PROJECT SCOPE
Product design services in Europe
Bring in product design services in Europe when a digital product needs clearer user journeys, stronger interfaces or additional design expertise across the product experience.
The employer chooses the talent, agrees the product context, scope, timeline and rate, then manages the collaboration directly.
- Define the product and design problem
- Share the users, existing product and design context
- Agree the scope, timeline and deliverables with the talent
- Find talents across Europe and beyond where Stripe operates
SCOPE
What product design services Europe covers
Digital product design services can support the experience, structure and interface of a product across different stages of its development.
Product experience
Support can include:
- Understanding key user journeys
- Organising product flows
- Defining important interactions
- Identifying design problems
- Connecting user and product needs
Product structure
A product design consultant can help organise:
- Information structure
- Navigation
- User flows
- Feature relationships
- Screen hierarchy
Wireframes
Early design work can include wireframes that help teams explore product structure and important interactions before detailed interface design.
Interface design
Product design work can include:
- Screen layouts
- Interaction patterns
- Visual hierarchy
- Responsive interfaces
- States and components
Prototypes
Interactive prototypes can help teams explore proposed product journeys and interactions before development.
Existing-product improvements
A talent can work on agreed parts of an existing digital product where the experience, structure or interface needs attention.
UX research input
Some product design jobs use existing research, while others need separate user research before design decisions are made.
Design systems
Where reusable components and consistent interface patterns are part of the job, define that requirement separately.
Product collaboration
Product designers can work with product, development, research and business teams as agreed during the job.
WHEN IT HELPS
When businesses use product design services
Product design can support a digital product when the team needs additional expertise around users, product structure or interface decisions.
Develop a clearer product experience
A product may need clearer journeys, interactions or information structure. Product design support can help the team work through those areas.
Improve an existing digital product
A designer can support agreed improvements to existing features, flows or interfaces as the product develops.
Add specialist design capacity
An independent product designer can reinforce an existing product, design or development team when a defined job needs dedicated attention.
Prepare the essentials
Useful starting information includes:
- The product or platform involved
- The users and key tasks
- Existing screens or designs
- Known product or usability problems
- Available research
- Technical constraints
- The outcome you want from the design work
DELIVERABLES
Typical scope and deliverables
Product design work can be structured around understanding the product, developing the design and preparing agreed outputs for the team.
Getting started
At the beginning of the job, the employer and talent can review:
- The product
- The users
- Existing designs
- Available research
- Known problems
- Technical constraints
- The expected outcome
Product definition and design
The talent can develop agreed outputs such as product flows, information structures, wireframes, prototypes or interface concepts.
Detailed design
The next stage can include agreed screens, interface states, interaction patterns and other design work needed for the product area.
Handover and continuity
Where useful, include design files, notes, component guidance or other information that helps development and internal teams continue the agreed work.
TALENTS
Talents and skills involved
The right product design professional depends on the product, users and type of work you need supported.
Product designer
A product designer can work across product experience, UX and interface design depending on the agreed job.
UX designer
A UX designer can focus more closely on user journeys, interaction, information structure and the experience around the product.
UI designer
A UI designer can focus on interface layout, visual hierarchy and consistent interaction patterns across screens.
Experience level
A new product, complex platform or established product environment may require different experience from a smaller defined design job.
Choose the experience level that fits the work.
Tools and systems
Include the design and product tools the talent will use in the job.
For example:
- Design software
- Prototyping tools
- Existing design libraries
- Product documentation
- Development handover tools
This helps talents understand the working environment before they apply.
JOB
How to write the job
A useful product design job explains the product, users and expected outcome without trying to prescribe every design decision.
Describe the outcome
Explain what you want the product design work to achieve. For example:
- Improve an important product journey
- Design a new product area
- Rework an existing feature
- Clarify interactions across key screens
- Prepare agreed product designs for development
Explain the product context
Describe the product, users, current experience and any existing design work the talent will need to understand.
Add the working context
Include details such as:
- Existing design files
- Available research
- Product documentation
- Technical constraints
- Development team involvement
- Important dates or launch timing
Explain the engagement
State whether you need:
- A defined product design job
- Design support for a product phase
- Support alongside an internal product team
- Ongoing product design support
The employer and talent can refine the scope, timeline and rate after starting a conversation.
EVALUATION
How to compare product designers
Start with relevant product experience, then use direct conversation to understand how the talent approaches product and design decisions.
Relevant product experience
Look for examples connected to digital products, users or product environments similar to your own.
Product thinking
Ask how the talent understands a product problem and works through user, business and technical considerations.
Design reasoning
Discuss why particular product, UX or interface decisions were made in relevant previous work.
Collaboration
Ask how the talent works with product managers, developers, researchers and other people involved in the product.
Handover and continuity
Discuss the files, notes and design information the development or internal team will need after the agreed work is complete.
Talent profiles are reviewed and approved by the VirtualMasst team before employers can see them. The employer still decides which talent is right for the work.
COST
Cost, timeline and engagement factors
The employer and talent agree the rate directly. Several parts of a product design job can affect the commercial structure.
Product scope
A defined feature and a wider product area can require different levels of design work.
Product maturity
An established product with existing patterns can require a different approach from a new product starting with limited design material.
Number of journeys
The number and complexity of user journeys can affect the amount of product design work involved.
Research available
Existing research can give the designer a clearer starting point. Separate research needs can add another stage to the work.
Technical constraints
Existing platforms, development frameworks and product limitations can affect design decisions.
Team collaboration
The level of coordination required with product, development and other stakeholders can affect the engagement.
Adding work later
As the collaboration develops, the employer and talent can discuss additional features, journeys or product areas and agree how they affect the scope, time and rate.
VirtualMasst facilitates project pre-funding and payment through Stripe. Current platform charges are listed on Pricing.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Find the right product design talent
Start with the product, users, design problem and expected outcome. Post the job, explore relevant profiles and start a conversation with the talents whose experience fits the work.
The employer chooses the talent, agrees the scope, timeline and rate, manages the collaboration and approves the completed work.
Creative and design professionals
YOUR NEXT STEP
Find the right product design talent
Start with the product, users, design problem and expected outcome. Post the job, explore relevant profiles and start a conversation with the talents whose experience fits the work.
The employer chooses the talent, agrees the scope, timeline and rate, manages the collaboration and approves the completed work.
Post a job
Find product designers