One scary aspect of handling a brand’s marketing efforts is a delay in design. It can be that single revision you’ve been waiting on for days or that freelancer who suddenly stopped communicating. Not only are these super frustrating, but they are costly. This is where creative as a service comes in. This is the modern approach to graphic design services and has been changing the landscape for years now. Get to know what these services are and how they can prevent design bottlenecks.
What is Creative as a Service (CaaS)?
At its core, creative as a service is a new way businesses use to get graphic design services. It uses a subscription-based model that allows you access to a team of dedicated design professionals. With it, you no longer have to hire in-house designers or rely on unpredictable freelancers to get your visual assets.
It is a design solution that prioritizes speed, flexibility, and scalability. You can submit as many design requests each month, get quick turnarounds, and work with pro designers without the delays often experienced in traditional models. Additionally, you won’t have to deal with lengthy contracts, expensive hourly rates, or slow agency timelines.
Furthermore, CaaS platforms operate on a fixed monthly pricing model. This means you won’t receive budget surprises and also get rid of the constant search for new designers. It also allows you to scale your creative output effortlessly as your design needs evolve. This translates to fewer hassles and faster results.
What Causes Design Bottlenecks in Business?
But before we go further, let’s take a closer look at the root causes of design bottlenecks in business. Here are the most common issues:
Overloaded In-House Design Teams
Many businesses that own a small internal design team can get overwhelmed when the workload goes up. This can lead to delays, missed deadlines, and, sadly, burnout. This, in turn, results in a slower output and a backlog of unfinished projects.
Slow Turanorund from Freelancers
Getting a freelancer is a cost-effective option that many entrepreneurs and marketers use. However, it involves a ton of portfolio reviewing, interviewing, vetting, and onboarding. And since freelancers often juggle multiple clients, their turnaround times can be unpredictable. This slows down your momentum and frequently compromises design quality.
Communication, Collaboration, and Revision Issues
A truly frustrating design bottleneck is the one that comes from miscommunication. Missed messages, back-and-forth emails, or even vague feedback can drag a project for days or weeks. Revision cycles or a mismatch in expectations can definitely waste time and cause frustrations for both you and your design partner.
Difficulty in Scaling the Design Output
As your brand grows, so do your design requirements. Traditional graphic design services will have a hard time keeping up. Scaling becomes more challenging as they will dramatically increase their rates or sacrifice quality.
These pain points are surely avoidable, but only if you turn to a more agile design solution: Creative as a Service.
How Creative as a Service Eases These Bottlenecks
Now that we know what causes the bottlenecks, it’s time to discover how creative as a service helps prevent them. Note that these services were designed specifically to address the issues inherent in traditional graphic design service workflows. Here’s how:
On-Demand, Dedicated Design Teams
An excellent creative as a service matches you with a professional designer who specializes in the exact project you requested. Using Penji as an example, if you need a logo design, our system will assign your project to our best logo designer, and so on. Also, the ideal design partner should have designers who familiarize themselves with your brand, style, tone, and preferences. This assures you that you get consistent quality designs that you can use in your business.
Unlimited Design Requests with fast Turnaround Times
Traditional graphic design services and freelancers typically work on a per-project basis. A CaaS operates on a subscription model, allowing you to send an unlimited number of design requests and receive your designs within 24 to 48 hours. The efficiency enables you to get your marketing calendar on track and eliminate design delays.
Centralized Dashboard for Communication and Collaboration
At Penji, we have a centralized dashboard where all communications and collaborations with our clients and designers occur. This enables better design and revision requests, as well as improved project management. No more lengthy emails or unclear messages.
Cost-Effective Design Solution
Having an entire design team on your staff can be expensive. You pay for salaries, benefits, and other overhead expenses. You also pay for software and training, among others. With a creative as a service, they’ve taken care of everything, all you need to do is send your project briefs.
Why Use Creative as a Service?
According to statistics, the demand for visual content grows. This is why you need a faster, more reliable way to get graphic design services. This makes creative as a service perfect for brands looking to fulfill these demands. If you’re still in doubt, here are more reasons to work with this on-demand model:
- Branding Consistency: A dedicated design team that understands your brand voice and visual style ensures you get graphics that stay on brand across all your platforms.
- Access to Diverse Professional Talent: Working with a creative as a service allows you to access designs from a diverse team of talented professionals. These specialize in various creative fields, so you won’t have to look elsewhere for any design specialty you may need.
- Predictable Pricing: You won’t have to second-guess your design costs with a creative as a service. You only pay for the flat monthly rate, allowing you to budget more efficiently.
- Scalability and Versatility: Submit as many design requests as possible and adjust your workload as your brand expands.
Who Needs a Creative as a Service?
Below are a few businesses that would do well to work with a creative as a service:
Startups: New or small businesses that need a constant supply of branding assets, social media graphics, pitch decks, and other marketing collateral.
Marketing Teams: If you are a marketing team with recurring campaigns, a creative as a service is a perfect fit, as you can get designs for your email campaigns, paid ads, or product launches.
Agencies: If you’re an agency with a fluctuating design workload, this service is ideal for you. You can scale up during crunch times without the hassles of hiring.
SMBs: Small and mid-sized businesses that can’t yet afford a team of in-house designers. CaaS offers reliable graphic design support on a subscription basis.
Final Thoughts
Nothing should slow down your business, and if you encounter delays because of design, it’s time to partner with a creative as a service. This way, you avoid bottlenecks with professional, scalable, and efficient graphic design services. Watch Penji’s quick demo video here to learn more about what we can do for you.
Alternatively, click here to send your first design request.
About the author

Celeste Zosimo
Celeste is a former traditional animator and now an SEO content writer specializing in graphic design and marketing topics. When she's not writing or ranking her articles, she's being bossed around by her cat and two dogs.