UX/UI Recruitment for Startups

We partner with startups to recruit experienced and senior UX and UI professionals who can design intuitive, scalable, and user-centred digital experiences in fast-paced, high-growth environments. Operating across London, EMEA and North America, we support early-stage, scaling and venture-backed businesses as they build high-performing product and design teams.

Our expertise spans product design, UX research, UI design, information architecture, customer experience management and many more, with a focus on designers who thrive in resource-lean settings and understand how to balance user needs with commercial and technical constraints. From shaping early MVPs to optimising conversion, usability and retention at scale, we connect startups with UX/UI leaders and practitioners who deliver meaningful, measurable impact at every stage of growth.

Expert UX/UI Recruitment for Startup Businesses

At Intelligent People, we specialise in helping startups hire UX/UI professionals who can shape impactful, user-centric products from day one. In fast-moving startup environments, success relies on design teams that can craft intuitive interfaces, enhance user engagement, and support rapid product growth. Our recruiters connect startups with UX Designers, UI Designers, Product Designers and User Experience Leads who combine creative flair with practical, business-focused expertise.

We partner with early-stage and scaling companies to build design teams capable of meeting ambitious product goals. With deep insight into the startup design market, we provide guidance on talent availability, market trends, and competitive salaries, helping founders make better recruitment decisions.

Whether you’re hiring for a permanent role or a short-term project where interim support is required, our UX/UI recruitment services deliver designers who can elevate user experiences, support growth, and make a tangible impact on your product success.

I need to hire

Tell us more about your vacancy and what you are looking for in a candidate.
We’ll listen carefully to your needs and using our industry experience and vast network, we’ll connect you to real talent in the market.
Fill in this form or alternatively contact us on 01727 736690.

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Meet Our UX/UI Recruitment Experts for Startups

We understand how critical senior and leadership UX/UI hires are to a startup’s product success and long-term growth. That’s why every executive UX/UI search is led or overseen by a member of our management team, supported by experienced consultants and researchers who specialise in startup and high-growth environments. Our team brings deep market insight, an established network of senior UX, UI, and product design leaders, and a proven track record of placing exceptional design talent within innovative, venture-backed businesses.

Whether you’re hiring a Head of Design, Lead UX Designer, Principal Product Designer, or Design Director, our meticulous and confidential approach ensures you access the very best UX/UI talent in the startup ecosystem.

Read about our management team or speak confidentially to one of our founding directors.

Chris Mason
Director

+44 (0) 1727 736696

Doug Bates
Director

+44 (0) 1727 736691

Don’t just take our word for it

“I would absolutely recommend Intelligent People to other businesses. In fact, I’ve already told several people about them when they needed help with recruiting at various levels. If I ever need assistance with finding roles, I will happily turn to their recruitment agency again.”

“‘I would recommend and use their recruitment service again based on the facts that they put together a shortlist including great calibre Product candidates, they understood our business from the get-go, and they were extremely responsive to us.”

“Intelligent People did a brilliant search, providing a quality list of very engaged candidates to us extremely quickly. The quality of the shortlist we received is testament to the expertise and service offering within Intelligent People. We couldn’t be happier with Intelligent as our recruitment partner for this role.”

Intelligent People made hiring effortless. They understood our needs, filtered out the noise, and delivered top talent fast. The process was structured, efficient, and genuinely collaborative — I’d happily work with them again and recommend them to anyone looking for a specialist executive search recruiter.”

UX/UI Recruitment for Startups FAQs

Q: What makes UX/UI recruitment for startups unique?

A: UX/UI recruitment for startups requires designers who can work across the full product lifecycle – from early discovery and MVP design to iteration and optimisation at scale. Startups need UX and UI professionals who balance user-centred design with speed, ambiguity, and commercial priorities.

Q: Why should startups use a specialist recruiter for UX/UI roles?

A: A specialist UX/UI recruiter understands the demands of high-growth startups, including lean teams, evolving product roadmaps, and tight timelines. They bring access to designers with proven startup experience and can assess candidates for hands-on capability, product thinking and cultural fit.

Q: What skills are most important in UX/UI candidates for startups?

A: Key skills include user research, interaction design, UI systems, prototyping, usability testing, and collaboration with product and engineering teams. Equally important are adaptability, problem-solving ability, and experience designing products in fast-moving startup environments.

Q: How long does UX/UI recruitment for startups typically take?

A: Hiring timelines vary by seniority and specialism, but most UX/UI roles are filled within 4–8 weeks. Senior and leadership design hires may take longer due to the importance of product alignment, team leadership, and long-term growth fit.

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UX/UI Recruitment for Startups

Expert UX/UI Recruitment for Startup Businesses

I need to hire