games, and some have been nominated as festival finalists.

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View Greta

Greta Corke

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Mobile Design, SaaS Design, eCommerce, Product Design, Web Design, Web UX, User Flows, Experience Maps, UX Flows, Agile UX, Wireframing, UX Research,

Côte D'IvoireToptal Member Since July 10, 2019

Greta is a visionary design leader with over 25 years of experience and a global perspective from extensive stays in Asia and Africa. Her designs empower individuals and communities, with a keen focus on enhancing lives through digital solutions. Greta's work spans diverse areas, from accessible services for seniors to safe platforms for girls in sports. She continually seeks excellence in utilitarian design.

Dawid Legierski

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Adobe, Mobile, Adobe Suite, Sketch, Mobile UX, Adobe Photoshop, Web Design, Mobile Web Design, Mobile Web, Figma,

PolandToptal Member Since December 7, 2016

Dawid has over a decade of experience in the design industry and specializes in UI and UX design. He creates global brands, products, and UI/UX designs for large and medium-sized companies. Dawid combines strategy, creativity, and technology to build unique brand identities and experiences.

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View Mike

Mike Slone

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Websites, Pitch Decks, Website Redesign, Information Architecture (IA), MVP Design, Ideation, UI Audits, iOS UI Design, Icon Design, Iconography, User Personas, Personas,

United StatesToptal Member Since March 16, 2017

Mike is a highly experienced and successful product, UX, UI, visual, and branding designer with many years of experience creating large and small-scale designs. He has worked for global clients in many industries, including ExxonMobil, Reebok, Taco Bell, Nike, and many others. Mike has also provided his design and leadership experience to startups in healthcare, higher education, and SaaS companies.

Pili Fernandez Davila

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, Product Design, UX Design, UI Design, User Interface (UI), Mobile UI, Mobile UX, User Experience (UX), WordPress, Zeplin, Visual Design, Information Architecture (IA), Usability Testing,

CanadaToptal Member Since January 29, 2019

Pili is a hands-on digital designer with broad experience in product design, UX/UI, branding, and visual communication. She's been creating user-centered design solutions for brands, companies, and people around the world for the last 10+ years, working in partnership with developers, data scientists, and more.

Luis Machado Vaz

Freelance Design Lead

Design Leads, UI Design, Mobile UI, Mobile App Design, App UI, Web App UI, MVP Design, Web, iOS, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks, iOS UI Design, Digital Experience Design,

PortugalToptal Member Since August 28, 2017

Luis fulfills many roles in his life: father, surfer, founder and designer of Canvaz Design Studio, and also as a judge for the CSS Design Awards. He loves to dedicate his time, creativity, and expertise to projects that represent real value and experiences for users—apps that provide and solve real needs. He has a special connection with anything sports-related, but he can't say no to a real challenge.

Discover More Design Leads in the Toptal Network

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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.

Start Hiring

Trustpilot

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.

Start Hiring

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

Leading a digital transformation

Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide

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 Leads through Toptal

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.

Work With Hand-Selected Talent

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

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new design lead 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.

Principle Designers Design Project Managers Design Directors Creative Design Experts Product Designers Brand Designers Technical Designers

FAQs

How are Toptal design leads different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our design leads to ensure we only match you with talent of the highest caliber. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut. You’ll work with design experts (never generalized recruiters or HR reps) to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics. The end result: expert vetted talent from our network, custom matched to fit your business needs.
Can I hire design leads in less than 48 hours through Toptal?
Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a design lead within 48 hours of signing up.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal design leads?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your design lead 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
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
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
Hire talent within 48 hours and scale your team up or down as needed, no strings attached.
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
Choose the engagement type that suits your needs — hourly, part-time, or full-time — with the ability to change anytime.
Expert Talent Matching
Focus on your project and enjoy support from your dedicated account executive and expert talent matcher.