The world of medical technology is complex, innovative and constantly evolving. Many new requirements have emerged in recent years. For example, usability and the user interface are now in the spotlight. In addition, the user experience of products is becoming increasingly important.
With increased requirements, the question often arises as to who can help with the implementation. Is it best to hire a freelancer to design the user interface? Or should I look for a specialized medical UI/UX agency? Maybe it’s better for my development provider to get involved, or should I build an in-house team?
That’s what this article is all about. We’ll point out the pros and cons of each, so you can make an informed decision. We’ll try to be as neutral as possible – even though we are a medical UI/UX agency 😉
Two assumptions
Before we start, we’d like to briefly describe the two basic assumptions for this article. These are
- Service providers specializing in medical devices: No matter if we write about “freelancers” or “development providers” – we always mean medical device experts. They are all familiar with the world of medical devices and their common requirements.
- Excellent service providers: We assume that the quality of service providers is generally high. The differences between service providers are therefore based on the way the service is provided and not on the individual quality.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s look at the pros and cons of each provider.
Medical UI/UX agency
This is a company that specializes in providing medical UI/UX services. Typical services include user research (such as formative & summative evaluations) and user interface design. An agency typically has specialists for each of these services.
Advantages:
- UI/UX is the core business part 1: The core business is exactly the service that is purchased. So an excellent user interface is almost guaranteed at the end of the collaboration.
- UI/UX is the core business part 2: An agency has specialists instead of generalists. Due to the large number of projects with UI/UX as a core business, it pays for an agency to employ designers. And user researchers. And usability experts. And…
- Large projects and demanding schedules are possible: An agency can draw on a large number of people. This enables them to handle large projects quickly.
- A lot of experience in different projects: People in agencies have often “seen” a lot and therefore have a lot of experience. They bring this experience to your project.
Disadvantages:
- More expensive: Agencies can be more expensive than other options because experts are paid accordingly.
- Delivers only part: Usability, UI & UX are not all you need. You may need to coordinate other service providers.
Medical UI/UX design freelancer
By freelancer we mean a single person who takes over your project. Typically, they offer a wide range of services.
Advantages:
- Easy communication: Since a freelancer is a single person, you automatically speak to all roles at the same time. This ensures that all information is received.
- Lower costs: Freelancers often work at lower daily rates than companies. Therefore, you may be able to get the service you need from a freelancer at the lowest cost.
- Availability part 1: Freelancers are often available very quickly. This means you can start your project quickly.
- Generalist part 1: A freelancer is often well versed in different disciplines. This allows for more flexible deployment.
Disadvantages:
- No scalability: A freelancer is one person. Therefore, you cannot outsource large projects that require multiple people at the same time without having to coordinate many individual freelancers.
- Availability part 2: There are always moments when a freelancer is suddenly unavailable. For example, if another longer project has been accepted before you have made your decision. Illness or vacation can also be a problem because there is no replacement.
- Generalist part 2: Generalists are not specialists. Quality can suffer because a generalist is not as good in every area as a specialist. This is especially true for design and user research – two disciplines that typically require a different type of person.
In-house UX design team
By an in-house team, we mean your employees who provide medical UI/UX services. This could be a kind of in-house agency, or it could be members of your project team.
Advantages:
- Maximum control: You have full decision-making power and can often manage the team directly. This applies not only to direct project content, but also to training, etc.
- Deep product knowledge: An internal team often knows your products, processes and customers better than external partners.
- Integration with the development team: UI/UX designers work directly with developers and product managers.
Disadvantages:
- High fixed costs: Building and maintaining an in-house team is expensive. In addition to salaries, technology, and workspace, you also have to pay for HR, training, and the like. Additionally, some expertise (e.g., user research) is often needed only occasionally and is underutilized in-house.
- Lengthy process: First, the right people have to be found and hired. This alone requires expertise and time. This is often too slow for an immediate project.
- Difficult fit: UX people are a special breed – like all other disciplines. New disciplines in a team/company need to be well integrated into the culture. This does not always happen immediately. Turnover and friction can be the result.
- Limited external expertise: People who only work for your company see things through your company’s eyes. You don’t get fresh ideas from the outside.
Medical hard-/software development provider
This is a provider that takes on the development of your product’s hard-/software as its core service. In addition, this service provider will also design the user interface.
Advantages:
- One stop shopping part 1: You sign one contract and receive the finished product at the end. This eliminates the need for communication between you and different service providers.
- More cost-effective UI/UX through cross-funding: Often the UI/UX part is small compared to the development part. Therefore, a development provider often has the opportunity to offer the UI/UX part at a lower cost.
Disadvantages:
- One-stop shopping part 2: You are dependent on a single service provider. In practice, this is often a challenge when changes are made in the middle of a project. If contractual disputes arise, the entire project comes to a standstill.
- Focus on functionality: Software and hardware provider often do their best work during development. As a result, much more emphasis is often placed on technical functionality. An excellent UI/UX is often not in the focus and is added at the end.
- Less in-depth UI/UX know-how: User research specialists are often lacking. This carries the risk that a product, or at least the user interface, is developed without market relevance.
Conclusion: Which option is right for you?
As we suggested in the introduction, there is no single best solution for all situations. That’s why we’ve provided you with the pros and cons to help you make the best decision. We are happy to help.
What happens next?
If you are considering medical ui/ux design agencies, we have put together 10 criteria for comparison. In another article, we compared typical agency billing models (fixed price vs. hourly vs. flat rate) to help you make the best decision.
If you would like to get to know us, we look forward to hearing from you. In any case, we wish you every success with your project!
