The Ultimate Guide to Graphic Design Outsourcing

Why should you outsource graphic design?

According to Deloitte Global Outsourcing Survey 2022, the top 3 reasons for outsourcing are reducing costs (57%), shifting business strategy (51%), and acquiring new capabilities (49%). Similarly, Clutch’s 2023 survey found that the leading reasons for outsourcing are saving costs, bridging skill gaps, and growing the business.

The table shows the average salary by country. The average monthly salary is calculated based on the average annual salary and then converted to USD for easier comparison.

Note: Data retrieved on 27th January 2025.

When a company hires a graphic designer, it must pay the designer's salary every month regardless of the amount of work, thereby incurring fixed costs. In contrast, outsourcing graphic design is considered a variable cost, meaning expenses are incurred only when the service is used. Thus, if the company does not require graphic design on a regular basis, outsourcing is a more suitable solution since the cost is incurred only when there is work to be done.

A graphic designer typically specializes in specific areas of design. If a project requires various types of graphic design, relying on a single designer may not be sufficient. As a result, the company may need to hire multiple specialists, which leads to higher costs. However, by outsourcing, you can access the expertise of different designers as needed without incurring significant additional expenses.

Scalability is another benefit of outsourcing because it allows businesses to quickly adjust their resources based on changing demands. For instance, when a company faces an increase in design projects, such as launching a new marketing campaign, outsourcing offers the flexibility to bring in additional designers to meet the increased workload. This means businesses can quickly scale up their design capacity without the need for long-term commitments or the costs associated with hiring full-time employees.

Graphic design outsourcing services can expose a business to various design approaches. This can help to overcome creative limitations and generate new design ideas that might not have been considered. These diverse perspectives can be valuable when launching new marketing campaigns, branding projects, or product designs, where innovation and originality are crucial to standing out in the market.

What are the options for outsourcing graphic design?

1. Design agencies are companies that specialize in conceptualizing, creating, and delivering creative design solutions to businesses, organizations, and individuals.
2. Freelancers are independent professionals who can be hired to complete graphic design work.
3. Unlimited design companies provide a subscription-based service that allows clients to submit unlimited design requests for a fixed monthly fee.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each outsourcing option?

Advantages of Working with Design Agencies:

1. Hassle-Free Hiring: Since design agencies have already vetted the skills and experience of their designers, clients can save time and effort by avoiding the need to search for and vet designers themselves.
2. Comprehensive Services: Design agencies have a team of experts with specialized skills in various design fields and extensive experience in handling a wide range of design projects. Thus, they can provide complete design solutions, especially for clients who require help with website development and marketing.
3. Diverse Communication: Design agencies offer a variety of communication methods, including in-person meetings, phone calls, video calls, and emails.

Disadvantages of Working with Design Agencies:

1. Higher Costs: It is usually more expensive to work with design agencies because they need to cover the salaries of a larger team and manage a bigger operation.
2. Limited Revisions: The number of complimentary revisions is often limited, and exceeding this number usually incurs additional charges.

Advantages of Working with Freelancers:

1. Lower Costs: As freelancers have fewer overhead expenses and can offer flexible pricing such as hourly rates or project-based pricing, they typically charge lower fees.
2. Flexible Communication: Clients have the flexibility to communicate via emails and video calls. This ensures that they can collaborate closely with designers, even remotely.

Disadvantages of Working with Freelancers:

1. Time-Consuming Search: The process of finding and vetting freelancers for graphic design projects requires significant time and effort.
2. Specific Expertise: Freelancers possess specialized design skills suited to specific types of projects. If a project is complex and requires multiple design skills, they may encounter difficulties in delivering the best results.

Advantages of Working with Unlimited Design Companies:

1. Fixed Fee: Unlimited design companies offer multiple service plans to cater to different design needs. Clients can choose a plan that suits their requirements and pay a fixed fee on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
2. Straightforward Engagement: After subscribing to the service, clients can engage graphic design professionals based on their design requests, all of whom have been vetted for quality.
3. Diverse Capabilities: By having a group of designers with diverse expertise, unlimited design companies can address your various design needs.
4. Unlimited Revisions: Clients can submit unlimited design requests without incurring additional charges.

Disadvantages of Working with Unlimited Design Companies:

1. Limited Communication Channels: Unlimited design companies typically use only messaging or file-sharing for communication, unlike design agencies and freelancers, who often offer face-to-face meetings, phone calls, or video calls. This can lead to communication challenges and potential miscommunication.

Which graphic design outsourcing option should you choose?

What should you consider when choosing an unlimited design company?

Before engaging an unlimited design company, you should consider the following:

1. What types of graphic design services are offered?
2. What service plans and their respective pricing are available?
3. How many outputs will be delivered per day?
4. What is the turnaround time after submitting a request?
5. How can you communicate with the designers?
6. Can you upgrade or downgrade your service plan depending on your needs?
7. Who owns the intellectual property rights to the final outputs?
8. Do they have portfolios and customer testimonials for your reference?

Connexper’s Affiliate Partners – ManyPixels:

ManyPixels is an on-demand graphic design service company that allows subscribers to submit unlimited graphic design and revision requests for a fixed monthly fee. By using ManyPixels, subscribers get access to a vetted and dependable professional designer to handle their creative needs at an affordable rate.

• Trustpilot review score: 4.8 / 5.0 based on 114 reviews (as of 30^th January 2025)

To learn more about its services and offers, visit their website here.