How to hire a UX agency: 5 questions product leaders should ask

The right way to evaluate a UX agency is knowing what questions to ask (and what not to ask)

Updated for 2025

Hiring a UX agency can feel like a gamble — especially when you’re on the hook for product outcomes. Whether you’re launching a new product or trying to improve an existing one, finding the right UX partner can be the difference between shipping something users love… or something they abandon.

In this article, we’ll break down five essential questions product leaders should ask when they hire a UX agency, plus tips to spot the right fit for your business.

Services versus products

Buying professional services feels different from buying off-the-shelf products. According to the authors of “Why Clients Buy,” buyers see more at stake. Buying an office chair or software provides something tangible. You know what you’re getting before you pay.

Buying a service can feel risky. When buying a service, a company pays for talent and expertise. These are harder to see up front. Pricing can also vary widely, which makes it more difficult to compare and contrast design agencies.  Hiring the wrong agency can put company initiatives at risk. At worst, the wrong decision can cause embarrassment, demotion, and even termination.

There’s a lot on the line.

Companies try to even the playing field and reduce risk in a number of ways. They open up RFPs (Requests for Proposal) in an attempt to force service providers — agencies like Standard Beagle — to look more similar. Or, more informally, they ask every agency the same set of questions and look for all evidence of past performance. Questions like:

• “What is your experience working on similar projects at other companies like mine?”
• “Have you ever worked with a company our size?”
• “How many years experience do you have?
• “Do you have case studies?”

Why hiring a UX agency is so hard

The UX industry has exploded, and so has the number of agencies offering “UX design.” But not all agencies define UX the same way. Some specialize in visual UI only, while others offer strategic research and product thinking. That’s why asking the right questions before hiring is crucial.

Your evaluation questions may not uncover what you need to hire a UX agency

Hiring an agency for UX comes down to asking the right questions in the evaluation process. However, agencies offering user experience (UX) research and design vary so widely in their approach, training, and UX expertise, the standard evaluation questions don’t help companies make informed decisions. In fact, they may actually be the wrong questions to ask.

Here are the five questions we hear most at Standard Beagle and the questions you should ask so you can make a better decision in hiring an agency for UX projects.

5 key questions to ask a UX agency

1. What’s your UX process?

This helps product leaders understand how the agency works and whether their process will integrate smoothly with your team’s development cycle.

When prospective clients ask about past projects, their goal is usually to determine future success. The thought is that agencies that have successfully worked on similar projects in the past are more likely to have future success on the same kind of project.

This is a fair question. But when it comes to UX services, you can better understand future success by asking about process.

UX is a process. The outcome of the UX process creates a better experience for users and helps companies achieve their goals. And the beauty of UX is that it can be applied to many different kinds of problems. UX practitioners flex this process depending on each project’s needs.

Your company is unique. Just because an agency worked on a competitor or someone in your industry doesn’t mean the agency will be able to understand what makes you unique — unless they have a solid UX process. A skilled UX agency will be able to use their expertise to apply their process in a way that fits the uniqueness of your project.

It’s similar to a plumber’s toolbox. A plumber has a number of tools available to them, but not every tool is needed for every job. They wouldn’t use a sledgehammer to fix a leaky faucet. They are experts at choosing the right tool for the job.

The same is true for UX practitioners. Their toolbox — the list of UX methods — is huge. A UXer’s expertise comes from having a process and knowing which method is appropriate for the project.

Every skilled UX agency has a process

A UX process is far more than touching up a UI with color and fonts. When evaluating agencies.

1. Make sure they have a process. If they don’t have a process, that’s a red flag that the agency doesn’t actually have UX expertise or understand how to apply it.
2. Make sure the process has depth. UX is more than making a website “pretty.” Make sure the agency understands what UX is.

2. Who will actually work on my project?

Agencies work together in a variety of ways. It’s extremely common for agencies to work together or to augment core teams with contractors. These partner agencies and contractors don’t make an agency less capable or talented. But it depends on the nature of the relationship and who they partner with.

Just like you are looking for an outside service provider with the right expertise, you want to make sure that the agency you evaluate has fully vetted their UX talent. It’s common for a full-service agency not to have UX talent in house. But ask them:

• How well do they work with their UX team?
• How do they communicate?
• What is their process for exchanging information and deliverables?

At Standard Beagle, we’ve worked with several marketing agencies as their UX experts. We have also worked with other UX agencies to augment their teams. Every agency has a different process for how they communicate with us and integrate us into their teams. And we’ve augmented our own team with contractors when needed.

It’s not a negative to use outside talent. Collaboration is natural for agencies. What you need to evaluate is how well they work with partners. That will give you a better indication of how smooth the project will go.

Also ask about the expertise of the designers and researchers

Years of experience can be a misleading indication of skill, especially for newer designers and researchers. In my experience, I have met researchers and designers with many years experience that stagnated in their learning. These individuals learned what they wanted to learn and haven’t changed since. And it was evident in their work.

Find out more about the growth and interest of the UX team you evaluate. The more curious and growth-oriented the UX team is, the more likely they are to push themselves on your project and deliver strong outcomes.

Where and how did the UX designers train? There is no standard training program for UX research and design. You don’t have to take a test for a professional license to say you do UX. Anyone can claim it, no matter what level of experience they have.

Rule out the agencies that say they do UX without actually understanding what it means by asking about process as well as their training.

Most senior designers, like myself, gained our experience through lots and lots of real-world practice, conferences, reading, and client work — in addition to formal education or training programs.

3. What’s your experience with similar clients?

Not all UX work is created equal. A strong agency-client match includes familiarity with your industry, your users, and your business model. Ask to see case studies or past work in your domain — like B2B SaaS, healthcare, fintech, or government. If they don’t have exact matches, dig into how they approach new problem spaces and build domain expertise quickly.

Instead of looking at years of experience, look at expertise. Where does the agency demonstrate expertise? Do they focus on a few areas where they really shine? Or do they try to do it all? Do they have a fresh team that shows incredible skill?

4. What values guide your design team?

An agency’s values shape how they collaborate, handle feedback, and make design tradeoffs. Are they user-first? Do they advocate for accessibility or inclusivity? Do they value transparency? When challenges come up (and they will), shared values create trust and smoother decision-making.

Ask: What are your company values, and how do they show up in your process?

5. How do you measure success?

Many agencies focus on deliverables, not results. But for product leaders, success often means improved adoption, retention, or reduced support tickets.

Ask agencies how they define and measure UX outcomes. Do they track KPIs? Conduct post-launch validation? A solid agency should align success with your product’s goals—not just pretty designs.

Bonus tips for vetting UX agencies

You just want to understand how deeply they gained their knowledge. Rule out the fakes. Look for UX teams with a wide range of experience in UX research, UX thinking, wireframing, prototyping, testing, UI and interaction design. This will help you make sure you’re not just getting a graphic designer who decided that UX design looked good on a resume.

Also ask: Why do you offer UX services

UX has become a buzzword. Many agencies offer it—but not all of them live and breathe it. Asking why an agency provides UX services can reveal a lot more than just what they offer.

Are they meeting demand because clients asked for it? Or is UX core to their mission and expertise?

Both are valid—but agencies that treat UX as an add-on may not prioritize staying up to date with evolving tools and methods. That can lead to outdated approaches or missed opportunities to improve your product.

Agencies like Standard Beagle make UX their focus. Our team invests time in both learning and teaching UX because we believe that’s what drives better outcomes for our clients. The more we grow, the better your results.

So when you’re evaluating a UX partner, ask:

Those answers will tell you a lot about whether they’re the right fit for your product.

Frequently asked questions about how to hire a UX agency

In conclusion

When you need to hire an agency for UX, it’s hard to make an evaluation if you don’t ask the right questions. Rather than rely on the typical evaluation methods, you can make an informed decision by asking more about process and expertise.

1. What is your UX process?
2. Who will work on my project?
3. What is your experience with similar clients?
4. What values guide your design team?
5. How do you measure success?

These five questions will help you uncover the answers you need to make a better decision about which agency to choose for your UX project.