I recently joined a UX design agency — and it’s been both great and valuable.

Before making the jump, I used to google things like “What’s the difference between a UX agency and a startup design team?” but never found a clear answer. Now that I’ve experienced both, I want to share some personal insights.

Of course, every team is different—but here’s what stood out to me:

Speed shaped my process in different ways.

Agency: Everything moves fast. We juggle multiple clients, deadlines are tight, and the pressure to deliver high-quality work quickly is real. It’s intense—in a good way.

Startup: Also fast, but in a different way. I was often reacting to shifting product priorities, sudden user feedback, or evolving business needs. I had to create with limited resources on the fly. Delivering high-quality work depended heavily on individuals — and wasn’t always recognized by other stakeholders.

I feel more supported as a designer in this agency.

Agency: I’m in a design team, surrounded by other designers. Feedback is constant and thoughtful. It sharpens my skills quickly. I’ve grown by doing and by learning from others.

Startup: I was often one of the only experienced designers. I had to advocate hard for UX. I had to explain the why behind every design decision, and seek out mentorship or community myself.

Grow looks different.

Agency: There’s not much time for hand-holding. Things move fast, and senior designers are heads-down delivering work. When I was earlier in my career, I spent more time executing than deciding. But once I built some experience, agency life became like re-running my design process—only faster, and more accurately.

Startup: I had room to explore, experiment, and even fail. I learned how to pitch, persuade, and advocate for the user, especially with non-design stakeholders. That built my confidence and my voice. But without more experienced designers around, it was easy to stall. I could grow without refining — because I was constantly pulled in other directions.

The trade-offs.

Agency: Projects are exciting, but I’m designing in someone else’s world. I often only get a limited window to pitch ideas during client meetings, and it’s hard to follow through on long-term impact across a product’s lifecycle.

Startup: I was closer to the product, the users, and the roadmap. But design could feel reactive, even when I tried to be proactive. And without a design team, the feedback loop was slow or missing altogether. I could track impact — if the product lasted long enough.

Knowing the challenge you’re looking for is the key!

Both environments helped me grow in different ways. I’m grateful for the autonomy I had in startups and for the sharpening that comes from working with other designers in agencies. The key is knowing what kind of challenge I want to take on next.