Hire the Top 3% of Freelance UX Strategists

Toptal is a marketplace for top UX Strategists, experts, specialists, and talent. Each UX Strategist is thoroughly vetted and trusted by top companies for their most critical design projects.

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Clients rate Toptal UX Strategists 4.9 / 5 on average based on 2,154 reviews.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

Hire Freelance UX Strategists

Anton Roolaart

Netherlands
Toptal Member Since September 4, 2019

Anton is an award-winning creative UX leader with more than 20 years of experience designing user experiences. He is skillful in UX strategy, design, processes, user research, and prototyping, promoting design thinking methodologies. Anton's previous clients spring from various industries, including JPMorgan Chase Bank, Pfizer (site intelligence for clinical trials), Newmind (legal firm), Epidemic Sound (music licensing), Sirius Energy (alternative energy), Monex (fintech), Hilton, and more.

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Dave Titley

United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since October 27, 2021

Dave is a senior UI/UX designer with 15 years of experience in designing and delivering digital products and experiences for leading brands in SaaS, finance, retail, and professional services. His primary expertise is UX strategy and consultancy and facilitating stakeholder workshops to deliver apps, websites, and creative content. He thrives in fast-paced environments and promotes close collaboration with all stakeholders to solve business problems with human-centered design methodologies.

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Chris Aalid

United States
Toptal Member Since March 22, 2022

Chris is a product designer with five years of experience and expertise in UX strategy, research, and design; interaction design (IxD); high-fidelity design and prototyping; animation; and usability testing. He has designed world-class digital products for Trek Bikes, including eCommerce platforms, iOS and Android apps, IoT products, digital-retail hybrid experiences, and two-sided marketplaces. Chris excels at solving complex B2C, B2B, and enterprise problems with groundbreaking design.

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Andrea Fratto

United States
Toptal Member Since September 8, 2020

Andrea started her career as a front-end developer with a natural progression to UX strategy, design, and management. Her work with agencies, consultancies, and startups spans all methods of discovering and defining how a product will live in this world and matter in people's lives. She's a hands-on lead whose design methods span remote/field research, collaborative workshops, IA, flows, wires/prototype, and design optimization cycles. She believes the craft of UX is head+heart+hands.

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Diego Marin-Odio

Costa Rica
Toptal Member Since June 29, 2020

Diego is an accomplished UI/UX strategy and design expert. He has delivered high-impact projects and results in the banking, fintech, auto, telecom, academic, and arts sectors. A most notable project was the digital redesign for Toyota Costa Rica. Diego is currently leading the user experience for the 2nd largest e-learning company in the US. His approach to UX and UI is based on design thinking, and his focus is both strategic and practical.

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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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Hanieh Khosroshahi

Canada
Toptal Member Since July 27, 2020

Hanieh is an independent design consultant working in social impact and digital innovation. She specializes in human-centered design, product strategy, and user experience and has worked in international development, public health, and community engagement. Her projects in the last 10 years range from websites and chatbots to mobile apps and experiential displays. Hanieh's successes include improved conversion, increased engagement, and innovative designs that reach millions of diverse users.

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Rob Armes

United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since October 3, 2022

Rob is an entrepreneur and consultant passionate about how digital can enable organizations to rethink their business models and digital strategy shifting toward circularity. Rob has coached design thinking, steered product and UX strategy, assisted in recruitment, and helped win new business. He has worked with clients such as Aviva Investors Security Bank, Transport for Wales, London Metal Exchange, Rentokil Initial, HM Courts & Tribunals Service, The Scottish Government, and Randstad.

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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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Sasha Martynchuk

United States
Toptal Member Since May 23, 2019

Sasha is a product designer with 10 years of experience sketching, building, testing, and coaching, working with companies like Google, Atlassian, Edenred, FireArt, and JESS3. He uses fun UI, thoughtful UX, and creative problem-solving to produce human-centered digital experiences. Fanatically devoted to excellence, Sasha's passion lies in the traditions of creating and building from scratch.

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Polina Yakymenko

Germany
Toptal Member Since February 23, 2022

Polina is a Berlin-based professional with 8+ years of experience in complex digital products, including SaaS, marketplaces, and customer-facing websites. Polina offers expertise in strategic alignment, customer insight development, journey optimization, workshop facilitation, and mentorship. She is an analytical thinker, creative mind, and empathetic individual who combines expertise and a human-centered approach in her work.

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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 UX Strategists 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 UX Strategist for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new UX Strategist 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 UX Strategist 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 UX 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.

  • How do I hire a UX Strategist?

    To hire the right UX 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 UX Strategists for your project.

  • How are Toptal UX Strategists different?

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

  • Can you hire UX Strategists on an hourly basis or for project-based tasks?

    You can hire UX 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 UX Strategists can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.

  • What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal UX Strategists?

    We make sure that each engagement between you and your UX 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 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 UX Strategists Are in High Demand.

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