{"id":11153,"date":"2021-12-08T10:05:31","date_gmt":"2021-12-08T09:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/?p=11153"},"modified":"2021-12-08T10:11:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T09:11:28","slug":"ux-agency-vs-in-house-vs-freelance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/blog\/ux-design\/ux-agency-vs-in-house-vs-freelance\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Could a Career in UX Take You? Agency vs. In-House vs. Freelance"},"content":{"rendered":"

User experience is everywhere. A variety of industries are seeing the value of crafting their user\u2019s interaction with their products and brands. Therefore, UX designers have the luxury of choosing from many different environments to work in. However, sometimes all these options can make it hard to decide what\u2019s best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, we break down the three most common workplaces for UX designers to find employment: design agencies, in-house positions, or freelance designing. For each work environment, we\u2019ll go over what the structure looks like, the benefits, the downsides, and what to do before applying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in one particular path, use the clickable menu to skip ahead:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Working as a UX designer at an agency<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Working as an in-house UX designer<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Working as a freelance UX designer<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now let\u2019s get right to it!<\/span><\/p>\n

    1. Agency work for UX designers<\/span><\/h2>\n

    A UX agency is usually a large pool of UX designers that work with a variety of companies and industries. Designers\u2019 days are fast-paced and involve working on a range of different projects, sometimes simultaneously. Often, UX designers will specialize or work solely on one aspect of the design process.<\/span><\/p>\n

    UX agency pros<\/span>
    \n<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1. Exposure<\/span><\/h4>\n

    UX agencies have a constant influx of unique projects. Therefore, agency designers are more likely to encounter a variety of industries that they may not have the opportunity to see in another work environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Furthermore, agencies are fast paced and usually stay very up-to-date with design trends. This gives designers the chance to be exposed to a variety of new tools and design processes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Mentorship and guidance<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Larger staff numbers means more brains to pick, meaning the chances of finding a mentor and guidance within the field is higher. This makes an agency job highly desirable for newly trained and graduated designers. At an agency, you\u2019ll have the chance to learn from people with a variety of backgrounds, experience levels, and specialties, making your entrance into the UX industry a bit smoother.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Or maybe you are an older designer with a knack for teaching and mentoring. Working at an agency can give you the chance to mentor newer designers and take them under your wing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Build your portfolio<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Another reason that novice designers seek UX agency jobs is because it\u2019s a great place to quickly build your <\/span>UX design portfolio<\/span><\/a>. Working on such a vast number of unique projects makes it easy to quickly add skills to your repertoire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Not only can you quickly boost your portfolio, but you may also have a greater chance to learn and showcase soft skills like the art of pitching, ability to meet deadlines, effective communication, psychology, and more.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. Stability<\/span><\/h4>\n

    While the type of work you\u2019ll be doing at an agency can be in constant flux, one thing that often remains stable are your working hours and income. Agencies commonly provide routine and consistent pay rates where other UX positions may be more dependent on the project or resources allotted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Projects at UX agencies can be very deadline driven, so there may be occasions where you\u2019ll need to work overtime. However, day-to-day working hours along with income and benefits are usually pretty predictable.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    UX agency cons<\/span><\/h3>\n

    1. Difficult clients<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Unlike freelance positions, at a UX agency, your clients are chosen for you. Sometimes the clients can be tricky to please or communicate with. They often have set guidelines or expectations that need to be met even if they go against what you feel works best as a UX designer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Since you are just one part of many at an agency, you don\u2019t get the chance to take ownership of the product and, in the end, the client has the final say. Therefore, it may be difficult to argue for or against certain product features.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2. Can\u2019t see full scope<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Due to the nature of agency work, you\u2019ll most likely be working on small parts of many projects. This means that you probably won\u2019t be able to see the project in its final form or beyond the scope of your specific task.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s very difficult to see how your work impacts the project overall or how the company benefited from hiring you and your team. This lack of long-term influence can feel unfulfilling for some designers and might not make the hard work seem worth it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Complicated communication<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Depending on the size of the agency, it can be very difficult to get in direct contact with the product owner. Not having a clear line of communication to the client can get frustrating and result in delayed feedback, slow iteration, and can prevent the project from moving forward on time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Furthermore, without face-to-face communication with the product owner(s), it can be hard to obtain an accurate sense of the brand and what they expect. This can make designing a product that the client will approve of a bit more tricky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    4. Easy to burn out<\/span><\/h4>\n

    With constant projects flooding your desk, it can be easy for UX designers to feel burnout in an agency environment. Clients can expect a lot from design agencies, so sometimes they may demand more than feels possible to achieve within the set deadline.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s easy to feel a bit frazzled and overworked at an agency, but with skills like good time management, stress relief, and effective team communication, the chance of burnout can be decreased.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    What to do before applying to an agency<\/span><\/h3>\n

    If you\u2019re thinking UX agency work might be right for you, here\u2019s what to consider before sending your application:<\/span><\/p>\n