The main challenges facing web design businesses in Dubai
Let’s start with a status check and look at some of the most pressing concerns facing the Dubai web design industry.
There are not enough skilled designers.
There are numerous web design companies in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and throughout the Middle East region. Most web design firms in Dubai employ local expertise and focus on the software development aspect of creating digital products. Most frontend or backend developers create the designs for the Middle Eastern firms we dealt with, mainly in the UAE but also in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Qatar. Is this so wrong? Many front-end engineers possess graphic design talents, which are incredibly useful on a daily basis. However, it should not be their primary responsibility, just as web designers should not focus too heavily on web construction.
However, there is another issue with Dubai’s web design and software development companies. Many businesses are outsourcing some of their work to offshore countries, such as India. This solution may cause some issues with the product sooner or later. While outsourcing is an excellent corporate tool for working smarter, more agilely, and on tight schedules and budgets, so-called “white labeling” is extremely troublesome. What exactly does “white labeling” mean in the context of app development?
White labeling for app development
White-labeling is the process of outsourcing work from one organization to another. How does this affect the final product? Consider this scenario: you sign a contract to construct an app, but your contractor outsources some of the work to another company, country, or even continent. This condition can lead to the following problems:
You lose control over the design conception and development process.
Passing on feedback takes twice as long as it should.
Communication on a daily basis is unproductive and fraught with misunderstandings.
There are issues with responsibilities and ambiguous roles.
In effect, the software and design are far from satisfactory.
How can you identify a web design company in Dubai that may be employing white labeling? Pay close attention if
- you cannot meet your dedicated team or its members in person (face-to-face or via web tools).
- You are unable to reach team members directly.
- You cannot participate in regular meetings (for example, daily scrum meetings).
White-labeling isn’t the only issue when looking for a web design company in Dubai or the Middle East.
Freelancers rarely make a difference.
Many organizations in the Emirates, or the Middle East in general, hire freelance designers to work on their web or mobile applications. This solution is popular, primarily for economic reasons. The region’s talent pool is limited, making it difficult to find a great graphic designer. It is a regional problem; you can learn more about the talent shortage in the article on how to choose a software business in Dubai.
While working with freelancers is typically less expensive than headhunting and recruiting people, this option does have some limitations:
- You have little or no influence over the work’s progress.
- Freelancers typically work on multiple projects at the same time, so they are not only focused on your app or online platform.
- The stereotype of freelancers struggling to fulfill deadlines is actually quite accurate.
Their legal liability is frequently relatively limited. - They frequently do not feel particularly linked to or committed to the end success of the project they are working on.
- It is particularly concerning that Boldare has been engaged multiple times to complete a product abandoned by a freelance graphic designer. It isn’t common, but it does happen.
That does not imply that you should never collaborate with freelancers! There are many competent and experienced professionals who can add significant value to your business, project, or software. However, hiring them is usually not the most cost-effective solution.
Why do you need the best design, and what are UX and UI?
It appears that finding a decent web design business in Dubai or the MENA area is difficult, and you must expend a significant amount of work to find the best one. So, perhaps it is not worth doing? Maybe good design isn’t worth the effort it takes to find a decent design company?
First and foremost, let us clarify what “design” is.
“Design” typically refers to the appearance of a thing or its aesthetics. Does it feel pleasant to look at, does it encourage users to interact with the app, and, most importantly, does it contribute to the product’s commercial goals? This is the most general (and certainly not the most accurate) definition we can think of. This is why we need to broaden the present concept of web design to include its two most significant “ingredients”: UX and UI.
UX stands for user experience, and a great UX design enables users to engage with an app in the most ergonomic and effective manner. Web designers build the user experience of their apps with usability and accessibility in mind.
Personal feelings or opinions are not what determine the user experience. UX design is a specialized field that relies heavily on data, research, and analysis. Professional web designers employ a variety of techniques to assess and analyze user needs, and as a result, websites or apps built on UX principles better meet user needs. This could be useful for some commercial factors, such as app profitability, but it is highly dependent on the type of product.
So, how does UX design apply to an actual app or website? Assume you run an e-commerce website, say a shoe store, and you want to increase sales with the assistance of a web design business. Before making any modifications, an expert organization should conduct a series of tests to evaluate the displays on your product pages in order to enhance conversion rates. They will determine where to insert a product image, how long and thorough the description should be, and where to place the “Buy” button to increase sales. This is pure UX, making the software better and more functional through design.
UI stands for user interface, and it is mostly concerned with how the web app’s interfaces appear and whether they deliver adequate information to users. UI allows them to interact with the program and is more concerned with aesthetics than UX. UI is frequently a brand’s translation into the appearance and feel of an app or other software product.
To summarize, UX and UI are critical components of modern app design. This indicates that design’s responsibility is not only to make the product seem attractive but also to ensure its usefulness in order to accomplish business objectives, such as increasing conversions or sales through correctly designed software.
What are the obvious advantages of good design?
Good design is more than just being visually appealing. Good design is one of the business strategies that can help reduce the expenses associated with poorly designed apps, web platforms, or software in general. With smart design, you may cut costs associated with abandoned carts or always-busy customer care.
Good web design (UX and UI) improves app conversion rates, regardless of the form of conversion. Users could subscribe, make payments, or spend time watching anything.
Beautiful and intuitive web design keeps your customers on your website and promotes their positive perception of your brand or company.
If you require additional knowledge and data-driven specifics regarding design, visit our website’s design-focused section, Why Design Matters.
Looking for a web development firm in Dubai? Pro Tips
Just like any other search, utilize Google. There are many web design companies in Dubai, but how do you choose the best one? Well, this is a little tricky. However, here are some general suggestions for hiring a reliable web design or software development business in Dubai:
You should absolutely inspect their own website; this is self-explanatory, but pay extra attention to specific sections of their site. Beautiful and functional design should be one of the most obvious examples of their efforts. Their case study part is also a necessity. Pay attention to any honors for their work (for example, Boldare has received many awards and Indigo Design honors).
Check out their entire web presence. The greatest companies, like Boldare, showcase their designs on web portfolio sites such as Behance and Dribble. We also organize regular meetups for design communities in Poland, such as the Silesia Dribbble Meetup in Gliwice.
If you appreciate their designs, you should investigate how the organization is considered by customers. Clutch.co is probably the most trusted source for high-quality reviews. This web platform rates hundreds of organizations based on their specialties. But what interests me the most about Clutch.co is their extensive review method, in which the portal individually contacts clients for each listed company and conducts their own interview. There is no way to influence the interviews, so each one is an invaluable source of information.
Comparing similar firms easily confirms that Boldare has 35 Clutch.co reviews and an overall score of 4.6, which is above-average data.
What about a web design firm from abroad?
Finally, do not limit your search for a top website design in Dubai, the Emirates, or the Middle East. If you want high-quality work on a tight budget, look into international companies. Eastern Europe is a good alternative because many Polish companies provide the same quality as their German or UK competitors, but at a lower cost and with a similar culture.
If you decide to look for a web design firm in Europe, you may obviously use the same methods described above. However, before contacting any organization, ensure that they have previous experience working with companies in the Middle East or other remote places. Why?
Working with a corporation with offices in different areas than yours does not have to be difficult. Instead, it all depends on their previous experience, processes, and tools. Begin by asking them the following example questions:
- Have you worked with companies in the Emirates or the Middle East?
- Have you ever worked for another company in a different time zone or region?
- How do you handle time variations and starting the week on separate days?
- How often are you able to visit us?
- How do you ensure that you understand our needs and business goals?
- If you’re particularly interested in web design, request to talk with their designers and developers. Make sure they realize the importance of having web designers collaborate closely with web developers.
If you need more information and professional advice on this subject, read this article: “Hiring a Website Development Company?” Avoid these mistakes.
Web Design and Development Services in Dubai
If you’re looking for a business that creates excellent designs, you can’t disregard its impact on software development, and vice versa. Always consider the overall attitude and experience of your shortlisted companies. You won’t create a successful app if its performance and functionality are substandard. Simply put, the best design cannot make up for poorly written code.
View their work, speak with them, and, most importantly, challenge them by asking tough questions to ensure that the company excels at both digital product design and development! You can start right away by challenging us!
