Should I design the UI myself or hire an agency, is learning UI design software worth it?

People learn design tools and suddenly think they're designers, but it's never about the tool itself. The file you hand off needs to be clean enough to code. No developer wants to touch screens with messy layers and arbitrary measurements, and if they do, they'll charge you double.

I got into that exact same mindset last year and spent two months watching tutorials every night to design our screens. The developer opened the file and instantly scrapped it: "these button dimensions don't align, and this menu overflows the screen on mobile." Lost 40 hours of my life, and we ended up paying 15,000 TL to a freelance designer anyway.

Consider these three points before jumping in: 1) Learning the software and wireframing 15-20 screens will take at least 60-80 hours. 2) UX flaws might prevent customers from successfully completing service requests. 3) You'll be spending time on UI layouts instead of growing your core business.

honestly don't bother learning the app is easy but knowing why that button goes there is a whole different craft. tbh just buy a ready-made admin panel template and don't waste your time.

If the agency quote felt too high, you could talk to an experienced freelance designer instead of a full-fledged agency. If you only ask for designs for the project's 8-10 critical screens, the cost would likely drop to the 10,000 - 12,000 TL range, and your developer can work with ease.

the moment you open a design tool you suddenly think you're an art director, then text starts overllapping on mobile screens and reality hits you like a truck then those programs are like driving; you learn how to turn the wheel in ten minutes, but the second you hit real traffic you crash.

A company executive's primary duty is to manage operational efficiency and client relations. The opportunity cost of the time spent learning user interface design, which is a specialized technical field, will result in a far greater loss than the service fee paid to an agency or a freelancer.

Meet with your developer first thing tomorrow. Ask them, "I'm not going to design screens from scratch which open-source UI library can you code with the fastest?" Picking an affordable licensed template will both save you from spending 28 thousand lira and get your project wrapped up in two weeks.

I disagree with you on this point. The harder it is to reverse a decision, the slower you should make it.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

We got stuck at the same point for a while. Processes without records never improve, because you don't know what to fix.

If I were you I'd go this route.

I have no experience with UI design software, so I'm asking. In legacy systems, the most expensive thing is unknown dependencies.

If you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong.

Exactly, and not many people know this. Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

I've been dealing with this for a long time. Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more.

Don't miss this: When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles.

Proven by experience.

the discussion got scattered, let me summarize. i mean solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

access credentials should be opened in the companys name, not personal accounts but im also curious if anyone does it differently.

Exactly like that. The harder it is to reverse a decision, the slower you should make it.

Good luck with that.

Exactly, and not many people know this. Access credentials should be opened in the company's name, not personal accounts.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

I feel the same way. Every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand. This is my opinion, I'm not claiming it's absolute truth.