When it comes to memorable apps and platforms, nice aesthetics and good functionalities are essential factors that we are always looking for.

A nice-looking product surely will attract more users, and it’s interface will define if they will stay or quickly lose interest. In fact, data shows that almost 90% of users are likely to abandon a website and never return if their experience on it is bad.

Although ideal, it can often be difficult to achieve both goals - the looks and the usability, which makes the hunt for a good UI/UX agency quite harder. Sure, there are plenty of good agencies all over the world, but very few can actually provide the quality users are looking for.

That quality means authentic and niche-specific design combined with a user-friendly system, a powerful duo that will make your platform stand out from competitors and hook users for a long term.

The ideal agency has to understand users and the trends they will be gravitating towards. 2022 has arrived with brand new mindsets that UI/UX designers have to pay attention to, like the immersive storytelling aesthetic that has been catching user’s attention lately and replacing the traditional “scroll page” model, or the adaptive dark mode design that has been rising into popularity due to its eye health benefits.

So, in order to help you find the best option and get your project up high, today we are showing you the top 20 UI/UX agencies to work with in 2022.

Let's get started.

LinkUp Studio##

"The result that matters" - linkupst.com We cannot start the list without mentioning LinkUp Studio, ranked as one of the top UI/UX design agencies by Clutch. We are a recognized full-circle digital product design and development company which strives for quality on more than 100 successfully launched products.

Our team is composed of more than 80 passionate experts on Ukraine and USA, each of them eager to help people transform dreams into products - from idea analysis to after-launch support.

“Their hearts are invested in the project. The partnership feels much stronger than it would with others.”

CEO, Tim Ruppert on Clutch

We think like our customers and create an immersive partnership experience with each of them, understanding their pains and connecting with their goals in order to reach the top together.

Our team works with a humanized and sensible vision combined with forward-thinking design and smart usability in every project - always aiming high.

And our efforts come with recognition: in 2021 our team was a finalist of Ukrainian Creative Stories in two categories, as well as rising to the list of top Ukrainian creative and design teams by Clutch and being recognized as one of the best design companies of Ukraine by Top Design Firms.

Founded: 2013

Location: Ukraine

Team Size: 60+

Price rate: $50 / hr

Key clients: Reverso, Snagshout, Impactive

Ramotion##

“We are a digital product design agency” - ramotion.com Ramotion is a company of multidisciplinary digital product experts. In a small team, they create solutions for growing startups and Fortune 500 companies.

Over 10 years of experience, Ramotion has defined their formula for quality products: to involve experts into working on certain projects exclusively and, accordingly, work with only a few clients at a time. The services provided include producing UI/UX design and brand identity, as well as marketing assistance.

Founded: 2009

Location: California, USA

Team Size: 50+

Hourly rate: $100 - $149 / hr

Key clients: FireFox, Netflix, Adobe

Clay##

“Clay is a UI/UX design and branding agency in San Francisco” - clay.global They are one of the best companies that focus exclusively on UI/UX transforming brands through strategy, visual identity, and websites.

Clay practises applying behavioral science to create user experience and, in truth, run a really awesome design that many users face every day. It's about apps for Coca-Cola, Facebook, Slack identity, and Jacquard by Google app.

Founded: 2009

Location: San Francisco, USA

Team Size: 32 members

Hourly rate: $150 - $199 / hr

Key clients: Google, Facebook, Coinbase, Slack, Samsung

Frog Design##

"Together we strive to shape a regenerative future that is both sustainable and inclusive for businesses, people and planet." - frogdesign.com Beginning their services in the 1970’s, Frog is one of the oldest worldwide UX design agencies out there. The company has worked with numerous big names over the years and has even expanded into other design projects - such as furniture.

Frog currently works with 10 offices around the world, evolving from industrial design to a full-service agency which covers from CX strategy to service design.

Founded: 1970

Location: USA

Team Size: 950+ members

Hourly rate: $5,000+ / hr

Key clients: Intel, Unicef, Nestlé, Coca-Cola

Ideo##

"We are a global design company committed to creating positive impact." - ideo.com One of the big names of the UI/UX industry is Ideo, the agency which invented the famous term of “Design Thinking”. They work with a human-centered philosophy which they are proud of, with a range of designers, engineers, and researchers for every project.

Ideo focuses on designing special prototypes that range from user interfaces to full organizations, creating impactful projects all around the world.

Founded: 1991

Location: California, USA

Team Size: 1300+ members

Key clients: Swarowski, The Rockfeller Foundation, Apple

Full-circle development companies### Perpetual##

“Build your vision with us” - perpetualny.com Perpetual is a product design and development company, focusing on UX and development of the products. Their mission is to develop great user experiences and cutting edge software for selected clients.

For now the company has completed a range of projects for large corporations in the media and financial services field. After the recent launch of the EdTech startup, they have been growing rapidly in the education technology field.

Founded: 2012

Location: New York, NY

Team Size: 20 members

Hourly rate: $50 - $99 / hr

Key clients: Reuters, MIT, The Inside

Wildebeest##

“LA`s top software engineering and digital marketing agency” - wildebee.st It is a boutique custom software consultancy team, that provides custom web app design and development, applying Internet of Things, and experiential installations.

Wildebeest has experience working with the world's largest corporations, such as Disney or General Motors, and funded startups they were interested in. What really sets the agency apart is that being a very small team they are capable of implementing really large-scale projects and are a real role model in their field.

Founded: 2014

Location: Los Angeles, California

Team Size: 10+

Hourly rate: $200 - $300 / hr

Key clients: Google, Microsoft, Disney, General Motors

ArcTouch##

“We create lovable apps and digital products” - arctouch.com ArcTouch is a UI/UX design and development company, aimed to help companies forge meaningful connections with their customers and employees through custom digital products.

They decided to be a business app creator when App Store was just first announced. Since then, they have worked with Fortune 500 companies, midsize businesses and influential startups, conducting hands-on expertise and being concerned with profits of their clients.

Founded: 2009

Location: San Francisco, California

Team Size: 200+

Hourly rate: $100 - $149 / hr

Key clients: Hawaiian Airlines, Audi, PayPal

Majestyk##

“We imagine, design & build digital products.” - majestykapps.com Founded in 2011 with a collaborative spirit, Majestyk named themselves a team with expertise of a traditional agency and the agility of a startup.

Majestyk`s vision is that the company's success is in great products and great people. Their experience and launched products can prove that.

Founded: 2011

Location: New York, NY

Team Size: до 20

Hourly rate: $150 - $199 / hr

Key clients: IBM, Ally, Audiomack

Spire Digital##

“Innovation, transformation, and disruption since 1998” - spiredigital.com Spire Digital, part of Kin + Carta, is a Denver-based digital product development firm that transforms business through design and technology. For over 22 years, they have provided web, mobile design and development using IoT, wearables, AR/VR, AI, or blockchain to the world's top companies.

We would say that Spire is a good combination of conservatism, which gives confidence to clients from large companies, and innovation, which allows them to make really impactful digital solutions, within one development agency.

Founded: 1998

Location: Denver, Colorado

Team Size: more than 200

Hourly rate: $100 - $149 / hr

Key clients: Lockheed Martin, TomTom, USDA

What makes an UI/UX Agency great?#

Now, you might see this list and wonder: after all, what makes these agencies different from others? What makes them great? Could it be a unique design or famous clients, perhaps?

To answer those questions, we decided to do a little research to better understand each company and share with you what really distinguishes a great UI/UX agency from others on the market.

Let’s take a look!

They know user’s opinion matters##

A good UI/UX agency will always prioritize the user’s take on their material, regardless if they agree or not with those opinions. The most important part of developing a platform for a client must be the quality of the final result - and that is not just how good the design looks, but how efficient its usability is.

That is why they will conduct detailed user research in order to guarantee the best result possible, always keeping the client informed of the process and the responses.

Their approach towards the partner##

In fact, the word "partner" is key here. The best UI / UX companies do not collaborate with you as with clients, they treat you as partners. The difference in approach is that both parties are interested in the best development of the product.

Accordingly, such teams are not interested in short distance races and mainly focus on long-term partnerships. Brands show a high level of trust in such companies because of their approach.

The product is the main focus##

It means that companies building products work on not just implementing all customer's requirements, but on making the product itself the best. Sometimes it's about experience, sometimes it’s more about good quality discovery stage and user analysis.

Throughout the development, designers are fully involved into the process and bring their experience-based ideas to launch the best possible version of the product. Good design teams are characterized by high empathy and understanding of user needs. Sounds simple. But, in practice, such teams become the best among thousands of competitors.

They have a market specification##

There are some debates: is it good or bad for designers to have an industry specification? After analyzing the top companies from the list, we can say that specification is undoubtedly a feature of great companies. It is obvious - to choose the industry and become the best in it! And, in practice, it works.

It also gives the partner a certain level of guarantee of the product's success, because the company knows all the pitfalls and solutions that will help enter the market, find users, and grow the platform - depending on your goals.

Choosing the right UI/UX agency#

Even with a detailed list of the most popular and suitable agencies out there, it can still be difficult to choose the right one. But it’s important to take time to analyze the most important aspects you are looking for in a company and carefully choose based on those factors.

It’s also important to note that choosing a company that will handle both development and design of the product is a very smart move, as there are many benefits such as saving time and minimizing risks of losing quality.

For LinkUp Studio, design is not just for the sake of design. We compromise with quality, ethic and the essence of every product to deliver pixel perfect and user-friendly designs.

With more than 100 products successfully launched on the market, we are ready to help you achieve your goals. Talk to us and let’s partner up on our next project!