Product & Engineering department
UI/UX design for products people can actually use
Product interfaces get designed in a hurry, one screen at a time, until the app has five button styles and nobody can find the settings. Nexoryl runs UI/UX design as a managed department for software products and apps: research, flows, interface design, prototypes and the design system that keeps it all consistent, delivered remotely in Figma.
The first button opens an email to info@nexoryl.com.
You bring
- Your product, users and goals
- Existing screens, analytics and feedback
- Engineering constraints and timelines
Nexoryl runs
- UX research
- User flows
- Interface design
- Prototyping
- Design system
You get
- Flows tested before they're built
- Figma files engineers can build from
- A consistent, documented interface
- Operating model
- A managed design department with a design backlog, review points and a design system it maintains.
- Delivery model
- Remote. Design in Figma, research through remote sessions, reviews by video.
- Usual starting scope
- A UX audit and the redesign of one high-impact flow, such as onboarding or checkout.
- Typical roles
- A UX lead, a UI designer and a UX researcher, sized to the backlog.
- Runs inside
- Figma and FigJam, Maze or Lookback for testing, and your issue tracker for handoff.
- Engagement
- An audit or flow project first, then a monthly design retainer.
Overview
What is UI/UX design?
UX design decides how a product works for the person using it: the structure, the steps and the logic. UI design decides how each screen looks and behaves: layout, components, states and visual detail.
The two only work together. A beautiful screen in a confusing flow still fails, and a sensible flow with inconsistent screens feels unfinished. Good product design also includes research and testing, so decisions rest on what users actually do.
Nexoryl model
What does Nexoryl's UI/UX Design department do?
It designs the interfaces of your software product or app: researching how people use it, designing and testing flows, producing production-ready screens, and maintaining the design system engineers build from.
Marketing websites sit with Web Design & Development. This department works on the product itself, alongside Software Engineering and Product Operations.
- Responsible for
- UX research, information architecture, user flows, wireframes, interface design, prototypes, usability testing, design systems and developer handoff.
- Not included
- Front-end or back-end build, marketing website design, and brand identity or logo design.
- Connects to
- Software Engineering, Web Design & Development, Product Operations and Quality Assurance.
The design process
How a flow goes from problem to build.
Each flow moves through the same six stages. Smaller changes move faster through them; none skip testing entirely.
- 01
Understand
Users, goals and constraints, from research, analytics and support data.
- 02
Define
The problem the flow must solve and how success will be measured.
- 03
Explore
Wireframes and options compared before any visual polish.
- 04
Design
High-fidelity screens built from the design system, with every state.
- 05
Test
Remote usability tests with real users on a clickable prototype.
- 06
Hand off
Specs, states and assets engineers can build from, then design QA.
Where product design breaks
Four problems good design work fixes.
Most of these come from designing screen by screen without a system or a test.
An inconsistent interface
- Shows up as
- Five button styles, three date pickers and no shared components.
- We look at
- Component usage across the product and the state of existing design files.
- What changes
- A design system with components, tokens and usage rules.
Designs engineers can't build
- Shows up as
- Handoffs missing states, edge cases and responsive behaviour.
- We look at
- How designs reach engineering and what comes back as questions.
- What changes
- Specs covering every state, plus design review during the build.
Features nobody can find
- Shows up as
- Usage data shows a feature exists but hardly anyone uses it.
- We look at
- Navigation, information architecture and onboarding.
- What changes
- A usability test on the flow, then a redesign measured against task completion.
Design decided by opinion
- Shows up as
- Long debates settled by whoever is most senior in the room.
- We look at
- Whether any research or testing informs design decisions.
- What changes
- Lightweight research and testing built into each design cycle.
What the department covers
UI/UX design services.
Research, design and the system that holds it together, in one team.
UX research
Evidence about how people actually use the product.
- User interviews
- Usability testing
- Analytics and session recording review
- Competitive UX reviews
Information architecture and flows
Structure before screens.
- Navigation and information architecture
- User flows
- Journey maps
- Wireframes
Interface design
Screens that are clear, consistent and complete.
- High-fidelity UI
- Responsive and mobile layouts
- Dashboards and data-heavy screens
- Empty, error and loading states
Prototyping and testing
Ideas checked with users before engineering time is spent.
- Clickable prototypes
- Remote usability tests
- A/B test design support
- Findings reports
Design systems
One source of truth for components and styles.
- Component libraries
- Design tokens
- Usage documentation
- System maintenance
Accessibility and handoff
Designs that work for everyone and get built as intended.
- WCAG 2.2 contrast and target-size checks
- Keyboard and focus states
- Developer specs in Figma
- Design QA on staging builds
How remote delivery works
How a design engagement runs.
Short design cycles with review points, so feedback arrives early rather than after a month of polished screens.
- 01
Step 1: Audit
Current product, design files, analytics and known problems reviewed.
- 02
Step 2: Plan research
What needs to be learned first, and the lightest research that will answer it.
- 03
Step 3: Design in cycles
Flows designed in short cycles, with a review at each stage.
- 04
Step 4: Test
Prototypes tested remotely with real users before engineering starts.
- 05
Step 5: Hand off and QA
Specs delivered in Figma, then design QA on staging builds.
Design files live in your Figma organisation, so you keep everything if the engagement ends.
Scope and boundaries
What's included, and what stays with you.
Design ends at a buildable specification. Building it is engineering work.
✓Included
- UX research and usability testing
- Information architecture and user flows
- Wireframes and high-fidelity interface design
- Clickable prototypes
- Design systems and documentation
- Developer handoff and design QA
✕Not included
- Writing front-end or back-end code (Software Engineering)
- Marketing website design (Web Design & Development)
- Brand identity, logos and illustration
- In-person research labs or on-site workshops
→What you provide
- Product access, analytics and support data
- Existing design files and brand guidelines
- A product owner who makes decisions
- An engineering contact for feasibility
- Permission to recruit users for testing
Tools and platforms
Where the work happens.
Figma is the default. Research and handoff tools are chosen to fit your team.
- Design
- FigmaFigJam
- Prototyping
- Figma prototypesProtoPie
- Research
- MazeLookbackHotjarMicrosoft Clarity
- Handoff
- Figma Dev ModeStorybookzeroheight
Named as examples of tools we work in. They don't imply a partnership or certification.
Measurement
How a design department is measured.
Design is judged on whether people can do what the flow is for, and whether engineering can build it cleanly.
Usability
- Task completion rate
- Time on task
- Usability issues found and fixed
Consistency
- Components reused versus one-off
- Design system coverage
- Accessibility issues at handoff
Delivery
- Flows delivered on schedule
- Engineering questions after handoff
- Design QA issues per release
Outcomes
- Feature adoption after redesign
- Support tickets about the flow
- Activation or conversion for the flow
These are measurement categories, not promised figures.
Who does the work
The people designing your product.
Sized to the design backlog. A single flow doesn't need a full team.
UX Lead
Owns the design approach, reviews every flow and works with product leadership.
UI Designer
Produces high-fidelity screens, prototypes and design system components.
UX Researcher
Plans and runs interviews and usability tests, and reports the findings.
A good fit when
- Your product has grown screen by screen and feels inconsistent
- Engineers keep asking how designs should behave
- Usage data shows people struggling with key flows
- You have no design system, or one nobody maintains
Probably not the right fit when
- You need a marketing website (see Web Design & Development)
- You need a new logo or brand identity
- You want designs without any time for testing
Ways to start
Three ways to begin.
A UX audit is the quickest way to see where the product is losing people.
UX audit
Key flows reviewed against usability principles, analytics and support data, with prioritised recommendations.
Flow redesign project
One high-impact flow researched, redesigned, tested and handed off as a scoped project.
Managed design department
Ongoing design work from your backlog on a monthly retainer, including design system upkeep.
Fees depend on product complexity and design backlog size, and are agreed after the audit.
Related departments
Departments that work alongside UI/UX design.
Design hands off to engineering, gets tested by QA and is informed by product data.
Software Engineering
The engineers who build what's designed.
Web Design & Development
Marketing websites, designed and built as their own department.
Product Operations
Research logistics and release coordination.
Quality Assurance
Testing that the build matches the design.
Browse every function on the Departments page, or read why Nexoryl runs work as managed departments.
Questions
Questions about UI/UX design.
If your question isn't here, email us. Most answers depend on the product and the backlog.
What's the difference between UI and UX design?
UX design covers how the product works for the user: structure, flows and logic. UI design covers how each screen looks and behaves. Nexoryl's design department does both, because each fails without the other.
Do you design websites as well as products?
This department focuses on software products and apps. Marketing websites are designed and built by the Web Design & Development department.
Do you build the designs, or just design them?
Design ends at a buildable specification and design QA. Building is done by your engineers or Nexoryl's Software Engineering department.
Can UI/UX design be done remotely?
Yes. Design happens in Figma, research runs through remote sessions, and reviews happen by video. In-person labs and workshops aren't part of the service.
Do you test designs with real users?
Yes. Usability tests run remotely with real users on clickable prototypes before engineering starts, using participants you approve.
Can you create or fix a design system?
Yes: component libraries, design tokens, usage documentation and ongoing maintenance, built in Figma and aligned with what engineering has implemented.
How do you handle accessibility?
Designs are checked against WCAG 2.2 for contrast, target size, focus states and keyboard use before handoff. Full accessibility audits of built products can be scoped separately.
What do you need from us to start?
Product access, your analytics and support data, existing design files, and a product owner who can make decisions.
Next step
Find out where your product is losing people.
Tell us which flows worry you. We'll start with a UX audit and show you what to fix first.