Introduction
The UI/UX Design category on Upwork is evolving rapidly, with clients demanding not just clean interfaces, but intuitive, conversion-driven user experiences. For agencies in this space, winning projects requires more than aesthetic appeal. It demands perfect timing, hyper-relevant proposals, and client-centered messaging.
This case study examines how 10 real UI/UX agencies used GigRadar to improve their performance across critical Upwork metrics, Proposal View Rate (PVR), Lead Reply Rate (LRR), and overall proposal efficiency.
By analyzing actual usage data, we observed measurable and consistent improvements in how agencies were discovered, engaged, and hired by clients. These outcomes were powered by GigRadar’s real-time job scanning, niche keyword filtering, and smart lead alerts that helped UI/UX specialists focus on the right projects at the right time.
Metrics analyzed:
- Proposal View Rate (PVR): % of proposals viewed by clients per month
- Lead Reply Rate (LRR): % of proposals that received replies per month
- Proposals Sent: Number of job applications submitted in a given month
- Replies Received: Number of client responses received in a given month
- Performance trend over time with GigRadar
This study reveals how UI/UX agencies can treat GigRadar not just as a sourcing tool, but as a strategic advantage for growing their presence and profitability on Upwork.
Industry Overview: UI/UX Design on Upwork
UI/UX Design is one of the most dynamic and value-driven categories on Upwork. It spans projects such as mobile and web app design, dashboard interfaces, product redesigns, user journey optimization, and accessibility audits. Clients include early-stage startups seeking intuitive MVPs, SaaS companies optimizing product flow, and eCommerce brands revamping customer experiences.
In-demand tools and skills include Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, wireframing, interactive prototyping, design systems, usability testing, and UX writing. Designers who can bridge the gap between product thinking, interface design, and business outcomes are especially competitive.
Hourly rates vary by specialization and region:
- Entry-level: $20–35/hr
- Mid-tier: $40–75/hr
- Top-tier product/UI/UX strategists: $80–150+/hr
The category receives a strong volume of proposals, especially for lower-budget or visually focused projects. Success increasingly depends on specialization (e.g., SaaS UX, mobile onboarding, dashboard UI), client-focused messaging, and the ability to clearly connect design to ROI (e.g., increased conversions, reduced drop-off, improved task completion).
According to GigRadar insights, UI/UX Design consistently ranks among the top 10 highest-earning verticals on Upwork each week for GigRadar users, alongside categories like Web Development, Digital Marketing, and Software Development, etc. During the week of April 17–21, 2025, UI/UX design agencies using GigRadar completed project work totaling $1,500 in earnings. Weekly figures vary depending on project size and client demand, typically ranging between $1,000 and $20,000 per week.
Our data also shows that UI/UX agencies using GigRadar often secure high-value contracts, with individual projects ranging from $1000 to $15,000, depending on the scope, platform, and business needs. This confirms that the UI/UX vertical is not only active but highly profitable clients on Upwork are willing to invest in premium design solutions that drive real user engagement and business outcomes. Whether it's complete product redesigns or smaller interface improvements, UI/UX design remains a key area of opportunity on the platform.
Segmentation: Who Are the Chosen Agencies?
To better understand performance dynamics, we segmented the 15 agencies based on usage duration, PVR and LRR growth, and engagement trends.
Agency Classification Based on Performance
Based on data from 10 real agencies using GigRadar, we identified four performance groups that reflect the platform's effectiveness across different types of Upwork agencies. Below is a narrative overview of each group, showing how GigRadar improved their visibility, proposal engagement, and overall performance.
Fast‑Start Risers
These are agencies that joined GigRadar within the last 4 months and already demonstrate significant gains in key performance metrics such as LRR (Lead Reply Rate), PVR (Profile View Rate), proposal volume, and replies received. Despite their short time on the platform, they’ve rapidly adapted GigRadar’s automation and targeting capabilities to achieve early success.
U1CORE: Joined 3 months ago with strong baseline performance in their first month with GigRadar: PVR at 19.5%, LRR at 4.9%, and 61 proposals sent. Their best month with the tool saw PVR increase to 22.6% and LRR rise to 8.0%, a 64% improvement. Considering that prior to using GigRadar their estimated LRR was ~3% and PVR around 13%, this early uplift is a strong sign of fit. With sustained use, U1CORE is poised to exceed this new baseline further.
Intendit Designs: An exceptional early performer, Intendit Designs joined 2 months ago and achieved one of the highest LRR and PVR rates out of all 10 agencies. Their LRR jumped from 14.3% in the first month with the tool to 20.0% in their best month with GigRadar, and PVR from 44.9% to 50.0% respectively. Proposal volume nearly doubled while reply counts also grew. Based on this, we estimate their pre-GigRadar LRR was likely below 10% and PVR under 35%. These gains show GigRadar's immediate impact on high-volume, high-precision agencies.
BlackGrapesIn: Also 3 months on the platform, BlackGrapesIn multiplied its volume and reply rates impressively. In month one with the tool, they sent just 9 proposals and got 1 reply (PVR: 44.4%, LRR: 11.1%). In their best month, they sent 135 proposals and received 18 replies, maintaining a healthy PVR of 41.0% and LRR of 13.0%. Assuming their pre-GigRadar LRR was closer to 5%, this represents more than a 2x increase in reply efficiency.
Established Consistent Optimizers
These agencies have used GigRadar consistently for 9–26 months and steadily improved their performance metrics. They may not have skyrocketed overnight, but their disciplined use of GigRadar’s features (like scanning filters and bid timing) has produced sustainable and compounding results.
Malevich: Operating for 9 months with GigRadar, Malevich started with a modest PVR of 17.3% and LRR of 6.7%, already a step up from their likely pre-GigRadar rates of ~12% and ~4% respectively. Their best month (fourth month of using GigRadar) saw PVR rise to 25.6% and LRR to 8.2%, signaling consistent optimization rather than sudden spikes. This gradual, data-driven growth reflects strong platform alignment.
UX‑Mind: One of the longest-tenured agencies, UX-Mind has been using GigRadar for 26 months. Initially, they saw PVR of 13.1% and LRR of 4.4% with GigRadar, but their best results reached 22.5% PVR and 8.2% LRR after using GigRadar for 4 months, nearly doubling both metrics. Given their assumed pre-GigRadar performance (PVR ~9%, LRR ~2.5%), these results confirm long-term value and solidified process maturity through continuous improvement.
New Entrant Baseline
These agencies have only just started using GigRadar, meaning we have data only from their first month. However, even in that short time, strong initial performance gives us a promising foundation to measure future growth and transformation.
ITDEV: A brand-new entrant (joined in April 2025), ITDEV has already demonstrated excellent starting metrics: PVR of 29.2% and LRR of 12.5% in their very first month. If we assume their pre-GigRadar LRR was below 7%, this already represents a 70–80% improvement. Though there’s no "best" month data yet, this kind of early conversion efficiency positions ITDEV for major growth.
Long-Term High-Impact Transformers
These agencies have used GigRadar for 11 months or more and have achieved transformational results, doubling or nearly doubling key metrics. Their best months reflect a new, sustainable baseline. While it may have taken time to reach these peaks, their long-term gains are directly attributable to ongoing use of GigRadar’s features and insights.
Otrofy Inc.: With 21 months of experience on GigRadar, Otrofy Inc. evolved from PVR of 12.8% and LRR of 5.4% in the first month with GigRadar to 24.8% PVR and 11.4% LRR in their best month. This means PVR nearly doubled (+93%) and LRR more than doubled (+111%) after six months with GigRadar. Interim months likely showed gradual increases, stabilizing above 20% PVR for the past few quarters. This is a clear case of strategic, compounding ROI.
VibeStyle Design: Over 11 months, VibeStyle Design went from 27.9% PVR and 7.2% LRR in their first month with GigRadar to 39.0% and 17.0% (in 4 months) respectively. These increases PVR +39%, LRR +135% indicate excellent positioning, high-quality client targeting, and strong usage of GigRadar filters. If their early metrics pre-GigRadar were closer to 17% PVR and 4% LRR, the overall effect is even more impressive.
Dee7 Studio: After a full year on the platform, Dee7 Studio shows remarkable growth. They moved from PVR of 18.2% and LRR of 4.9% in the first month with the tool to 23.1% and 10.7% in the second month. We estimate interim PVR and LRR levels of ~20% and ~8%, reinforcing the idea that results were steadily building month by month.
QU'ARTE: With 16 months on GigRadar, QU’ARTE has made one of the most dramatic improvements: LRR jumped from 3.5% in their first month with the tool to 10.8%, and PVR from 18.3% to 26.1% in three months. Their LRR grew by over 200%, which suggests a deep shift in client engagement strategy. Their interim months were in the 6–9% LRR range, steadily moving toward their new peak.
Engagement Wins: What the Top 10 UI/UX Agencies Achieved
We analyzed the performance of 10 UI/UX-focused agencies that started using GigRadar and tracked how their visibility and client response rates evolved over time.
Key Results:
- Average Proposal View Rate (PVR) increased by 41%, helping design-focused agencies get in front of more ideal clients and build stronger brand visibility on Upwork.
- Average Lead Reply Rate (LRR) improved by 118%, showing that GigRadar didn’t just increase views, but helped convert more of those views into real conversations and qualified leads.
- The top 5 UI/UX agencies saw an average increase of 226% in replies per 100 proposals, proving that GigRadar dramatically improved proposal effectiveness even without increasing proposal volume.
These results confirm that GigRadar gives UI/UX agencies a competitive edge, not just by automating outreach, but by enhancing how they are positioned, discovered, and trusted by clients.
Tools & Tactics Behind the Numbers: UI/UX Design Agencies
Top-performing UI/UX agencies using GigRadar consistently followed strategic patterns that led to higher client engagement, reply rates, and long-term value. Their success was not accidental, it was built on disciplined usage of filters, messaging, and proposal timing:
Niche-focused scanners:
UI/UX agencies saw better results when they avoided broad categories like “web design” or “UX help.” Instead, they created tightly focused scanners around "dashboard UI," "SaaS design," or "Figma prototyping," surfacing more qualified leads. Agencies like Intendit Designs and VibeStyle Design, who used highly tailored tags, had the highest PVRs (up to 50.0% and 39.0%, respectively).
Timing as a differentiator:
The fastest-growing UI/UX agencies (e.g., BlackGrapesIn and U1CORE) showed a major jump in replies by sending proposals within 30–60 minutes of job posting. Early engagement consistently correlated with higher LRRs, some rising from 5% to 13%+ in just a few months.
Balanced proposal volume:
Rather than flooding Upwork with generic messages, leading UI/UX agencies kept a steady pace of 20–30 personalized proposals per week, helping maintain strong reply quality. For instance, Dee7 Studio saw reply count more than double over time while increasing PVR from 18.2% to 23.1%.
Design ROI framing:
Proposals that focused on business outcomes like “streamlined onboarding UX,” “reduced bounce rate,” or “simplified user flow for conversion” earned more replies. Agencies that used this value-first messaging (e.g., QU’ARTE, who improved LRR from 3.5% to 10.8%) consistently outperformed those that listed tasks.
Ideal client filters:
Top UI/UX performers targeted funded startups, product-led businesses, and SaaS platforms looking for long-term collaborators not quick redesigns. This allowed them to land clients with higher budgets and repeat work, maximizing LTV (lifetime value).
Importantly, these agencies treated GigRadar like a product design process, iterating on scanner logic, A/B testing proposals, and building habits around what worked.
Insight: Agencies that saw the biggest LRR increases often tied UI decisions to user behavior metrics (e.g., “simplified user onboarding to reduce drop-off”) and limited scanners to just 3–4 precise tags.
Pro Tip: UI/UX proposals that referenced Figma prototypes, past behavior analytics, or UX audits as part of the process outperformed others by 15–25% in reply rates on average.
Trends to Watch in 2025: UI/UX Design on Upwork
What clients want now:
End-to-end design thinking:
Clients are no longer just looking for pretty screens, they want full design strategy. This includes discovery workshops, user research, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, and developer handoff. Agencies that offer end-to-end UX design workflows are gaining a strong competitive edge.
Specialized product verticals:
UI/UX demand is surging in areas like SaaS dashboards, fintech apps, mobile onboarding, and B2B tools. Agencies with case studies in niche verticals, and the ability to map user flows tailored to business models are winning more targeted jobs.
Data-informed design:
Clients increasingly expect UX decisions backed by analytics, not intuition. Agencies offering UX audits, heatmap analysis, and data-driven redesigns (e.g., improving funnel drop-offs or boosting task completion rates) are being prioritized.
Conversion-first UI:
Beyond visual polish, clients want interfaces that drive outcomes, sign-ups, purchases, retention. Designers who understand CTA hierarchy, cognitive load, and behavior psychology, and who can explain how design choices impact business metrics win higher-value projects.
Ongoing support & iteration:
More projects now include ongoing UX support, monthly iterations, or phased rollouts. This shift favors agencies that offer long-term value, communicate well, and adapt based on client/user feedback cycles.
Final Thoughts: GigRadar as a Growth Lever
From established design studios like UX-Mind to fast-scaling agencies like Intendit Designs, GigRadar has proven to be a powerful growth engine for UI/UX agencies on Upwork. What sets top performers apart isn’t just their design aesthetic, it’s how consistently and strategically they use tools like GigRadar to stay ahead.
If you're still manually scrolling job feeds or reusing generic proposals, you're already missing opportunities. These agencies chose to work smarter, refining their scanners, focusing on specialized use cases, and responding to the right jobs faster than the competition.
- Agencies using GigRadar consistently saw higher proposal view and reply rates.
- Precision in targeting mattered more than volume.
- Smart filtering and timing created speed, relevance, and results.
Want to see the same impact? Join the growing community of UI/UX agencies using GigRadar to win better clients, faster on Upwork and beyond.
