UX/UI design: what it includes, what it costs, how to choose an agency
What UX/UI design services include, why there is no reliable public price list, which factors drive the cost, and the questions to put to an agency.
By Kiril Kirilov, CEO of Intellion Agency
UX/UI design services cover user research, screen structure, visual design, an interactive prototype and handoff to development. What they cost — there is no reliable public Bulgarian price we could cite, so we will not hand you a number. The price is set by scope: how many screens, how much research, whether you need a design system and how many rounds of revisions are included.
Instead of an invented figure, this article gives you something more useful: a clear map of what the service includes, which factors move the total and how to read a quote. At the end there is a market reference for the whole web project, labelled as exactly that.
UX and UI: two different jobs
UX (user experience) answers "how does a person move through the product and where do they stop". UI (user interface) answers "how does it look and how does it respond". You can have a beautiful interface that gets in the way of the person’s task, and a plain one that eases it. The first is UI without UX; the second is the reverse.
Most of the recurring problems we see are of the first kind: a site that looks good but does not answer the question the visitor arrived with. That is why our work starts with observation rather than a colour palette — the approach described on the UX/UI design page.
What a full service includes
Not every project needs everything below. But if a quote omits a stage, you should know whether that is a conscious choice or an omission.
- Research. Conversations with users, a review of existing data, competitor analysis. It reduces the risk of designing on assumptions.
- Structure and flows. What screens exist, how people reach them, where the next step is. This is where it is decided whether sign-up is two steps or six.
- Wireframes. Rough sketches of every screen without styling, so the logic is agreed before hours are spent on detail.
- Visual design. Typography, colour, components, button and field states, mobile and desktop versions.
- Interactive prototype. A clickable version that can be tested before any code is written.
- Design system. Reusable components and rules, so future screens are built faster and look like part of one whole.
- Handoff to development. Files, specifications and a conversation with the developers so no detail is lost in code.
Which factors drive the price
When there is no public price list, the most honest answer is a list of factors. Here they are, ordered by how often they explain the gap between two quotes.
- Number of unique screens. Not the number of pages but the number of distinct templates. A site with many product pages on one template is cheaper than an app with ten different views.
- Depth of research. Analysing existing data is one job; interviews and testing with real people is another.
- A design system or not. It costs more up front and pays back if the product will grow.
- Rounds of revisions. How many iterations are included and how many people sign off on your side.
- Product complexity. A data dashboard, a roles-and-permissions system or payments require more screens and more states than a landing page.
- How much is ready. Existing copy, brand guidelines and photos save hours; their absence adds them.
A market reference for the whole project
We did not find a separate price for UX/UI design alone in a reliable Bulgarian source. So below are the published ranges for a whole website by type, from Ascend.bg (23 July 2026). They are context for the overall project, in which design is only one part, and they are not INTELLION prices.
| Type | Range |
|---|---|
| Self-built (Wix/template) | EUR 150–400 |
| Template-based business card site | EUR 400–1,200 |
| Corporate, custom design, 5–15 pages, multilingual | EUR 1,500–4,500 |
| E-commerce | EUR 4,000–9,000 |
| Web application | EUR 15,000+ |
Source: Ascend.bg, 23 July 2026. Prices are in euro and are one agency’s market range.
The same article gives one line that explains why custom design costs more: for a typical corporate site, custom design takes about 20–40 designer hours, while adjusting a ready-made template takes 2–4 hours. The difference is not "prettier" — it is that someone designs specifically for your users.
How to choose an agency
A portfolio shows taste, not thinking. So ask about the process, not only the examples.
- How does the work start? If the answer is "with a brief and colours" rather than "with questions to users", expect visuals without research.
- What do I get at the end? Files, prototype, specifications, design system — and in what format.
- Who will do the design and do I speak to them? The work should be done by the people who appear in the conversation.
- How is success measured? If there is no answer beyond "it will look good", there is no way to tell whether the project worked.
- How do you hand over to developers? Design that cannot be implemented faithfully loses its value in code.
One checkable thing: look at delivered projects and judge whether the interface serves the business need. For example in Lucciarelli — an online store for luxury Italian eyewear — the emphasis is on editorial photography and a refined checkout rather than decoration. That is design subordinated to the goal.
When design is not the problem
Honestly, sometimes you pay for UX/UI and the problem is elsewhere. If the site loads slowly on a phone, if the page does not answer the question that brought the person, or if the ads lead to the wrong place, a new design will not fix it. That is why a good designer asks to see the data first: where visitors come from, where they leave, what they do before that.
If you are unsure whether you need a redesign or a smaller fix, also read when it is time to redesign a website.
Warning signs in a UX/UI quote
- Only "visuals" and no research. If the quote starts with colours and mock-ups with not a line about users, you risk a beautiful but non-working interface.
- Unlimited revisions. It sounds generous but in practice leads to disputes; clearly defined rounds with agreed content are better.
- No prototype. Without something that can be clicked and tested, many problems are found only in development, when fixing them costs more.
- An unclear handoff. What you receive at the end and in what format should be written down.
See how we approach UX/UI design and what you receive →
Frequently asked questions
How much do UX/UI design services cost in Bulgaria?
We found no reliable public price list for UX/UI alone, so we do not cite a number. The price depends on the number of unique screens, the depth of research, whether a design system is built and how many rounds of revisions are included. For context on the whole web project: per Ascend.bg (23 July 2026) a corporate site with custom design is EUR 1,500–4,500, but that is not an INTELLION price.
What is the difference between UX and UI design?
UX deals with how a person completes a task in the product — flows, structure, where they stop. UI deals with appearance and how elements respond — typography, colour, states. A good project has both.
What do I get at the end of a UX/UI project?
Typically: screen structure, wireframes, visual design, an interactive prototype and handoff to development. For a larger product, a design system as well. Confirm the list in the quote.
Do I need a design system?
If the product will grow and new screens will be added over time — yes. For a single landing page or a small site it is usually unnecessary.
Can we start smaller and build up?
Yes. A sensible start is often the most important flows — an enquiry or an order, say — with the rest added later. That way you get real feedback before investing in the full scope.
Sources
- Ascend.bg — What a website costs in Bulgaria in 2026, by type, published 23 July 2026.