Hire the Top 3% of Freelance UX Researchers

Toptal is a marketplace for clients to find top user experience researchers from around the world. Each Toptal freelance UX research consultant is thoroughly vetted and trusted by top companies for their most critical UX research design projects.

No-Risk Trial, Pay Only If Satisfied.

Hire Freelance UX Researchers

Esperanza Garcia

User Research DesignerInformation Architecture (IA)WebSketch 4Agile UXPrototypingIllustrator CS6FigmaPrincipleInterface DesignUser ResearchUX FlowsWeb UI

New ZealandToptal Member Since June 28, 2018

Esperanza is an experienced UX/UI designer who has worked on a variety of projects spanning web and mobile applications for different clients and industries, including real estate and health care. She enjoys working with organizations of all sizes, from startups to enterprises and everything in between.

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Arthur Sam Badalian

User Research DesignerSketchAdobe PhotoshopAdobe Creative SuiteInVisionWordPressUser Experience (UX)User Interface (UI)Web DesignWeb UX DesignWeb UXPersonasUX Strategy

United StatesToptal Member Since March 26, 2019

Arthur is an advertising strategist with a deep passion for design-led solutions. His master’s in advertising coupled with UX/UI design allows him to intuitively blend user-centric design with proof-of-concept strategies to create immersive experiences. He excels in rapidly growing, innovative organizations and enjoys solving problems rooted in research and storytelling. His aim is to help people spend less time clicking and more time doing.

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Lara Chikhani

User Research DesignerWireframingUXPinAdobe Experience Design (XD)Ideation WorkshopsUser PersonasUX DesignDigital StrategyMobile UXPersonasUsability TestingAndroidWordPress

LebanonToptal Member Since July 17, 2019

In addition to 12 years of experience in UX design, Lara is an independent consultant who works with startups, agencies, and established businesses—helping them build better customer-centric products. She also mentors and trains university students and professionals how to apply proper UX techniques to the products they are making.

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Katrina Talley

User Research DesignerInformation Architecture (IA)Web DesignUX DesignSketchUser Experience (UX)UX StrategyInteractive Design

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.

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Jay Oldaker

User Research DesignerProduct DesignUser InterviewsUser ResearchSaaSUser Experience (UX)User Interface (UI)Mobile DesignPersonasDashboard DesignData VisualizationUser FlowsUser Journey Maps

United StatesToptal Member Since September 2, 2016

Jay Oldaker is an experienced product designer and coach with a passion for helping others unlock their full potential. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, Jay has developed a deep understanding of what it takes to create successful products that solve real-world problems. With a focus on collaboration, creativity, and innovation, Jay is committed to helping organizations achieve their full potential and create a meaningful impact in the world.

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James Tucker

User Research DesignerUser Interface (UI)MobileRapid PrototypingUX PrototypingBrandingProduct DesignPersonasUX FlowsUser ResearchFigmaiOSAndroid

United StatesToptal Member Since May 31, 2018

James is an idea machine and master problem-solver when it comes to user interfaces. He is passionate about making users love the product because of the user's naturally intuitive adoption of the UI. James fuses cognitive science techniques with clever interaction design to create products people love.

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Lander Muruaga

User Research DesignerSketchPhotoshop CCAxure RP ProiOSAndroidUser Experience (UX)Information Architecture (IA)WireframingUsability TestingUX SpecificationsUser ResearchUX Sketching

SpainToptal Member Since July 14, 2019

Lander is a UX design expert with over 15 years of experience helping companies conceptualize, design, and launch easy-to-use products and services through research and strategy. He works worldwide with corporations, governments, and startups helping them grow their products and services.

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Zeltonique Damon

User Research DesignerResponsive UIMobile UIUser FlowsWeb UXWeb UIUX TestingUX DesignAdobe Experience Design (XD)InVisionSketchAdobe CCApp UI

South AfricaToptal Member Since December 12, 2018

Fascinated by technology's potential to enhance human experiences, Zeltonique pursued a fulfilling UX/UI design career. She is privileged to shape the digital world alongside brilliant minds, bringing a unique perspective and expertise to every project. Grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and sincere passion, her design philosophy makes a lasting, positive impact as she states: "Let's breathe life into your ideas with visually striking, effective designs that deeply resonate with your end-users."

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Mini Kim

User Research DesignerSketchOmniGraffleUX SketchingUser ResearchUX StrategyUsability TestingWeb UsabilityUser InterviewsUser Journey MapsUser FlowsPersonasSitemaps

United StatesToptal Member Since July 19, 2018

Mini has worked with a diverse array of clients for over a decade in New York City. She enjoys learning about different industries and their unique challenges having worked with healthcare, finance, and technology companies amongst others. Mini believes strongly that UX is about collaboration between the business, users, and technology. In every project, she uses various UX methods and deliverables to get the best results.

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Marco Righetto

User Research DesignerProduct DesignUI DesignMVP DesignInformation Architecture (IA)UX StrategyiOS App Design

SpainToptal Member Since April 15, 2019

Marco creates positive changes via human-centered innovation. A well-rounded designer, he's honed his skills at international consultancies (Fjord and IDEO), a boutique digital product agency (Hanzo), a data-driven startup (SumAll), and his own social good project, Streetlives. He specializes in designing products and service that drive organizational, business, and societal impact. His work has been recognized by IxDA, EYA, and Adobe.

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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
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Thierry Jakicevic
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Creating an app for the game
Conor Kenney
Creating an app for the game
Leading a digital transformation
Elmar Platzer
Leading a digital transformation
What our clients think
Clients Rate Toptal UX Researchers4.3 / 5.0on average across 212 reviews as of Aug 5, 2023
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

improvemygun.com

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

LeanTaaS, Inc.

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

Prose Market

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

Union Station

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

Langlotz Patent & Trademark Works, Inc.

Toptal gave us access to the best designers out there. They’re not easy to find. Those designers integrated very quickly with our existing teams. They very quickly understood our business case and the value of our solution. Toptal really allowed us to focus on building the best possible product and save a lot of time on the typical administrative pains that goes with it -- specifically, finding the best talent. Toptal designers were very responsive, always online -- and that made life very easy for us. We have ambitious goals on how to grow the application and already Toptal has been a key contributor to that success.

Thierry Jakircevic, General Manager, Digital Solutions, Bridgestone Head Office, Tokyo

Bridgestone Corporation

We had an amazing experience working with our Toptal designer. In only two weeks, we accomplished what would've taken most companies 3 months to complete. We also enjoyed working with the Toptal team to make sure we were paired up with the right designer that would fit both our company culture and working style.

Ted Blosser, Head of Sales and Customer Success

WorkRamp

Dean blew us away. He ranks right up there as one of the top five designers of the hundreds I have worked with in the past. He listened, was totally professional, and came up with a 3D rotating cube design completely on his own. We didn't even ask for it, and yet it has become the centerpiece of our app and how users engage with it right off the bat. What he produced inspired all of us at Votify, and put us on track for launch and investor funding.

Michael Lawrence, Founder & CEO

Votify LLC

How to Hire UX Researchers 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 researcher for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3

The Right Fit, Guaranteed

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

FAQs

  • How are Toptal UX researchers different?

    At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our UX 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 UX researchers in less than 48 hours through Toptal?

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

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

    We make sure that each engagement between you and your UX 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

    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 in under 2 weeks 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 Researchers are in High Demand.

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