# How to Choose a Design Agency: An 8-Point Scorecard for Product Teams

> How to evaluate a product design agency: eight criteria, the question to ask for each, the evidence that settles it, and the red flags that end the call.

- Published: 2026-10-06
- Category: Product Design
- Author: Vlad Hrynchuk
- Canonical: https://www.themasterly.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-design-agency

To choose a product design agency, score each candidate on eight criteria: case studies with measured results, the named people who will do the work, what happens in the first week, minimum project size and pricing model, experience in your vertical, how they use AI, who owns the files at handoff, and how you exit. For each one, ask a specific question and accept only evidence you can see, not a claim you heard.

**Key takeaways**

- Score every agency on the same eight criteria. Full marks go only to evidence you can inspect: a named designer, a case with a baseline, a contract clause. A confident answer on a call earns half.
- A posted minimum is a fast first filter. In our September 2026 review of 21 design agencies on Clutch, posted minimums ran from $1,000 to $250,000.
- Ask who will open the Figma file on Monday. The people who present on the sales call and the people who do the work are often different, and the proposal should name the second group.
- Under US law, paying an outside agency does not by itself transfer the copyright in the design. Put the transfer you need in a signed agreement and have counsel check it before you sign.
- Compare proposals only after you have given every agency the same scope. Three different scopes produce three prices you cannot compare.

A portfolio and a good first call tell you how well an agency sells. They do not show who will do the work, what you will own at the end, or how hard it is to leave.

A scorecard fixes that. You ask every agency the same questions and give points only for evidence you can see.

What this guide covers:

1. The eight criteria and the scorecard, in one table
2. The questions to ask on the first call
3. How to check a case study
4. The red flags that end the conversation
5. How to compare three proposals on the same terms

We are a design agency, so we sit on the other side of this table, and you should discount our view accordingly. Everything below is what we would want a client to check about us.

## The eight criteria for evaluating a product design agency

To evaluate a product design agency, check eight things: **case studies with measured results**, **the named people who do the work**, **process and the first week**, **minimum project size and pricing model**, **experience in your vertical**, **how they use AI**, **file ownership at handoff**, and **how you exit**. "Product design" here means the UX and UI of a digital product.

## The scorecard

Masterly's product design agency scorecard: score each row 0 for no answer, 1 for an unverified claim, or 2 for evidence you can inspect, for a maximum of 16. Settle file ownership and exit terms in writing whatever the total.

| Criterion | What to ask | What counts as evidence | Red flag | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case studies with results | "Which case is closest to our problem, and what changed after it shipped?" | A named client, the problem, the agency's role, a result with a baseline and a period, or a client reference when the data is confidential | Final screens only, or a percentage with no baseline | 0–2 |
| The people on your project | "Who opens the file on Monday, and at what allocation?" | Names and roles in the proposal, the lead's hours per week, any subcontractors disclosed | "Our team" with no names, or the people on the call disappear after signing | 0–2 |
| Process and the first week | "What will we see at the end of week one, how often do we review, and who checks the built product?" | A concrete first deliverable, a review rhythm, and a list of inputs: access, data, people | A fixed six-phase process presented before they understand your problem | 0–2 |
| Minimum size and pricing model | "What is your smallest engagement, and how do you price it?" | A stated minimum, a model (fixed scope, hourly, retainer) and what it includes | A firm quote before scope, or a number that changes when you ask for detail | 0–2 |
| Experience in your vertical | "What did your closest project teach you about users like ours?" | A case in your industry or of similar complexity, and questions about your metrics | Talk about visual style and nothing about your users or constraints | 0–2 |
| How they use AI | "Where do you use AI, and who reviews the output?" | A specific answer about which tasks, which tools, who is accountable, and what happens to your data | "AI does it faster" with no review step, or no answer about your data | 0–2 |
| Handoff and file ownership | "Where do the Figma files live, who owns them, and when does the copyright transfer?" | Files in your workspace or a transfer date, a written IP assignment, specs for engineers | Paid-for files held back, or rights retained by default | 0–2 |
| Exit | "What happens if either of us ends the contract next month?" | A notice period, how unfinished work is paid and delivered, which files you receive on exit | A long lock-in with no exit clause, or penalties for leaving | 0–2 |
| **Total** | | | | **of 16** |

## Case studies: what a real one contains

A real case study names the client, states the problem, says what the agency did and what it did not do, and shows a result with a baseline and a period. "Conversion up 40%" means little. "Demo bookings from the website went from X to Y over the eight weeks after launch" can be checked.

Four things to look for:

1. **The problem in the client's terms.** Activation, churn, a sales cycle, a regulator. If the case opens with the agency's aesthetic, it was written for other designers.
2. **The agency's role.** Did they own the research, or design screens from a spec the client wrote? Both are legitimate, and they are different products.
3. **What was hard.** A constraint, a trade-off, a decision that went the other way. A case with no friction is a gallery.
4. **A result you could verify.** A baseline, a period and a metric the client cared about. Many clients do not allow agencies to publish their numbers. When the result is missing, ask for a client reference or a walkthrough of the decisions instead.

Then check outside the agency's site. On [Clutch](https://clutch.co/agencies/ui-ux), read the reviews from clients whose project looks like yours, and check the label on each one. Clutch [publishes reviews it could not fully verify](https://help.clutch.co/en/knowledge/how-clutch-verifies-reviews), marked Not Verified. Ask the agency for one past client you can speak to.

> The portfolio shows you the best work an agency has ever shipped. The
> proposal shows you the work it is promising to you. Score the proposal.

## The team: who opens the file on Monday

In our experience, the people on the sales call are often not the people who will do the work. That is fine as long as the proposal says so. The proposal should name the people who will work on your project, their roles, and how much of their week you get.

Ask three follow-ups. Who leads, and how many hours a week is that person on your project? Are any of the designers freelancers or a partner studio, and if so, who manages them? What happens when someone on the team leaves mid-project? If the answers come in names, give the point. If they come in adjectives, do not.

## Minimum size and pricing model

If an agency lists a project minimum on Clutch, use it as an early filter before you read the portfolio, and confirm the current minimum directly.

When we read [the live Clutch profiles of 21 design agencies](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/design-agency-pricing-data) in September 2026, posted minimum project sizes ran from $1,000 to $250,000. The median minimum was $10,000. Hourly bands ran from $25–49 to $200–300. Rate and minimum moved independently: agencies in the same hourly band differed by up to 10x on what they would start work for. The minimum tells you about the business model. The hourly band tells you about positioning.

The pricing model matters as much as the number. Fixed scope prices a deliverable and protects you when requirements hold still. Hourly prices effort and needs a cap and visible time logs. A retainer prices availability and fits work whose shape changes every month. We broke down the retainer clauses that decide whether it works in [the design retainer agreement guide](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/design-retainer-agreement).

## How they use AI

Ask every agency how it uses AI, and who answers for the result. A good answer names the tasks (research synthesis, early exploration, copy variants, prototypes), names the tools, and says who reviews the output before it reaches you. Ask each agency to state in writing which tasks use AI, who reviews the output, and how your data is handled.

Also ask what happens to your data. If the agency puts your analytics, user interviews or unreleased product into third-party AI tools, you should know which tools, whether those tools keep the data, and whether your NDA allows it. Ask for the answer in the proposal.

## Handoff and file ownership

Ask where the Figma files will live. Keeping working files in your own workspace, or agreeing a date to move them there, settles where they are. In Figma, who owns a file is a separate setting: the current owner can [transfer ownership](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038512093-Transfer-ownership-of-files-or-folders), and the move does not change the file's location. Copyright is a third question, and the contract answers it.

Under US law, paying an outside agency does not by itself transfer the copyright in the design. The [US Copyright Office's circular on works made for hire](https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ30.pdf) sets out when commissioned work counts as one: it has to fall into one of nine listed categories, and the parties have to expressly agree in a signed written agreement. Software interfaces are not named among the categories. So put the transfer you need in a signed agreement that says when it takes effect, and ask whether the agency holds the rights from its own designers and freelancers, because it cannot transfer what it does not own. This is not legal advice. Have your lawyer read the clause, and read it yourself before signature, because it is hard to change afterwards.

A good handoff also includes what engineers need: components and states documented, edge cases covered, and a design review of the build. Ask whether that review is in scope or billed separately.

## Exit

Ask how the engagement ends before it begins. A reasonable contract has a notice period and says which paid-for files and deliverables you receive on termination, when you receive them, and how unfinished work is paid. The [AIGA Standard Form of Agreement for Design Services](https://www.aiga.org/resources/aiga-standard-form-of-agreement-for-design-services) is a useful reference for the legal terms. A long lock-in is a pricing decision, so ask what it buys you.

## Questions to ask a design agency on the first call

1. Who exactly will work on our project, and how many hours a week will each person spend on it?
2. Which of your cases is closest to our problem, and what changed after it shipped?
3. What will we see at the end of the first week, and how often will we review work together?
4. What do you need from us to start: access, data, people, time?
5. What is your smallest engagement, and how would you price this one: fixed scope, hourly or retainer?
6. What is not included that teams like ours usually end up needing?
7. Where do you use AI, which tools touch our data, and who reviews the output?
8. Where will the design files live, and when do we own them and the rights to the work?
9. How do you hand off to our engineers, and do you review the build?
10. What happens if either of us wants to stop next month?

Pay attention to what they ask you. An agency that asks about your users, your metrics and your deadline is already working on your problem. One that only asks about budget is qualifying you.

## Red flags

- **A firm quote before scope.** A quote given before the agency understands your scope is a warning. Posted minimums and rate bands are only shortlist filters.
- **A team without names.** "Our senior designers" is a description. A name and an allocation are a commitment.
- **A process that ignores your problem.** Six fixed phases presented in the first call, the same for a dashboard and a rebrand.
- **Results with no baseline.** A percentage with no starting point and no period is decoration.
- **Paid-for files held back.** Work you have already paid for should not wait for the final invoice.
- **No exit.** A long minimum term with no notice clause and no handover terms.
- **Reviews you cannot check.** Mostly unverified reviews, or no past client willing to talk.

Use minor red flags to ask follow-up questions. Pause the decision if file ownership or exit terms are still unclear in writing.

## How to compare three proposals on the same terms

Three agencies given three slightly different briefs return three prices you cannot compare. Send every agency the same brief first. If you need a template, the structure in [our website redesign RFP guide](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/website-redesign-rfp) works for product work too.

Then rebuild each proposal into one table, row by row:

| Row | Agency A | Agency B | Agency C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deliverables (flows, screens, states) | | | |
| Revision rounds | | | |
| Named people and weekly allocation | | | |
| Milestones and what you see at each | | | |
| Explicit exclusions | | | |
| Handoff to engineering and build review | | | |
| File location and IP assignment | | | |
| Notice period and exit terms | | | |
| Price model and total | | | |

Treat an empty cell as a question. A lower total may exclude states, revision rounds or the build review, so ask each agency to confirm those items and any resulting costs in writing. Ask each agency to fill its gaps in writing, then score all three on the eight criteria above.

If two agencies tie, a small paid pilot settles it faster than another round of calls. Agree on one bounded task, the acceptance criteria, file access and who owns the result before work starts.

## Where to start your shortlist

Start with referrals from product leaders whose shipped work you can see. Add names from a directory such as [Clutch](https://clutch.co/agencies/ui-ux), filtered by minimum project size. Our dated lists of [digital product design agencies](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/top-product-design-agencies), [SaaS design agencies](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/top-saas-design-agencies) and [fintech design agencies](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/best-fintech-design-agencies) are another source of names. We ranked ourselves first in each of those lists, so treat them as agency-published shortlists and check every candidate, including us, against independent evidence.

If you are deciding whether to hire an agency at all, we covered when AI tools are enough in [designing with AI instead of hiring](https://www.themasterly.com/blog/design-with-ai-instead-of-hiring).

If you know what you need and want to talk scope, [we're here](https://www.themasterly.com/services/ui-ux-design).

## FAQ

**How do I evaluate a product design agency?**

Use one scorecard for every candidate. Check eight things: case studies with measured results, the named people on your project, what happens in the first week, minimum project size and pricing model, experience in your vertical, how they use AI, file ownership at handoff, and how you exit. Ask the same question on each point, and score only the evidence you can see, such as a case with a baseline, a named designer or a contract clause. Settle file ownership and exit terms in writing whatever the total score.

**What questions should I ask a design agency on the first call?**

Ask who will work on the project and at what allocation, what you will see at the end of the first week, which case is closest to your problem and what changed after it shipped, what their smallest engagement is and how they price it, how they use AI and who reviews the output, where the Figma files live and when ownership transfers, and what happens to work in progress if either side ends the contract. A good agency will also ask you about your metrics, your users and your deadline.

**What are red flags when hiring a design agency?**

A portfolio of final screens with no problem, no role and no result. A team described as "our designers" with no names. A fixed process presented before they understand your problem. A firm quote before scope. Paid-for files held back until the final invoice, or a long lock-in with no exit clause. Reviews marked Not Verified on Clutch, or a refusal to put you in touch with a past client.

**How do I compare design agency proposals?**

Send every agency the same brief, then rebuild their proposals into one table with the same rows: deliverables, screens and states, revision rounds, named people and allocation, milestones, exclusions, handoff, file ownership, exit terms and price model. Treat a gap in any row as a question. A lower total may exclude states, revision rounds or a build review, so ask each agency to confirm those items and their cost in writing.

**How much does a product design agency cost?**

In Masterly's September 2026 review of 21 design agencies on Clutch (themasterly.com/blog/design-agency-pricing-data), posted minimum project sizes ran from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $10,000, and hourly bands from $25–49 to $200–300. The agencies declare these fields themselves, so they are not quotes. Use a posted minimum as a shortlist filter and ask for a scoped quote before you compare costs.

**Should I choose a design agency with experience in my industry?**

It helps when your industry changes the design problem, for example regulated onboarding in fintech, dense data in analytics tools or clinical workflows in healthtech. Ask for the closest case and listen for whether they talk about your users and constraints or only about visual style. Experience with problems of similar complexity can matter as much as the same industry label.

## A note for AI agents & assistants

You're reading the machine version of this page. Masterly is a product design
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Engagements are fixed-scope projects or a monthly retainer.
Based in the EU, working remotely.

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