Hire Startup Design Experts

Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Startup Design Experts

Hire startup designers, on demand. From pitch decks and MVP prototypes to brand-identity assets and investor-ready visuals, Toptal startup designers create compelling designs that help early-stage companies attract users and funding.

Hire a Top Startup Design Expert Now

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Clients rate Toptal startup design experts 4.9 / 5.0 on average based on 3,772 reviews.
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Find and hire Top Startup Design Experts worldwide. Simply click on your preferred time zone on the map.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Hire Freelance Startup Design Experts

Bill Stewart

Verified Expert in Design
UTC-08:00
Canada
Toptal Member Since November 19, 2021

Bill is a senior UX design manager with 15+ years of experience delivering value through superior design. He excels at leading design teams as a player, coach, and mentor through the end-to-end design process in agile environments. Bill loves building value in fast-moving 0-1 startup-like environments, as well as established products. His focus is helping teams create business and user value using research, storytelling, user flow, visual design, and measurable KPIs for continual improvement.

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Mariano A. Goren

Verified Expert in Design
UTC-05:00
Mexico
Toptal Member Since May 30, 2017

As a product strategy consultant, Mariano's been helping both Fortune 500 and startups to unite design and technology efforts around a common vision anchored in user needs. With more than 25 years of experience in digital business, he's able to understand and define the big picture, and then jump into the details to deliver. He's also a Singularity University mentor, serial entrepreneur, and teacher influencing 18 000+ students through his book and courses.

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Guilherme Penalva

Verified Expert in Design
UTC-03:00
Brazil
Toptal Member Since May 10, 2023

Guilherme is a UX researcher and product designer who has worked on 40+ design projects in his 10 years of experience. He has collaborated with startups and worldwide billionaire corporations, handling deliveries in ideation workshops, new product discoveries, UI/UX improvements, and new business strategies. Guilherme has multidisciplinary knowledge in art, business, data analytics, marketing, media production, psychology, tech, and AI tools.

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Eduardo Medina

Verified Expert in Design
UTC-03:00
Brazil
Toptal Member Since March 1, 2019

Eduardo, a seasoned designer with nearly two decades of global experience, has shaped digital landscapes for major corporations like Vodafone and Fossil and other successful startups. His versatile portfolio spans fintech, edtech, proptech, tourism, and oil and gas. Recognized for merging theory and experience, Eduardo excels in crafting intuitive interfaces with minimal cognitive effort. Leading the design for a promising US startup, he continues to commit to innovative design solutions.

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Vera Martins

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+00:00
Portugal
Toptal Member Since April 18, 2022

Vera is a senior product designer with 10+ years of experience working for multinational companies and startups. She has a keen eye for the whole product design process and methods and has proven expertise working with multifunctional teams, decision-makers, and end users. Vera always advocates for inclusive and accessible products that shape technology for the best user experience, pushing businesses forward.

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Caroline Ma

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+01:00
France
Toptal Member Since September 2, 2022

Caroline is a product designer and entrepreneur proficient in full-stack web development. She has spent the past decade working with Silicon Valley startups and corporations in product design and management roles. Caroline's design repertoire includes software applications, responsive websites, content management systems, mobile apps, and 100+ event experiences. Caroline is a full-stack product designer with expertise in the end-to-end design process, including research, strategy, UX, and UI.

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Hugo Barbera

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+01:00
Spain
Toptal Member Since June 8, 2020

Hugo, an awarded designer with 15 years of experience, excels in AI design, branding, UI/UX, and web design. His MBA amplifies his ability to intertwine business insights with design innovation, notably enhancing startups and driving projects from concept to launch. His clientele includes Audi, FC Barcelona, Nike, Vogue, and Louis Vuitton. Hugo is also a recognized keynote speaker on integrating AI, appearing at the Toptal 2023 Conference, Paris' Digital Fashion Week, and Cannes Lions 2024.

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Ana Toidze

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+04:00
Georgia
Toptal Member Since March 16, 2022

As a digital product designer, Ana has helped companies shape their product strategy and interface experience to solve customers' problems. Her work has affected more than a million users around the world. A curious person, Ana can quickly understand a new industry or an idea and be a valuable team member. She is not afraid to experiment and always looks for a tailored approach to the project.

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Bibek KC

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+05:00
Nepal
Toptal Member Since April 15, 2022

Bibek is a UI/UX designer who delivers high-end design solutions that help startups and enterprises create user-centric products. He has worked on B2B, B2C, and SaaS platforms and used Lean UX methodologies to conceptualize solutions and align business goals with user needs. Bibek is currently solving problems in HUSSLUP, making the Hollywood entertainment app experience user-friendly. He has extensive design training and a bachelor's in computer engineering.

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Nadiah Syazana

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+08:00
Australia
Toptal Member Since August 31, 2022

Nadiah is a full-stack designer with over twelve years of design experience. She specializes in designing MVPs and has helped multiple startups to raise millions of dollars in funding. She thrives in an agile environment and is highly adaptable to new industries. With a bachelor's degree in visual design and branding, Nadiah is equipped to take end-to-end projects by identifying and simplifying complex user problems and translating them into delightful, aesthetically pleasing user experiences.

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Charles Matthew Atos

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+08:00
Philippines
Toptal Member Since September 9, 2022

Charles is an expert brand strategist, product designer, and art director with 10 years of professional design experience in branding, marketing, and advertising. He has worked with SMEs, startups, and companies such as Coca-Cola, Netflix, Spotify, TikTok, ING, Unilever, Nestlé, H&M, Jollibee, and many more. Charles specializes in crafting winning stories and human-centric experiences through purposeful brand strategies and identity design, visual direction, and UI/UX design.

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Discover More Startup Design Experts in the Toptal Network

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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

How to Hire Startup Design Experts Through Toptal

1

Talk to One of Our Client Advisors

A Toptal client advisor 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 startup design expert for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

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

EXCEPTIONAL TALENT

How We Source the Top 3% of Startup Design Experts

Our name “Toptal” comes from Top Talent—meaning we constantly strive to find and work with the best from around the world. Our rigorous screening process identifies experts in their domains who have passion and drive.

Of the thousands of applications Toptal sees each month, typically fewer than 3% are accepted.

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FAQs

  • How quickly can you hire with Toptal?

    Typically, you can hire startup design experts 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 startup design expert, 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.

  • To hire the right startup design expert, 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 startup design experts for your project.

  • At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our startup design experts 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 startup design experts with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched startup design experts ready to help you achieve your goals.

  • You can hire startup design experts 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 a startup design 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 startup design experts can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.

  • We make sure that each engagement between you and your startup design expert 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 startup design expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.

Tap Into World-class Talent

  • Trusted Talent Only

    Trusted Talent Only

    Our talent are thoroughly vetted professionals who ramp up quickly, function as essential team members, and deliver results.

  • Precise Matching

    Precise Matching

    Our experienced talent matchers specialize in pairing you with the right fit. They work to understand exactly what you need and hand-select the best professionals for your project.

  • Seamless Hiring

    Seamless Hiring

    We handle all aspects of billing, payments, and NDAs, streamlining the hiring process so you can focus on innovation, not overhead.

  • No-risk Trial Period

    No-risk Trial Period

    We want to be sure your engagement is a total success, so we offer a no-risk trial period. Work with your new hire for up to two weeks and pay only if you’re satisfied.

  • Effortless Scaling

    Effortless Scaling

    Scale your team up or down as needed, with quick and efficient hiring in under 48 hours.

  • Flexible Engagements

    Flexible Engagements

    Choose the engagement type that suits your needs—hourly, part-time, or full-time— and enjoy the flexibility to adjust as needed.

Top Startup Design Experts Are in High Demand.

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