Before deciding who to hire to work on the UX/UI of your software, you need to understand their potential, and San Francisco UX/UI design agencies are among the top vendors in different international rankings. But is it really worth it to work with them? 

Read on if you want to understand the global potential of UX agencies based in San Francisco.

San Francisco and UX/UI design: the statistics

On average, junior designers in the US make about $59,000 per year. This is a decent chunk of change for a beginner, but more experienced San Francisco designers can count on an even larger salary than that.

At the moment of writing this post (November 2020), Glassdoor lists more than 300 open positions for UX/UI designers in SF alone.

More and more job offerings appear each day. That means that the UX field is in high demand and has great potential. 

What makes a top San Francisco UX/UI agency

First of all, how do you know if a professional UX/UI firm has potential? These are some considerations that will help you pick out a promising UX agency from the bunch:

• 5+ years of experience – Startups often stop existing after a year or two because they simply cannot meet the requirements of the market or find their niche. If the agency managed to survive for more than five years in such a competitive location as San Francisco, it means they have something to put on the table. 
• Impressive portfolio and renowned projects – According to UX agency Clay, there is no better way to understand the level of the team than to have a look at their portfolio. If it contains apps that gained popularity in app stores or products that are now used all around the world, you are dealing with a team with great potential. Many of San Francisco UX/UI design agencies have worked with world-leading companies such as Coca Cola, Toyota, BMW, and others. They can apply their professional skills to make your product the next great success. 
• Motivated team – A top-notch agency attracts famous designers and talented freelancers to work on their projects. You can check the team of the company on LinkedIn to see what projects they have worked on in the past. If there are renowned professionals on the team, then this is definitely a sign that the agency has potential.
• Partnerships and connections – If the agency has earned a good reputation, then it always has partners and valuable connections. For example, a UX/UI company can collaborate with a software development company to provide full-stack services to their clients. Companies can also partner with universities conducting lectures and recruiting graduates. The more connections a company has, the higher its potential is in the UX/UI world. 
• Awards – Finally, a good way to estimate the potential of a company is to see whether they have won any awards. Independent online aggregators often select top companies; for example, Clutch and Good Firms. Also, there are online awards such as The UX Design Awards or Awwwards for web designers.

The potential of UX firms in San Francisco

San Francisco UX/UI agencies have to provide the best quality of service in order to stand out in a highly competitive market.

Due to their location, they are able to hire some of the most talented UX/UI specialists in the US. The Bay Area is home to top universities, many of which teach creative professions. 

Moreover, SF attracts talented specialists from abroad. It is very common that a designer who achieved success in their native country moves to the US for broader opportunities. In many cases, San Francisco becomes their first choice. 

Local companies have many opportunities for development and building new connections. They are surrounded by top IT companies who always need talented UX/UI designers for their projects. They provide comfortable working conditions and flexible working schedules and offer different bonuses to keep their team-driven and motivated. 

Conclusion

The Bay Area is one of the best locations in the world to find top-notch UX/UI design agencies. If you would like to check the potential of the UX/UI agency, pay attention to the following details: whether a company has enough experience and plenty of projects in their portfolio, how motivated their team is, whether they have won any awards if they have partners and connections with other organizations.