Hiring an in-house designer used to be the traditional way to get access to consistent designs. Today, however, outsourcing graphic design to service providers like Penji has become a more practical option.
After all, with more than 8 out of 10 organizations using graphic design in various formats, having a reliable partner for visual assets is a no-brainer.
But do subscription graphic design services really trump hiring in-house? And in which cases is it more practical to hire an in-house designer compared to outsourcing your design needs? Let’s look at a side-by-side comparison so that you can make an informed choice.
The Real Costs of Hiring In-House Designers
Some old-school business owners opt for in-house designers instead of outsourcing graphic design. After all, they want the convenience of having a designer on standby whenever they need a visual asset.
Though the convenience can be tempting at first glance, hiring an in-house designer comes with setbacks:
1. Salary and Benefits
When hiring an in-house designer, you need to pay their salary for as long as they’re employed in your business. In addition to their salary, you’ll also need to pay for their benefits, such as healthcare. In addition, you also need to account for their paid time off and how you’ll handle the design workload when they’re on leave.
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2. Recruitment, Onboarding, and Training Time and Costs
One of the main differences between in-house vs. outsourced graphic design is the recruitment process and the onboarding and training that follow. When hiring an in-house designer, you’ll need to handle those yourself.
Added to the expenses, you also have to consider the time and effort of recruitment. Data reveals that half of recruiters find the perfect fit between one and three weeks, while 9% complete the hiring process up to 3 months.
3. Limited Expertise
Hiring an in-house designer means having access to the expertise of one creative. In some cases, this limited expertise is enough. Oftentimes, however, it’s optimal to have a variety of design expertise, depending on the projects you need.
Why Businesses Are Making the Switch to Penji
Can a graphic designer be outsourced? Of course. In fact, many companies are adopting the modern way of outsourcing graphic design due to the following benefits:
1. Access to Diverse Talent
As one of the top outsourced design services, Penji only hires the top 2% of talent from all over the world. That said, subscribing to Penji gives you access to top designers, with various expertise, including:
- Branding
- Marketing
- Illustration
- Motion graphics
- Presentations
- Packaging
- Social media
- UI/UX
2. Quick Turnaround Time
Penji has a quick turnaround time of 24-48 hours, allowing you to stay on top of your campaign schedule. In addition, you wouldn’t have to worry about designs getting delayed due to PTOs or absences. With Penji, you’ll have a dedicated graphic design team who will pull out all the stops to deliver your visual assets on time, every time.
3. Cost Efficiency
Penji offers unlimited graphic design at a flat monthly rate. That means you won’t need to deal with unexpected costs related to design, such as software licenses, copyright issues, employment-related costs, and others.
Penji vs. In-House: Side-by-Side Comparison
If you need an in-house hire vs. outsourced graphic design guide, here’s a side-by-side table comparing their cost, turnaround, diversity, scalability, and consistency:
| Hiring an In-House Designer | Outsourcing to Penji | |
| Cost | High ongoing costs for salary, training, benefits, paid time off, and software licenses | Flat monthly rate starting at $499 |
| Turnaround time | Depends on the designer’s workload and capacity, might be affected by vacations and sick leaves | 24-48 hours |
| Skill diversity | Limited to the skill of one designer | Vetted designers with various expertise (ex. branding, UI/UX, marketing, etc.) |
| Scalability | Requires more hires to scale | Can scale quickly |
| Consistency | Strong consistency for companies that need brand-immersed designs | Dedicated teams ensure brand consistency |
When Hiring In-House Still Makes Sense
Though more and more businesses prefer to outsource to a remote graphic design teams or a graphic design services agency, there may be cases where hiring in-house still makes sense. Here are a few scenarios:
- Large companies that need multiple designs every day. If your design needs and priorities shift throughout the day, it might be better to have an in-house designer who can adjust to campaign demands.
- Companies that need an internal designer to be immersed in team events. For instance, companies that do trade shows or on-site marketing events may need an in-house creative who can produce designs on demand.
In such cases as the above scenarios, companies can also opt for the hybrid approach, which is hiring an in-house designer for fast, on-site designs and outsourcing for overflow tasks.
Success Stories: Why Penji Stands Out Among Outsourcing Options
Here are some of the actual testimonials of clients who outsourced graphic design to Penji instead of hiring an in-house team to handle their creative design services:
In the testimonial above, Adam C. said he appreciated having a full team with Penji, including an art director who keeps all his projects on-brand. This benefit is crucial for clients like him to juggle several projects at once.
The review above, meanwhile, emphasized how budget-friendly it is to outsource to Penji instead of hiring in-house.
In her review above, Katie A. said Penji is a great option for those who can’t afford an in-house designer, and she even offered a helpful tip – recording quick instruction clips to ensure that she and the designer are on the same page.
The Lowdown
Going back to the initial question: Is Outsourcing Graphic Design to Penji Smarter Than Hiring In-House?
Yes. Outsourcing graphic design to Penji is a more convenient and practical approach for brands of all sizes. Not only is it more affordable with predictable costs per month, but it also offers wider skill diversity and better scalability.
If you’re looking for a reliable partner to outsource graphic design projects to, consider Penji. Check out our portfolio to see why Penji is the top choice for brands all over the world.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is outsourcing graphic design cheaper than hiring in-house?
Yes. Outsourcing graphic design can be cheaper because you wouldn’t have to pay for costs associated with hiring an employee, such as recruitment, onboarding, training, paid time-off, and bonuses.
What are the benefits of subscribing to Penji?
The benefits of subscribing to Penji include access to diverse design expertise, fast turnaround time, predictable pricing per month, and not having to commit long-term.
Can outsourcing graphic design replace hiring in-house designers?
Yes. In fact, many startups and small businesses already replace in-house designers with graphic design outsourcing due to its convenience and cost-efficiency.
About the author
Carla Deña
Carla is a journalist and content writer who produces stories for both digital and legacy media. She is passionate about creativity, innovation, and helping small businesses explore solutions that drive growth and social impact.
