Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Startup Design Experts

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

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Hire Freelance Startup Design Experts

Sadia Intesar

Canada
Toptal Member Since October 15, 2020

Sadia is a product, UX, and UI designer currently focusing on startup consulting in design to create user interfaces and brands. Recently, she's been instrumental in raising $7 million in funding for a fintech startup with products being used by millions. She's worked for globally known companies and startups and provided services for clients from Europe, the US, and the local industry. Sadia has experience in project management and enjoys working closely with engineers to deliver intuitive UX.

Show More

Rodrigo Perez Estrada

Spain
Toptal Member Since January 10, 2022

Rodrigo is a product designer with an MBA and 5+ years of experience in digital products and services. He designed several POCs for a mental health startup with clients such as Nubank, GitLab, and PandaDoc. Rodrigo delivered a hybrid card POC that increased the company's NPS score to over 80, received R$1.7 million, and added 397,000+ new, active users in its first seven months. He enjoys working in agile environments with cross-functional teams on international projects.

Show More

Chad Smith

United States
Toptal Member Since April 22, 2022

Chad has a passion for systems thinking and an ever-growing obsession with customer-centricity. Working on dozens of products with both enterprise and startup teams, he is well versed in various methodologies but never loses his scrappiness to get things done. He enjoys software that solves critical business needs, trims processes, and delights customers. He currently calls Charlotte, NC home and has lived in six different cities across the world.

Show More

Caroline Ma

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.

Show More

Ljubomir Bardžić

Serbia
Toptal Member Since April 1, 2020

Ljubomir is a UI/UX designer and an Adobe Certified Expert. He has been working with tech startups for the last ten years, helping them deliver better experiences across desktop, mobile, and web apps. Besides doing client work, Ljubomir also teaches design online. His courses have been attended by over 6,000 students so far.

Show More

Nadiah Syazana

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.

Show More

Sebastian Petrina

Romania
Toptal Member Since May 18, 2016

Sebastian is a versatile senior product designer with over 14 years of experience. He has collaborated with world-class design teams at top enterprises, driving impactful UX/UI solutions. He has co-founded and helped multiple startups validate MVPs, secure funding rounds, and scale their products, achieving impressive KPIs. As a lead at ESX, Sebastian spearheaded innovative design strategies and methodologies that significantly boosted user engagement and revenue.

Show More

Rain Lieberman

United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since May 6, 2020

Rain is a UI/UX designer with nearly ten years of professional experience. She has worked with large businesses, such as Airstream, Arcadia Group, News UK, and KPMG. In recent years she has helped startups launch new products successfully and improve the usability of the existing products. Rain focuses on validating design ideas in the early stages of a product lifecycle to save time and money in the overall product development process.

Show More

Guilherme Cerqueira

Brazil
Toptal Member Since January 27, 2022

Guilherme is a seasoned UI/UX product designer with over 15 years of experience. He has a proven track record in designing for millions of users at Booking.com and helping numerous SaaS startups achieve success through his user-centered and data-informed design solutions. With extensive experience in web and mobile app design, including UX thinking, research, wireframing, and prototyping, Guilherme has worked with a range of companies with clients such as GSK, Unilever, Danone, Nestlé, and BRF.

Show More

Guilherme Penalva

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 accessibility and service design. Guilherme has multidisciplinary knowledge in art, business, data analytics, marketing, media production, psychology, tech, and AI tools.

Show More

Denis Soldatenko

Estonia
Toptal Member Since March 28, 2022

Denis is a results-driven designer with a unique background spanning development, product ownership, and product management. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in generating more than $1 billion in ARR for clients. He has successfully secured over ten rounds of investments for startups he collaborated with. Denis has conducted over 100 user tests, led numerous workshops, and managed design sprints. Life in six different countries made him a very open and easy-going individual.

Show More

Discover More Startup Design Experts in the Toptal Network

Start Hiring
Frequently paired together

Get Additional Expertise

Our clients frequently pair these additional services with our freelance Startup Design Experts.

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
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 Startup Design Experts 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 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.

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 Startup Design Expert 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.

  • How do I hire a Startup Design Expert?

    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.

  • How are Toptal Startup Design Experts different?

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

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

    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 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 Startup Design Experts can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.

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

    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 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 Startup Design Experts Are in High Demand.

Start Hiring