Hire Design Strategists

Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Design Strategists

Hire design strategists, on demand. Top companies and startups choose design strategists from Toptal for user research and analysis, visual identity and branding, data-driven prototyping, MVP interface concepts, and more.

Hire a Top Design Strategist Now
Clients rate Toptal design strategists 4.9 / 5.0 on average based on 1,461 reviews.
Talent Navigator
World map with time zones
Find and hire Top Design Strategists worldwide. Simply click on your preferred time zone on the map.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Hire Freelance Design Strategists

Daniel T Wood

Verified Expert in Design
UTC-08:00
United States
Toptal Member Since June 7, 2024

Daniel is a UX design and strategy expert with 25+ years of experience bringing products, apps, eCommerce, and websites to life. By molding ambiguity, asking hard questions, and championing data, he helps teams design more usable, accessible, and delightful products. Daniel has worked with many of the world's top brands (including Adidas, Walmart, Samsung, and Capital One), B2B SaaS (Salesforce, HP, Asana), and early-stage startups, helping them find better ways to meet and exceed expectations.

Show More

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.

Show More

Louisa Armbrust

Verified Expert in Design
UTC-05:00
United States
Toptal Member Since May 29, 2018

Louisa is an experienced UX designer and researcher in product and service design for health, education, business intelligence, and other industries. She is skilled in user research, UX concepts and strategy, information architecture, UX design, UX audits, and usability testing. Louisa cares about why people do things, how they can do those things better, and what we can all do to care for each other, have more fun, and get more out of life.

Show More

Erik Wedeward

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+01:00
Germany
Toptal Member Since March 31, 2022

Erik is an experienced digital strategist, design lead, and researcher with years of diversified experience. Focused on user-centered innovation, he solves business problems using a human-centered design approach, from user research and design strategy to defining detailed product and service visions. Erik values collaboration with his clients and defines products or services to satisfy clients' needs and requirements.

Show More

Tom Welters

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+01:00
Germany
Toptal Member Since December 9, 2022

Tom has specialized in designing digital products from concept to production, focusing on synthesizing user experience and business strategy. With a diverse design and social science background, he developed a habit of looking for the bigger picture, building a vision of how every aspect of a user experience feeds into a larger user journey and product strategy. He loves solving complex design challenges while maintaining a beautiful, user-centric visual language.

Show More

Gertruda Fon Narcco

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+03:00
Qatar
Toptal Member Since November 11, 2021

Gertruda is a highly skilled principal product and UX designer with over 13 years of experience in UI/UX, including eight years in product design and art direction. She has a proven track record of creating successful product strategies, enhancing the user experience, and improving product communication to end audiences. Gertruda mentors early-stage startups and medium-sized businesses to guide them through product development and ensure a highly functional and winning product.

Show More

Akshay Salekar

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+05:00
India
Toptal Member Since October 18, 2021

Akshay is a design expert who is passionate about solving critical problems using design thinking, UX strategy, persuasion, gamification, and other best UX practices. He has seven years of experience and has worked with companies like Media.net, Forbes, Mann+Hummel, Lollypop Design, Ecobillz, and many other startups. Akshay is singlehandedly capable of conceptualizing and executing products from ideation to launch.

Show More

Jenny Shen

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+08:00
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.

Show More

Thiago Emmanuel

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+10:00
Australia
Toptal Member Since September 15, 2022

With 19 years of experience, Thiago is a highly skilled designer who has helped brands build strong relationships with their audiences worldwide. He has learned that power brands have to impact the world, inspire communities, and connect passions when crafted on a deeper level and solid foundation. This mindset drives Thiago's cognitive process when working on any branding projects.

Show More

Rod Acevedo

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+10:00
Australia
Toptal Member Since April 27, 2020

Rod is a passionate and award-winning strategist, product designer, and creative thinker. He has dedicated most of his career to decolonizing design practices that foster inclusion and prioritize empathetic, human-centered thinking. Over the last few years, Rod has worked on a wide range of problems across many industries, including healthcare, finance, and day-to-day services, with a particular emphasis on unpacking complex design challenges.

Show More

Ian Meredith

Verified Expert in Design
UTC+12:00
New Zealand
Toptal Member Since January 29, 2019

Ian is a mobile app design specialist with numerous applications designed, having achieved 6+ figure downloads. He has worked for a number of high-profile clients, including Google, eBay, and additional known brands from New Zealand. Ian likes to develop intuitive interfaces through leveraging user-centered design principles.

Show More

Discover More Design Strategists in the Toptal Network

Start Hiring
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

How to Hire Design Strategists 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 design strategist for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new design strategist 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 Design Strategists

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.

Start Hiring Today

FAQs

  • How quickly can you hire with Toptal?

    Typically, you can hire design strategists 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 strategist, 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 design strategist, 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 strategists for your project.

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

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

  • We make sure that each engagement between you and your design strategist 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 Talent Only

    Trusted Talent Only

    All of our talent are seasoned professionals 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 Strategists Are in High Demand.

Start Hiring