Finding the right digital graphic designer shouldn’t be complicated, especially since globalization has made doing business more manageable. However, many entrepreneurs and marketers still struggle with expensive agencies, unreliable freelancers, and the lack of originality from DIY design tools. To help you with your design challenges, read on; this guide will walk you through and help you understand your options.
Table of Contents
- Why Your Business Needs Digital Graphic Designers
- How Much Design Work Your Business Needs
- Traditional Ways of Getting Designs
- A Better Alternative
- Understanding Costs
- Your Next Steps
- A Few Pro Tips
- Work with Penji Instead
Why Your Business Needs Digital Graphic Designers
The growing need for outstanding design can overwhelm businesses. Marketers and entrepreneurs are under pressure to craft compelling visuals for websites, blogs, marketing materials, and social media just to stand out. Those without a dedicated design team can find this doubly demanding.
The most common pain points for businesses include branding inconsistency, lack of creative vision, and time constraints. These can cause them to easily fall into the trap of using poorly executed visuals, diluting their message along the way. And with the competition being fiercer than ever, they must keep up with strategies requiring unique and high-quality designs.
The right digital graphic designer can deliver designs that will add impact to your brand. They help build credibility, enhance brand recognition, and help your marketing efforts stand out.
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How Much Design Work Your Business Needs
To help you find the best digital designer for your business, you need to keep track of how many designs you need. Let’s break it down to the following:
- Social media posts: These are a never-ending endeavor. You must constantly craft and publish engaging content to maintain a vibrant online presence. Think about how often you post and what design types you need.
- Marketing materials: Traditional marketing materials, such as business cards, flyers, posters, and brochures, are still effective. Check how many you need for each campaign and add them to your monthly design workload.
- Websites: Your brand’s digital face is your website. Ensure that it has fresh designs regularly.
Now, let’s do the math. To get a better estimate of the designs you need, make a tally:
- How many social media graphics do I need?
- How often do I create a marketing campaign? Weekly? Quarterly?
- Anticipate any website updates and include them in your list.
Traditional Ways of Getting Designs
The following are the traditional ways of getting design work done:
- Hiring a Full-Time Designer: This may seem a solid solution, but it can be overkill for many small businesses and startups. They have to pay a full-time salary, benefits, and other costs like office space and utilities. You’ll still be paying for these even when the design workload decreases.
- Freelance Graphic Designers: Many business owners avoid this route because it is laborious. It involves scouring for freelancers, browsing through portfolios, negotiating rates, and managing timelines. Once a project is done, you’ll have to repeat the process for the next one. In addition, some freelancers can be unreliable (ditching you for a higher-paying client, etc.).
- Design Agencies: These have a reputation for high-quality work but command hefty fees. They can be off-limits for many small businesses and startups.
Why is this important to know? It’s because the old ways of hiring a digital designer have been replaced by a more efficient way of getting designs. Subscription-based design services now abound. These offer a striking balance between high-quality designs and affordability. It’s only a matter of finding the right fit.
A Better Alternative
Design-subscription services are disrupting how businesses get professional design work. They offer a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution. They allow you access to a team of experienced designers at a fixed monthly rate, and of course, without the headaches associated with managing freelancers.
The process is pretty straightforward. Sign up for a plan and submit your request through a user-friendly platform. You’ll be matched with the appropriate designers, who will then start working on your project immediately. You’ll also get unlimited revisions included in your plan.
Understanding Costs
Let’s now talk about the costs. When evaluating the costs of different design options, you must consider all the factors. As mentioned above, a full-time designer requires you to pay a monthly salary, benefits, and overhead costs. Freelancer rates vary, but finding the right fit can be time-consuming. Design agencies offer quality but with a steep price tag.
An unlimited design service cuts through all these. They provide you with direct access to a design team. You’ll pay a flat monthly rate for as many design requests as you can send. You can also pause your subscription if your workload gets lower.
Your Next Steps
Your next step now is to find the best subscription-based design services. This can be a daunting task because of the variety of choices available. While it can be tempting to go for the least expensive one, remember that cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean better. Invest in a service known for its quality work, quick turnaround times, and easy communication.
A Few Pro Tips
Here are a few pro tips that can help you choose the right team of digital graphic designers for your brand:
Clear Communication
Effective communication is crucial to a great working relationship. You need to articulate your vision, goals, and feedback to your designer so they can clearly understand your projects. You can use visual references, detailed briefs, and regular check-ins to keep everyone on the same page.
Project Management
Excellent project management practices can help you get the most out of your design subscription. Use project management tools to organize your tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. Make a list of your projects and their design briefs, then send your requests to the platform. This allows the designer to work on your next project while waiting for your approval.
Implement Quality Control
To ensure high standards, review drafts thoroughly and give constructive feedback to address any issues. This avoids unnecessary revisions that can take up your precious time.
Scaling Up
Make sure that your chosen design partner allows you to scale your business. Check if they offer upgrades to your existing plan.
Work with Penji Instead
You don’t need to look far and wide to find the right digital graphic designer. Penji is here to take care of all your visual asset requirements. Watch our demo video here to learn about what we do. You can also send your first design request now via this link.
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