Hire
Hiring a UI Professional
What does a UI consultant usually cost?
A good UI consultant costs about the same as good Java or .NET developer.
What are the Tools of the Trade?
Most of the clients I’ve worked for really don’t know the tools of the trade, so to speak, that we need to build professional UI and most IT departments are usually not setup for UI development, although it is getting better.
One IT department I worked for a few years ago had only one copy of a dilapidated version 7 of Photoshop (that version hasn’t been in use for years), the development machine they issued had a half-gig of RAM, a 64-meg video card from the stone-age, and the largest monitor anyone was issued was just 17-inches.
That kind of setup works fine for text editing code development; it’s terrible for UI development. After a lot of push-back I was finally able to secure a 19-inch monitor, an updated video card and some additional memory. (A 21-inch monitor was out of the question since that was the size the department’s director had and I absolutely could NOT have a monitor that was the same size has his. No, I’m not kidding, unfortunately.)
Building a quality UI will likely require some tools you are not used to providing. Your UI developer may need beefier equipment and/or some specialized software tools than what your IT department is used to providing text developers.
Here are some pointers from my experience in working with IT departments who were just learning what the UI pros do:
- Hire an experienced UI specialist. A top-notch UI pro will also be an experienced and talented graphics designer.
- Try to provide the latest equipment, including the largest monitor your department can make available, even if it’s larger than the department director’s. The larger real estate really makes GUI design much easier and faster in Photoshop.
- Don’t try to replace Photoshop by providing your UI pros with Gimp. Gimp is a nice open-source application, but listen, it’s not half as powerful nor easy to use as Photoshop and it never will be.
Images.
Whether you’re building an application backend control panel or a complete corporate website, you are going to need stock images. Most of the UI people I know have their own iStockPhoto accounts. Let your UI pro gather your requirements and select images appropriate for your site.
Proper image selection is a very important part of the UI design. If you have unprofessional-looking images, it will degrade the site’s look and appeal. UI professionals know how to select images from a variety of sources that will make your application or product look its best.