How to Choose the Right Design Agency

Creative design is a very specialized skill. This is why many businesses, particularly small ones, outsource their graphic and creative needs to design agencies. Small companies and startups struggle with limited resources, and outsourcing graphics, website and app design, etc., is a timesaver.

Before hiring a design agency, you must understand the types of design agencies and tips on finding and hiring one. This guide will help you hire the best agency that works best for your graphic and creative design needs. 

What is a Design Agency?

A design agency focuses on the visual appearance of brands, products, and services. It assists businesses with creative, visually appealing designs and communications assets, both print and digital. In addition, a digital agency supports a company’s marketing initiatives, including sales, new product launches, campaigns, and more. 

A design agency can handle a variety of projects depending on the client’s budget and scope of work. These are the following: 

• Advertising materials like print ads, billboards, and social media ads 
• Brand identity, including logos, colors, typography, and building cohesive brand guidelines 
• Website design
• Digital assets, including social media posts, email templates, and banners. 
• Sales collateral like business cards, brochures, flyers, presentations, pitch decks, etc. 
• Digital assets like social media images, promotional emails, and banners.

Types of Design Agencies

With so many different types of design agencies out there, it might be hard to choose which one is right for your business. Check out the differences between agencies to help you decide:

• Graphic design agency: They typically develop visual communication materials for sales and marketing. Common deliverables can include logos, promotional materials, social media graphics, and more. 
• Creative agency: A creative agency is sometimes mistaken as a graphic design agency. Creative firms often focus on a more high-level, strategic brand and visual identity. They work on more complicated campaigns or provide strategic directions instead of actually handling over deliverables. 
• Branding agency: A branding agency provides in-depth insights, brand identity, and brand positioning. They assist businesses in developing overall brand mission, name, identity, structure, and sometimes messaging. 
• Marketing agency: A marketing agency is more of a full-stack partner that supports the creation of marketing materials and campaigns. Generally, this type of agency develops the overall marketing strategy, launches campaigns, and assists in acquiring leads and sales. Other services might include pay-per-click ads management, SEO, brand design, and social media marketing. 
• Advertising agency: An advertising agency works like a marketing agency, focusing on driving leads and sales to your business. However, advertising agencies typically specialize in creating and running ads across various channels, including online (social media, search), offline (print, TV), and other formats (banners). They create the advertising strategy, execute the campaign, and report on success.
• Web design agency: This agency can help you build a new website from the ground up, including wireframes, visuals, and development. They could also work on a retainer basis if you need monthly ad-hoc support making minor layout tweaks, HTML changes, or bug fixes.

How do you hire a design agency that fits your needs?

Working with a design agency provides numerous advantages. However, hiring a design agency that fits your business might be costly and only beneficial. Here are a few things to consider before you decide to hire a design agency:  

Check the scope of service

Since many agencies exist today, you must know the services your prospective agencies offer. Do they provide assistance in developing a marketing strategy? Are copywriting services included in the scope of work? 

Before working with an agency, consider what you can outsource and which tasks are better done in-house. For instance, you need an agency to help you develop a digital strategy, but you’ll keep the execution to your in-house team. Alternatively, you can work with agencies consistently and outsource all your digital marketing projects. 

Do they work remotely or not?

Most clients prefer a personal experience with their brand and meeting the those who will work on their project. This is perfectly fine. However, it can become limiting and can considerably impact their budget. Expanding your search allows you to find a suitable agency for your business. 

Whether you want a remote team or in-house designers, you should still know who is handling your account specifically. Every agency has an expert team who can assist you with your designs. We are not saying that entry-level designers will not deliver the best results. But for complicated requirements like user experience or website design, it’s better to collaborate with someone more experienced. 

Prepare a request for proposal (RFP) 

The client prepares a request-for-proposal (RFP) to explain every detail of the project. It enables the design agency to create a proposal with the timeline, deliverables, and budget.

You will need an RFP when you urgently need someone to create a new website for your company, hoping you will get the best deal. But without understanding your requirements, agencies cannot give you a precise cost and expected output. Without an RFP, you could incur additional charges and an unsatisfactory completed project.

Verify that they have a portfolio

Just like hiring other third-party service providers, it is crucial to know some of the agency’s previous works. This will help you understand their strenghts and weaknesses and aspects where your team might be a better match. Most design agencies have websites where you can browse previous projects according to industry and category. Sometimes, they even publish detailed case studies and review. 

For example, you can browse designs made by Penji here. Of course, you can search for additional reviews on popular review sites like G2 and TrustPilot.

Know their track record in the industry 

Working with an agency with enough experience working with several companies and various projects is essential. It is very important that they are creative and can work well on whatever project they are assigned. They are professionals and can also bring new ideas to deliver the best results and help your business succeed and shine amidst stiff competition. 

3 Things to Remember When Hiring a Design Agency

1. Budget

Design agencies aren’t cheap, that’s for certain. However, if working with an agency can help you achieve your design goals, you can set aside money. Clutch.co reveals that the hourly rate starts at $25/hr. However, if the agency charges per project, expect that the project rate starts at less than $10,000.

2. Location

Another consideration when choosing a design agency is location. Since many agencies work remotely, you can reach out to agencies globally, even if you want to focus locally. For instance, you can work with an agency in New York, even if you live halfway around the world. However, if you want to go to their office to discuss project details, going to a local agency would be best for your business. Or, if that agency has multiple locations online, find the nearest one that can cater to you!

3. Services

The last thing to consider when hiring a design agency is its services. Some graphic design agencies are considered “full-service” agencies. They cover general graphic design work and other services like marketing to help you launch and promote your brand. However, some agencies specialize in certain designs. For example, some agencies cover branding work only. Meanwhile, some agencies specialize in advertising.

Where to Find Design Agencies

Here are the best platforms to find the best design agencies.

1. Upwork

Upwork is no longer just for the freelancers. Agencies can also make a mark on the platform and be found by customers. The process of hiring a design agency is like hiring a freelancer. First, you browse agencies. Then, choose an agency that fits your budget or matches your preferences. Next, you send them an invite to work with you. Finally, discuss your needs with them and see if you’re moving forward together.

One upside of finding on Upwork is that you can see their hourly rates. Plus, you can see agency size, and some would indicate a minimum project rate. Finally, you can view the categories they specialize in and their portfolio!

2. Creative Pool

Another excellent option to find design agencies is Creative Pool. You can send a “studiobrief” to an agency. You will fill out a form indicating the following:

• Contract type (e.g., long-term, in-house agency)
• Company type (e.g., graphic design company)
• Location
• Company size
• Sector experience
• Specific skills (e.g., logo design, print design)
• Project title and description

Once you’ve filled out and answered their questions, Creative Pool reviews your project brief. Then, you consult with them. Finally, the platform helps you send proposals to agencies that match your preferences. The best thing about all of this is it’s all free!

3. Dribbble

Dribbble has a unique platform for creatives and brands to collaborate on projects. One benefit of finding design agencies on Dribbble is that you don’t need an account to hire an agency. You can use this site to browse agencies and view their portfolio before visiting their website and contacting them. Most agencies have a “Pro” or “Team” tag, letting businesses filter out some freelancers from agencies. 

However, if you want to work with an agency for a short-term project, you can use Dribbble’s purchase services feature. This way, you can collaborate with an agency briefly. Who knows, that short-term project might turn out to be a long-term partnership in the future!

4. Behance

Dribbble’s main competitor, Behance, also lets agencies post their portfolios and be found for collaboration or hiring purposes. It can be challenging to sift through which one’s a freelancer or an agency when searching for services on the website. However, you can see agencies or studios offering their services to work on short-term projects or a long-term collaboration. When you find an agency, you can send them an inquiry to discuss the project further.

5. The Manifest

Even though The Manifest is a B2B directory, you can still browse their list of graphic design agencies. You can see their rating, cost, company size, location, description, clients, and industries! If you want to know more about their agency, you can view their site! The Manifest also includes the agency’s reviews and awards. This way, you can narrow down options and work with award-winning agencies.

6. Clutch.co

Another directory site to browse for design agencies is Clutch.co. Although it’s focused on mobile app development agencies, Clutch.co offers more comprehensive information about an agency like reviews and services provided. Plus, you can also see the agency’s portfolio before visiting their website. Finally, Clutch.co ensures agency verification by disclosing the business name and credit assessment.

7. Designrush.com

Our final entry on this list is Designrush.com. Like The Manifest and Clutch.co, Designrush is a directory of the best design agencies in the world. You can browse agencies and view their reviews, description, information, company size, and rates. Additionally, you can see what services they offer. Plus, you can get a preview of their portfolio before sending them a message!

The best design agency alternative

Hiring a traditional design agency can be costly and time-consuming, especially for recurring graphic design needs. While a one-time project like a website redesign might justify the expense, the ongoing agency fees for daily graphics can quickly add up.

That said, think about this alternative before you decide to hire a design agency. Partner with an unlimited graphic design service like Penji for a more affordable and efficient solution. With Penji, you gain access to a team of professional designers for a predictable monthly fee, making it easy to achieve a consistent brand image and keep your creative projects moving forward. Watch a short demo video now to learn more about Penji!