How are Toptal Design Researchers different?

At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our Design Researchers 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 Researchers in less than 48 hours through Toptal?

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

What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal Design Researchers?

We make sure that each engagement between you and your Design Researcher 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 Researchers

Name: Research Design Services
Brand: Toptal
Rating: 4.1 (10 reviews)

Toptal is a marketplace for top Design Researchers. Top companies and startups choose Toptal Research freelancers for their mission-critical design projects.

Hire a Top Design Researcher Now

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Trusted by leading brands and startups

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Hire Freelance Design Researchers

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Katrina Talley

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, Information Architecture (IA), Web Design, UX Design, Sketch, User Experience (UX), UX Strategy, Interactive Design, UX Research,

United StatesToptal Member Since January 14, 2016

Katrina is an innovative user experience and interaction designer with more than a decade of experience in product design for the web, desktop, mobile, and embedded applications. She creatively translates complex problems into elegant, usable solutions that exceed expectations and across devices. She approaches product design with a broad experience, a big picture focus, and a passionate user advocacy.

Alejandro Velasco

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, UI Branding, Sketch, InVision, Zeplin, Visual Art, Responsive UI, Mobile UX, Digital Design, Product Design, Web Design, Adobe Illustrator, Digital Product Design,

SpainToptal Member Since March 30, 2017

Alejandro is a passionate designer—a former industrial designer turned digital over the years—taking advantage of his skills in user-centered designs and interests in technology and digital image rendering. He's been working in the user interface field for more than eight years—specializing in working with teams to create visual and interaction languages. Nowadays, he's helping startups build their identities through their interfaces.

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TELEFONICA (Tuenti) | Apps and Workflow—2015

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Lis Fernandez Ojeda

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, Usability Testing, User Experience (UX), Information Architecture (IA), Mobile Design, UX Design,

ArgentinaToptal Member Since August 7, 2015

Lis is a seasoned UX researcher with over 10 years of experience working with top global companies. She uses various research techniques to promote a user-centered vision, from generative to evaluative, qualitative, and quantitative. She focuses on mobile-first approaches and WCAG accessibility guidelines. Lis has worked across various industries, creating impactful travel, health, and finance offerings.

Anna Vasyukova

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, UI Design, UX Design, User Flows, Wireframing, UX Research, iOS, Sketch, InVision, Mobile App Design, Mobile UX, Mobile Design,

ArmeniaToptal Member Since September 27, 2017

Anna is a senior product designer with over ten years of experience in the field. She transfers user problems into design challenges and creates innovative and usable solutions that make people's life experience better. Anna is an experienced data-driven designer who leads the end-to-end UX process. She specializes in qualitative and quantitative user research, product design, decision making, ideation, creating user flows, prototyping, validation, usability testing, UX metrics, and analytics.

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Jenny Shen

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, Rapid Prototyping, Adobe Suite, Miro, Cross-platform UX, UX Audits, Web App UX, Mobile UX, eCommerce Design, eCommerce UI, Rapid Interactive Prototyping, Personas, User Journey Maps,

TaiwanToptal 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.

Heiko Sacher

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, UX Strategy, Visual Design Language, UX Testing, iOS UI Design, Mobile UI, UX Architecture, Sketch, UX Prototyping, iOS, Digital Storyboards, Android, High-fidelity Mockups,

United StatesToptal Member Since March 15, 2017

Heiko has more than two decades of experience with planning, managing, and executing UX designs for industry leaders like Apple, Motorola, Google, and Skype/Microsoft. His mobile user interfaces, messaging experiences, and immersive media interactions have shipped in millions of phones, tablets, and apps. Heiko is the co-founder of Studio Resilience, a design lab that creates digital art exploring humans' impact on our natural environment, offering hope through imagination, play, and action.

Mike Slone

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, 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.

Saurabh Mathur

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, Product Design, UI Design, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Flash, Mobile App Design, Communication, Mobile, Responsive UI, Responsive, Responsive Web Design (RWD), Web App Design, Web Design,

GermanyToptal Member Since March 6, 2017

Saurabh is a UX/UI designer with over 14 years of experience—designing for platform-specific iOS and Android apps and the responsive web. He excels at helping with product strategy, micro-copy, and motion prototyping (Principle, Framer). He's also worked with multiplatform scrum teams using the agile approach. In his career, Saurabh's worked at SlideShare (LinkedIn) and Babbel and co-founded two startups in the B2C/B2B space.

Chris Mismash

Freelance Design Researcher

Research, Communication, Product Design, User Experience (UX), Information Architecture (IA), UX Strategy, SaaS Design, Digital Strategy, Technical Project Management, Figma, User Interface (UI), UI Design, UX Design,

United StatesToptal Member Since September 1, 2017

Chris is an innovation-driven product design leader with over 20 years of experience. He has a proven record of driving success for enterprises and startups alike. Chris builds and leads award-winning teams and is skilled in human-centered design, UI/UX, and product management. His entrepreneurial mindset and expertise in process optimization ensure product improvement. Chris holds advanced degrees from NC State, Cambridge, and Utah and has spoken at TEDx on design thinking.

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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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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

What our clients think

Clients Rate Toptal Design Researchers4.1 / 5.0on average across 10 reviews as of Apr 19, 2024

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 Researchers 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 Researcher for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

Work with your new Design Researcher 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.

User Research Designers Product Researchers UX Researchers Software Interface Designers

FAQs

How are Toptal Design Researchers different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our Design Researchers 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 Researchers in less than 48 hours through Toptal?
Depending on availability and how fast you can progress, you could start working with a Design Researcher within 48 hours of signing up.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal Design Researchers?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your Design Researcher 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.