Top 20 UX Design Agencies in Manchester
Are you looking for a design agency in Manchester that will provide a quality service at a reasonable price, complete the tasks on time, and create an inspirational look for your product? Here you go — Limeup prepared an all-in-one guide to ease the search.
To start with, Manchester is the second largest city in the UK and the second biggest business hub after London. According to CityCo, 39% of the UK’s business deals occur in this city.
Moreover, CityCo states that Manchester city produces more revenue than Liverpool, Sheffield, and Leeds. To keep growing, business experts join various communities focusing on business development. One of these communities is Manchester Digital.
Manchester Digital is a local community that unites tech professionals, software engineers, and UI/UX design agencies. The members regularly meet at workshops, webinars, and conferences. They share insights, foster innovation, and make Manchester a promising city for UI/UX sector development.
To help you choose a Manchester design agency, our design experts compiled a list of 20 top-rated vendors. Here, you will find small to big companies that either focus on UI/UX design or offer it in addition to other digital services. For each agency, we outlined the following characteristics:
- Headquarters
- Key services
- Hourly rate
- Minimum project budget
- Team size
- Year founded
- Contact information
Also, we added a short candidate description where we mention interesting facts about each company. You can use our insights to check if a UX design agency in Manchester can perfectly match your UI/UX design project.
Contact us if you need help with UX UI design. We can create a custom solution to help you achieve your business goals.
Top 20 UX design agencies in Manchester
1.Limeup
Headquarters: London, UK
Key services: UX design and development, user experience research, UX audit, and consulting
Hourly rate: £42 – £83
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 10 – 49
Year founded: 2015
Phone: +447700182244
Email: hello@limeup.io
Description: Meet Limeup, a full-service UX design agency that knows how to blend creativity with professionalism to build an immersive user experience. Limeup is represented in 3 countries: UK, Germany, and Poland, and has been on the market for 7+ years.
Our company specializes in UX design, product design, and product development. We can take you through the path of UX design development from start to finish and offer ongoing design and development support. The designs created by Limeup are responsive, laconic, and 100% industry-relevant.
90% of our employees are senior- and mid-level professionals. The company leverages modern skills and technologies to help clients highlight their brand identity via design and ensure an effortless user experience.
Limeup is a UX agency Manchester startups and entrepreneurs work with. We offer a wide range of skills and services to satisfy the needs of small to big businesses and help our clients grow.
Our team can help you at any stage of the UX design process: from user experience research and UX audit to product planning, design, and development.
One of the brightest accomplishments of Limeup is Mintplicity. This was a web and mobile app design project for a UK-based NFT marketplace. In 3 months, the Limeup team designed 70+ screens for the web and mobile applications.
A launchpad page designed and developed by Limeup for Mintplicity.
We started the project with a deep dive into the user behavior on the NFT portals. Then, our team conducted a UX gap analysis and used it to build a brand-unique UI. As a result of our joint effort, users can intuitively navigate the marketplace when seeing the company’s personal touch on each page.
Contact us should you need help with UX design. We are ready to discuss your challenges and help design your product.
2.Fortnight
Headquarters: London, UK, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design, mobile app development, branding, product design, web design
Hourly rate: £84 – £125
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2014
Phone: +447503220908
Description: Fortnight is a UX design company in Manchester with offices in London, UK, and Vienna, Austria. The company’s expertise is branding, design, and development.
In 2017, Fortnight received Apple Design Award, followed by GQ Design Award in 2018.
The agency implements a 3-step cooperation process involving research and competitor analysis, MVP development and testing, design and development.
As for the industry focus of the projects by Fortnight, the main ones include arts, entertainment and music, hospitality and leisure, retail, and others.
3.Creative Navy
Headquarters: London, UK, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design
Hourly rate: £84 – £125
Minimum project budget: £4,200+
Team size: 10 – 49
Year founded: 2010
Phone: +447966528365
Description: Creative Navy is a UI/UX design company in Manchester with 278 clients from 36 countries. The company has three offices in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Germany.
The focus area of Creative Navy is UI/UX design. Their team consists of advocates of evidence-based design. Creative Navy specializes in empirical design development for mobile, web, and native apps in the private and public sectors.
Most of their clients are mid-size businesses, but the company also works with startups and growing businesses. Among their customers are several famous names like Jaguar, Philips, Discovery Channel, and Bosch.
4.Solvelt
Headquarters: Warsaw, Poland, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design, mobile app development, IT managed services, custom software development, web design, web development, ecommerce development
Hourly rate: £21 – £41
Minimum project budget: £21,000+
Team size: 50 – 249
Year founded: 2016
Phone: +48573060670
Description: Solvelt is a full-service UX design Manchester agency that develops end-to-end digital solutions for businesses of different sizes. They can offer UX design in Manchester or product development.
The company comprises 50+ experts in mobile and web development, MVP development, custom development, UI/UX design, etc.
According to Solvelt’s website, 55% of their employees are senior-level professionals, 30% are middle-level, and 15% are junior-level.
The biggest part of their clients is middle-size businesses. Their focus industries include ecommerce, transportation, fintech, healthcare, and others.
5. Dept
Headquarters: Boston, USA, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design, custom software development, digital strategy, mobile app development, web development
Hourly rate: £126 – £167
Minimum project budget: £84,000+
Team size: 1,000 – 9,999
Year founded: 2016
Phone: +19258541970
Description: Dept is represented in 5 continents and more than 30 locations globally. This global full-service UX design company in Manchester comprises 3500+ professionals in custom software development, UI/UX design, digital strategy development, and more.
Since 2021, Dept has become a climate-neutral company, meaning they care about the environmental situation and try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a minimum. The primary industries the company works with are agriculture and food, arts and culture, and fintech.
6.Wild & Wolf (ex. Stand Out)
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, branding
Hourly rate: £84 – £125
Minimum project budget: £4,200+
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2017
Phone: +4401615287970
Description: Stand Out is a company that focuses exclusively on UI/UX design development and branding. Interestingly, the agency is now going through its brand strategy transformation. They have recently got a new name, Wild & Wolf, and moved to a new website.
It is stated on Clutch.co that 70% of their clients are midmarket businesses. The key industries the company works with include information technology and financial services.
The portfolio of Wild & Wolf is represented by several cases of brand identity and strategy development, art direction, graphics creation, and design. Among the clients of this UX design Manchester agency, we can name Lance, Social First, and River Black.
7.CTI Digital
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, web development, ecommerce development and marketing, content marketing, digital marketing, SEO, pay-per-click
Hourly rate: £84 – £125
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 50 – 249
Year founded: 2003
Phone: +441617132434
Description: This is one of the oldest UI/UX design agencies on our list. CTI Digital was founded in 2003 and has been on the market for over 19 years.
The company started as a small support agency and grew into an enterprise that builds digital solutions and strategies for companies across the globe.
The focus of their services lies in digital transformation and digital strategy development. A big part of their job is working with charities. To name a few, CTI Digital has experience cooperating with War Child UK and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
8.Square Owl
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, conversion optimization, digital strategy, business consulting
Hourly rate: £126 – £167
Minimum project budget: £4,200+
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2014
Phone: +441618837010
Description: Square Owl is a UX agency in Manchester that cultivates a data-driven approach to digital solution development. The company is certified by Goldman Sachs, Human Factors International, and Neilson Norman Group.
They can do a heuristic product review for you, build a PET design, create prototypes, and develop an effective UX optimization strategy. The starting point of cooperation with this company is a user journey review and focus group research.
An interesting fact about Square Owl is that they don’t require you to sign a contract as they offer a flexible pricing structure to serve the needs of a broad market segment.
9.Higher Ground
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, conversion optimization, digital strategy, search engine optimization, web design
Hourly rate: £42 – £83
Minimum project budget: £840
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2012
Phone: +441617060671
Description: Higher Ground is a small-size UX design Manchester agency.
This company is a good choice for startups. You need to allocate the project budget of £840 to start working with Higher Ground.
As the company highlights, user experience lies at the core of its services. The design studio can develop application designs for mobile or desktop, conduct user experience testing and audit, create wireframes and prototypes, build websites, and more.
Higher Ground will be at your disposal if you are a small or mid-size business interested in this service.
10.Cube3
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, branding, content marketing, digital strategy, pay-per-click
Hourly rate: £42 – £83
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 10 – 49
Year founded: 1999
Phone: +481616151900
Description: Since 1999, Cube3 has cooperated with UK clients regionally and recognized businesses worldwide. Their famous customers in B2B and B2C sectors include Gusto Restaurants, ANS Group, HP, Dell, Absolut, Bacardi, etc.
This UX design Manchester agency creates solutions based on the all-encompassing study of the customer lifecycle. It involves user experience research, user engagement, reach, acquisition, and customer lifetime value.
Cube3’s portfolio demonstrates 3 successful stories of brand development: building a brand for a transport technology solution, shopping marketing, and a consumer product.
11.Monstarlab (ex. Nodes)
Headquarters: London, UK, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design, mobile app development, mobile app marketing, wearable app development
Hourly rate: £84 – £125
Minimum project budget: £21,000+
Team size: 50 – 249
Year founded: 2008
Phone: +447935792014
Description: In 2017, Nodes was purchased by Monstarlab. This UX agency in Manchester has completed more than 2200 projects globally in 33 offices worldwide. The same year, the vendor opened an office in Manchester and started helping local businesses solve their digital challenges.
Monstarlab leverages the latest design technologies and models, such as DesignOps and Digital Ops. They offer UI/UX design services as a part of their full-cycle development process or can build a brand-new product design.
Monstarlab creates solutions for in-house use and consumer utilities, mainly mobile applications. If your design project is a part of the bigger concept, contact their team and get expert help.
12.Space 48
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, business consulting, eCommerce development, web design, search engine optimization, web development
Hourly rate: £252+
Minimum project budget: £210,000+
Team size: 50 – 249
Year founded: 2008
Phone: +443300973951
Description: If you develop an ecommerce product, this UX design company in Manchester can provide you with relevant industry-focused skills.
Space 48 has more than 14 years of experience in ecommerce development. The company is trusted by top ecommerce platforms such as Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and others.
Their designers leverage data science technology to build intuitive and engaging user experiences. According to the company’s official website, they experienced a 25% growth in the last 2 years.
Though, working with Space 48 will require a significant investment as their minimum project budget is higher than £210,000.
13.Pinpoint Designs
Headquarters: Leeds, UK, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design, eCommerce development, conversion optimization, SEO, content marketing, pay-per-click, SMM
Hourly rate: £42 – £83
Minimum project budget: £63,000+
Team size: 10 – 49
Year founded: 2010
Phone: +441134931774
Description: Are you an online retailer who owns a Magento store? Then this company may catch your eye.
Pinpoint Designs is a part of the IDHL Group, an award-winning digital agency in Yorkshire. The company offers help with UI/UX design and development for merchants who use Adobe Commerce (Magento).
This UX agency in Manchester has a long history and more than 10 years of experience in online commerce development. They apply the integrated approach to building solutions that serve complex business needs.
Pinpoint Designs help businesses optimize their stores with UX audit, user testing, and consistent ecommerce solutions.
14.Dinosaur
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, advertising, branding, email marketing, social media marketing
Hourly rate: £126 – £167
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 50 – 249
Year founded: 1997
Phone: +441618310831
Description: Dinosaur is one of the oldest companies on our list. Founded at the end of the 90s, it differentiates with a creative name and emotionally-driven UX design approach.
Dinosaur is an integrated brand communication and UI/UX design agency implementing agile methodologies to build exciting user experiences. Their team can help you with brand strategy development, integrated advertising, and promoting your business on social media.
The famous clients of Dinosaur include BBC, Adidas, Reebok, WorldPay, Fox, and many others.
15.Absurd
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, digital strategy, web development
Hourly rate: £126 – £167
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 10 – 49
Year founded: 2016
Phone: +4401617130430
Description: Absurd is one agency representing UX in the city of Manchester. This company unites software developers, designers, and researchers. Their main goal is to develop intuitive products and craft memorable user experiences.
The company designs and develops solutions for consumer products, services, retail, and logistics. The Absurd team can help you with user experience research, product discovery, roadmapping, user testing, wireframing, and visual design development.
The company implements an exciting philosophy of “absurdism” and tries to fix all the constraints that limit the product’s value. The team attempts to bridge the gap between businesses and users with creative UI/UX solutions.
16.Obodo
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, web design, product design
Hourly rate: £42 – £83
Minimum project budget: £4,200+
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2019
Phone: +441616355870
Description: Obodo is a digital agency focusing on product design and development. Their services include UI/UX design for startups, MVP development, creating web design solutions, and implementing product design strategies.
The company offers flexible engagement methods. You can cooperate with Obodo based on the hourly rate approach or hire dedicated design professionals full-time.
Obodo works mainly with small businesses and startups, which is reflected in the minimum project budget.
Their minimum project budget is significantly lower than other Manchester design agencies.
17.Tiksom Limited
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, web development, mobile app development
Hourly rate: £21 – £41
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 10 – 49
Year founded: 2017
Phone: +447771515340
Description: Tiksom Limited is experienced in custom solution development for web and mobile. According to Clutch, 50% of their clients are small businesses, 30% are midmarket customers, and 10% are big enterprises.
The company offers full-cycle product development services that involve building UX in the city of Manchester. To design a quality user experience, they conduct competitor analysis, market research, build information architecture, and use the collected data for prototyping.
Tiksom Limited focuses on ecommerce, travel, education, data processing, financial services, and information technology.
18.Only
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, branding, graphic design, market research, print design
Hourly rate: £126 – £167
Minimum project budget: £8,400+
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2014
Phone: +4401612379849
Description: This award-winning UX agency in Manchester unites creative and technical experts under one roof. Simplicity lies at the core of their work philosophy and is a vital part of their 5-step branding and design process.
The Only team collects the research findings, simplifies the product’s purpose, and uses these insights to build compelling designs and brand strategies.
Only has worked with many recognized clients, such as Aston Martin, Honda, The British Academy, Sony Music, H&M, and more.
19.Gather Digital
Headquarters: Manchester, UK
Key services: UI/UX design, mobile app development, web design, web development
Hourly rate: £84 – £125
Minimum project budget: £4,200+
Team size: 2 – 9
Year founded: 2012
Phone: +441618508524
Description: Gather Digital can be a good candidate for your project if you are looking for data-driven design services. This UX design agency has vast experience in website design and development and mobile app development. They partner with Docker and Manchester Digital, the local community of digital experts.
Among the case studies on their site, there is a website design and development project for a leading charity organization Apopo.
As for their industry focus, Gather Digital works mainly in business services, consumer products and services, and hospitality.
20.Equal Experts
Headquarters: London, UK, with a branch office in Manchester
Key services: UI/UX design, custom software development, mobile app development, BI, Big Data consulting, and CI
Hourly rate: £168 – £252
Minimum project budget: £21,000+
Team size: 250 – 999
Year founded: 2007
Phone: +442036037830
Description: Equal Experts took the 15th place in the list of the UK’s most loved workplaces. This UX design Manchester agency leverages modern technologies to drive innovation and solve complex business tasks.
Equal Experts includes more than 700 professionals in data engineering, UX design, and continuous delivery. They are represented in the US, UK, Canada, and India.
They start the UX design process by conducting user experience research and product discovery, then move to UX design and development.
UX in the city of Manchester: freelancers vs. design agencies
There are numerous design agencies in Manchester and freelance designers in this area. Both service providers are ready to help you solve complex tasks in the shortest terms.
You may be puzzled by the choice between freelancers and UI/UX design agencies. A freelance UX designer in Manchester is considered cheaper to hire and expected to offer the same quality of services. Then, what’s the point of hiring a digital agency? Let’s figure out the pitfalls and benefits of each decision.
Freelance designers are self-employed experts who manage their workload and cooperation with clients by themselves. Their strongest side is the price, which is far lower than that of agencies.
On the other hand, if you choose a freelancer, you put a lot at stake. You get no guarantee that your UX design in Manchester will be completed on time. You are at risk of getting low-quality results. On top of that, sharing your data with third parties is not the most secure decision. These risks may result in project failures, delays, and even the breach of confidential data.
What about UX design agencies? These are established UI UX design companies that work legally, sign contracts with clients, and give quality and security assurance. Manchester design agencies employ skilled professionals who grow within the ecosystem, gain a lot of experience, and are always at your disposal.
Yes, higher quality comes with a cost. But if we evaluate all the risks associated with freelance projects, working with a Manchester design agency seems a pretty reasonable investment.
10 steps for choosing a UX design agency in Manchester
Here is our 10-step checklist that will help you choose a reliable company to meet your expectations and complete the project on time.
Step 1. The portfolio of works
The criteria may be the hourly rate, team size, or the company’s capacity to finish the work quickly. Based on your chosen criteria, narrow your list to a few candidates.
Step 2. Review the portfolio of work
Vendor’s portfolio shouldn’t contain vague descriptions or generalistic and idealistic mottos. A good case study should precisely explain the project’s goals and tasks and demonstrate the results.
When reviewing portfolios, find the cases that inspire you or have much in common with your project. The owners of these case studies are worth the particular attention of your team.
Step 3. Prepare your requirements
Prepare a task list with the scope of work. It will help you evaluate the final design. In this step, avoid biases and assumptions and try to be as precise as possible.
Step 4. Communicate your project goals
After choosing several UX design agencies in Manchester, schedule calls with your candidates to discuss your project. Communicate your project expectations and needs and show UX design references if any. A business partner will use all this information to conduct UX research and persona analysis and help you develop appealing design aesthetics for the project.
Your design should reflect your brand identity to stand out from the competition. Discuss this goal with your candidates and evaluate their readiness to help you with fresh ideas and creativity.
Step 5. Ask for a quote
Ask your candidates for a quote on your design project. Don’t forget to discuss the hidden expenses that appear along the way. For example, the cost of bug fixes or additional UX research.
At Limeup, we always remain transparent with our customers. As our client, you will be informed of your budget distribution on the project and all expenses from the beginning. Contact us should you need help with UX design.
Step 6. Ask about the collaboration type
Your UX partner should inform you about the collaboration model and the contract type. The main collaboration models are time and materials, fixed price, and dedicated team. We will discuss them in more detail in the next section.
Step 7. Make your choice
Your UX partner should inform you about the collaboration model and the contract type. The main collaboration models are time and materials, fixed price, and dedicated team. We will discuss them in more detail in the next section.
Step 8. Discuss the legal matters
Recognized design agencies in Manchester work legally. Sign a contract with your business partner for quality assurance and data protection.
The contract template can be provided by a UX design company in Manchester but if you need to customize it, don’t hesitate to ask for it. Remember: it’s safer to negotiate all issues in advance than to face the risks when the project is already in progress.
Step 9. Meet the team
At this step, choose convenient communication tools and agree upon the frequency of communication between your teams. Also, discuss the reporting approach with your business partner to get more control over the project’s progress.
Ask the UX design team to provide you with access to the toolset used on your project. By doing so, you will know how things are going and promptly spot any issues.
Step 10. Start working
Whenever you have feedback, do not hesitate to share it with your business partner. After all, your feedback will guide the team and make the cooperation more effective. Together, you can implement your best vision in the UX product design.
How much does it cost to hire a UX agency in Manchester?
The cost of living in Manchester is 27% cheaper than in London, which affects the pricing policy of services in this area. The cost of the UX design in Manchester will cover designers’ salaries, local taxes, administrative and operational costs, and other expenses related to the company’s maintenance.
UX design services cost is one of the determining factors when choosing a UI/UX design company in Manchester. Overall, there are 3 types of pricing that UX agencies in Manchester implement.
Fixed price
Under the fixed-price contract, you pay a fixed sum for the end product. You and a UI/UX design company in Manchester agree upon the budget and the services included in the budget. In other words, you pay for the final result you get.
Time and materials approach
Under this type of contract, you don’t pay for the end product but for the scope of work that the team completes. The scope of work, time, and resources influence the price.
As we see from our agencies’ review, the hourly rates of Manchester’s UX agencies vary from £21 to £252 and higher. The average hourly rate on the market is though £84 – £125.
A dedicated UX design team
This cooperation model is a good choice for big enterprises that need UX design and development services for an undefined period.
Hiring a dedicated UX design team is similar to hiring in-house designers, but it has a significant difference. You employ a team ready to work while your business partner covers employee maintenance, taxes, and operation tasks.
At Limeup, we implement the time and materials approach to give our clients maximum flexibility. Contact us to get a quote for your project.
UX design processes at a UX agency in Manchester
75% of clients evaluate websites’ credibility based on their visual look. However, creating an appealing user interface is only half of the journey. Another task is to ensure user interface serves an important purpose. You need to choose an agency with a clear UX design process for this.
A transparent and detailed UX design process prevents miscommunication, project delays, and work mistakes and eases cooperation.
Here at Limeup, we implement a 5-step UX design process and offer quality customer-centric services. We take our clients through all stages of creating intuitive, laconic, and engaging UX designs.
Here is what our cooperation looks like.
1. Product discovery
At this stage, we organize a kick-off meeting with our client to meet each other and discover the client’s goals and challenges. Our UX experts dive into the project specifics, goals, and tasks and use these data to conduct UX research.
Then, we create a proposal and present it to the client for approval.
2. Wireframing and prototyping
We are among the UX design agencies in Manchester that use insights from UX research as a basis for wireframing. Hereafter, we create a product prototype and take it through multiple testing sessions.
One of our recent projects, a complex trading platform design, demonstrates the importance of the prototyping stage. Before bringing the product to life, we created a clickable prototype for testing, enhanced its features, and used it as a foundation for the final UI/UX design. Testing and user feedback help us detect pain points before the design goes live.
A prototype of the complex trading platform i88 designed by Limeup.
3. Iteration
After getting feedback from the target audience on product navigation and usability, we improve the solution and look for ways to meet the client’s needs with an engaging user experience. This step helps us exclude most usability problems before design and development.
4. Product design
Once all usability issues are discovered, we plan the final design with the client. Then, the product design stage starts, which is the most responsible part of the UX design process.
5. Development support
Limeup is a UI/UX design agency that provides full-cycle design services. We offer development support if the client does not have in-house developers.
Looking for a UX design agency in Manchester?
Contact us, and let’s discuss how we can help you bring your ideas to life.
Limeup is an established UX agency that provides custom product design and development solutions for startups and enterprises worldwide. We have a team of design experts, developers, researchers, and consultants dedicated to helping your business grow.
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