Designing an app for the first time can feel like standing at a crossroads. Do you sketch it yourself? Hire a freelancer? Or trust an agency?

Here’s our take.

 

Why design first?

Because design sets the foundation. It helps you:

• See your idea in real form

• Map flows and processes

• Show something to investors or early users

• Keep developers aligned

Skip this, and you’ll pay for it later.

 

Can you DIY?

Yes. Plenty of tools will help you mock things up (we’ll list nine in a moment). But remember: design isn’t just pretty screens. It’s flow, usability, and keeping things simple.

Still, even rough sketches are worth doing - they sharpen your thinking.

 

How we do it at TH-EY

We run design in weekly cycles:

• We create and research

• We show progress and get your feedback

• You review and refine with us

You get full transparency: direct Slack access, shared Figma files, a roadmap, and logs showing time spent vs. budget.

What makes us different? Developers and QA are involved early. That means designs aren’t just nice to look at - they’re realistic, scalable, and ready for build.

 

The outcome

You’ll finish with a full Figma package: screens, flows, wireframes, and a style guide. Plus, we’ll show you how to collaborate directly inside Figma.

From there, you decide: clickable prototype, pitch deck, user stories, or straight into development.

 

9 tools to try without us

 

 

1. Uizard – AI-powered concepts

2. Visily – text-to-design

3. Magic Patterns – AI prototyping

4. Balsamiq – pen-and-paper style

5. UXPin – detailed UI design

6. Moqups – diagrams and wireframes

7. Figma – industry standard

8. Sketch – pro tool

9. Adobe XD – another pro option

Our take

Whether you DIY or work with us, design is the first serious step in building an app that actually works.

The question is: do you just want a pretty mock-up, or do you want a foundation built for scale?

If it’s the latter - come see us at Stand B1052.

Or book a free consultation during the show:
👉 https://tbs.th-ey.com/#booking