To hire a Shopify designer, first decide whether you need design only or design plus build. Then write a one-page brief, shortlist three to five designers, judge their live stores on your phone, and get a written scope. Start with a small paid first milestone, such as your homepage and one product page, before committing to the full store.
Key takeaways
- Most first stores need a designer who also builds in Shopify, not a designer who only hands over pictures of a store.
- A one-page brief with your brand assets and three reference stores saves more time and money than anything else you can do.
- Judge portfolios like a shopper: open live stores on your phone and look at product pages, not just homepages.
- Approve the homepage and one product page before the designer builds the rest of the store.
- Make sure you can edit the finished store yourself and that you get the design files.
Do you need a Shopify designer, a developer or both?
For most first stores, you need one person or team who can do both: design the look and build it in Shopify. Pure design or pure development only makes sense for specific jobs.
| Who | What they do | Hire them when |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify designer who builds | Designs the store and sets it up in a Shopify theme | You need a new store or a redesign. This is the right fit for most founders. |
| Designer only | Creates mockups (pictures of how pages should look), often in a tool like Figma | You already have a developer who will build the designs |
| Developer only | Writes code: custom features, integrations, fixes | The design is settled and you need something the theme can't do |
| Brand designer | Logo, colors, fonts, packaging | You don't have a brand yet. Do this before the store. |
A common mistake is hiring a designer who delivers beautiful mockups, then discovering nobody is set up to build them. Ask early: "Will you build this in Shopify, or just design it?"
How to hire a Shopify designer, step by step
Follow these seven steps in order. Each one makes the next easier, and the whole process often takes one to two weeks before any design work starts.
Step 1: Decide what needs designing
Write down which pages you need. A typical first store has a homepage, a collection page, a product page, a cart, an about page, contact and policy pages. The product page matters most, because that's where people decide to buy.
Also decide how custom it needs to be. Most first stores are built on an existing Shopify theme, styled to fit the brand. A fully custom design costs more and is rarely needed before you've proven the product sells.
Step 2: Gather your brand assets and write a brief
A designer can only work with what you give them. Put these in one shared folder:
- Your logo, colors and fonts, if you have them
- Product photos, or a plan for getting them
- Product names, prices and descriptions
- Three stores you like, and one sentence on what you like about each
- One or two stores you don't like, and why
- Who your customer is, in a sentence
- Your budget range and launch date
"I like how this store shows ingredients" is far more useful than "make it look premium." Specific references are the fastest way to get a design you like on the first try.
Step 3: Find three to five candidates
There are three good places to look:
- The Shopify Partner Directory. You can filter by services such as store build or redesign, price range, location and industry, as Shopify's hiring guide explains. Partners bill you directly, and contacting one doesn't commit you.
- Stores you admire. Some stores credit their designer in the footer. If not, message the brand and ask who built it. Many founders are happy to share.
- Freelance marketplaces. You'll find a huge range of quality and price. Vet harder here: ask for live store links and check them yourself.
Not sure whether to go with a solo designer or a team? Our guide to choosing between a Shopify agency and a freelancer covers that decision.
Step 4: Judge their portfolios like a shopper
Don't judge a portfolio by its screenshots. Ask for links to live stores, then check each one on your phone:
- Product pages, not just homepages. Are the photos big and clear? Can you see the price, shipping information and Add to cart button without scrolling far?
- Mobile first. Most shoppers browse on phones. Does the menu work? Is the text easy to read?
- Speed. Do pages load quickly on mobile data, or do you wait for images and pop-ups?
- Variety. Do the stores look like different brands, or does everything look the same?
- Trust. Are reviews, returns information and contact details easy to find?
A store that looks great but makes it hard to buy is not good design for a business. You want a designer who thinks about selling, not just style.
Step 5: Compare proposals on the same scope
Send each candidate the same brief and ask for a written proposal. Compare:
- Which pages they'll design and build
- How many rounds of revisions are included
- Whether they load your products and set up shipping, taxes and payments, or only design
- Which theme they'll use, and whether you'll need to buy it
- Timeline and payment milestones
Our list of questions to ask before hiring a Shopify developer works just as well for designers. It includes a copy-and-paste email so every candidate answers the same questions.
Step 6: Start with a small first milestone
Before committing to the full store, agree a first milestone: usually the homepage and one product page. Approve those before the designer builds the rest.
This tells you within days whether you like their style and how they handle feedback. If it isn't working, you've lost a small payment rather than the whole budget. Some designers will also do a small paid test task, which works the same way.
Step 7: Give clear feedback, then plan the handover
Good feedback is specific. "The product photos feel small on mobile" helps. "It doesn't pop" doesn't. Collect all your feedback for each round into one message, so the designer isn't chasing comments across email, chat and calls.
Before the final payment, make sure:
- You can edit text, images and products yourself in Shopify's theme editor
- You've had a short walkthrough or video on making common changes
- You have the design files and any images they created
- Any paid theme was bought in your own store, so the license is yours (see Shopify's theme licensing guide)
- Their collaborator access is removed if you don't need them anymore
What should a Shopify designer deliver at each stage?
Processes vary, but a good designer will usually take you through stages like these. Knowing them helps you spot when something is being skipped.
| Stage | What you should get | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Kick-off | Questions about your brand, customer and goals | Share your brief and assets |
| Direction | A style direction or first page design | Approve the direction or redirect it |
| Key pages | Homepage and product page, ideally built in a preview theme | Review on your phone and send one round of feedback |
| Full build | All pages, products, navigation and settings | Check every page, place a test order |
| Launch | Store live, final checks done | Approve and pay the final milestone |
| Handover | Walkthrough, files, list of apps and costs | Remove access you no longer need |
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
Timeline depends on scope more than on the designer. A small store on an existing theme can take days, while a fully custom brand store can take several weeks. The biggest cause of delay is usually missing content, such as photos, product descriptions or a logo, so have those ready before you start.
Prices vary just as widely, from a few hundred dollars for a simple theme setup to many thousands for a custom design. Our guide to what a Shopify store costs breaks down build fees alongside your plan, theme and app costs.
If you're in the UK, Australia or the EU: many designers quote in US dollars and work in other time zones. Ask about currency, whether VAT or GST is included, and when they're available for calls.
Red flags when hiring a Shopify designer
- Their portfolio is only images, with no live stores you can visit.
- Every store in their portfolio looks the same, apart from the logo.
- They show homepages but never product pages.
- They don't ask about your customer, products or goals before quoting.
- They offer a premium theme "for free" instead of you buying it in your own store.
- They won't confirm that you'll own the design files and be able to edit the store.
Do it yourself or have it done for you
Do it yourself: if your budget is tight, you can design a clean first store yourself with a free Shopify theme and good product photos. Start a free trial, pick a theme, and use the brief from step 2 to keep your design focused. You can always hire a designer once the product is selling.
Have it done for you: our team has built 900+ Shopify stores, designing and building each one in Shopify, so there's no handoff between a designer and a developer. You can see examples in our portfolio, across wellness, jewelry, coffee subscriptions and apparel. Our packages have fixed prices and scopes, or book a $50 video consultation to talk through your brief first.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Shopify designer and a Shopify developer?
A designer decides how your store looks and how shoppers move through it: layout, colors, fonts, images and page structure. A developer writes code to build features the theme can't do. For most first stores, you want a designer who also builds in Shopify, so the design is set up in a theme you can edit yourself, without needing a separate developer.
Should I hire a Shopify designer on Fiverr or Upwork?
You can, but vet carefully, because quality and prices vary widely. Ask for links to live Shopify stores the designer built, check them on your phone, and agree a written scope before paying. Start with a small first milestone, such as the homepage and one product page. The Shopify Partner Directory is another place to look, with filters for services and price.
Do I need a custom Shopify design or will a theme do?
For most first stores, a well-chosen theme styled to your brand is enough. It's faster, cheaper and easier for you to edit. A fully custom design makes more sense once you're selling and have specific needs a theme can't meet. Ask your designer which theme they'd use and why, and whether you'll need to buy it.
Who owns the design when a Shopify designer is finished?
You should, but agree it in writing before work starts. Ask for the design files and any images they create, and make sure any paid theme is bought in your own store so the license is yours. Your store itself should always be in your name, with the designer working through a collaborator account rather than your login.
How long does it take to hire a Shopify designer?
Often one to two weeks from writing your brief to agreeing a scope. That covers shortlisting candidates, checking their live stores, comparing proposals and agreeing a first milestone. You can move faster if your brief and brand assets are ready, so gather your logo, photos, product details and reference stores before you contact anyone.
Write your one-page brief today, pick three stores you love, and send both to three designers this week.
