It may be a good idea to outsource graphic design if you are scaling your business and need a solution to meet rising demands. However, outsourcing looks a lot different today than it did in 2015… or even in 2019.
This comprehensive guide will teach you how to outsource graphics correctly, and help you choose a solution that will suit your business’s needs in the future. You’ll learn what modern design outsourcing looks like with freelancers, marketplaces, and on-demand services.
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WHAT IS OUTSOURCING GRAPHIC DESIGN?
Almost any marketing expertise can be outsourced to an agency, including graphic design. Outsourcing refers to the act of assigning tasks or projects to outside contractors. Hiring a professional designer or design agency to create graphics for your company is known as outsourcing graphic design.
Even though graphic design is beneficial, many businesses lack the funds or space to hire their own design team. Alternatively, you can outsource graphic design to a designated agency.
As a result, you won’t need to hire an in-house designer. Rather, you will hire someone to handle all of your design needs. To ensure that the designs meet your requirements, you can interact with the designer remotely.
Outsource graphic design for one-off designs
Consider these services if you’re a solo entrepreneur or just need a quick design. It is the cheapest option and does not require any commitment on your part.
- Fiverr: Fiverr has a ton of designers who can create designs for as low as $5. If you need a quick design and can wait a week or two for the final design, this is a good option. Keep in mind that you get what you pay for.
- 99designs: 99designs is more upscale in terms of quality (and quite a bit pricier). If you need an in-depth design, such as a logo, website, or app, 99designs is perfect. A logo will cost at least $300, and a website or app will cost at least $600.
Outsource graphic design for long-term work
Your time and dollar investment are crucial if you’re hiring for long-term work. Here’s our list of the best outsourcing services for graphic design projects to help you in your search.
- Upwork: While Penji has its own team ready to go, the rest of these sites help connect you to freelance designers for long-term work. They have a useful directory of graphic designers for a variety of budgets on Upwork, which tends to specialize in development and IT freelancers.
- Freelancer.com: This freelance marketplace can connect you to TONS of graphic designers. In terms of long-term outsourcing, however, finding the right designer can be a bit challenging.
- Guru: Like with Upwork, graphic designers aren’t Guru’s top specialty. It still offers a strong pool of global design talent, which you can access by requesting quotes or posting a job posting.
- Toptal: This is the perfectionist’s choice for outsourcing graphic design. With a pool of freelancers primarily based in Europe and North America, it might be cheating to call this outsourcing. Nevertheless, this service guarantees top-notch designers, making it ideal for in-depth and high-level projects.
Requesting a design project from an outsourcer
If you are looking to hire a new outsourced designer or service, you should first determine exactly what you need. You don’t need a list for an unlimited service, but it’s still helpful to know what you expect from your designer(s).
Consider all the visual elements you need right now and those you will likely need in the future. A systematic workflow is essential for outsourcing graphic design work over the long term. Organize it now so you won’t have to do it later.
The logo and branding package can be a great place to start for companies on the rise. It will be easier to plan your designs once you have your colors, fonts, and brand identities in place.
What to include in your design request:
- Dimensions
- File type (JPG, PNG, etc.)
- Detailed description
- A color scheme (exact hex codes appreciated)
- Visual references
- Text copy
- Fonts
- Including high-resolution elements (if necessary)
A design brief is crucial when choosing an on-demand graphic design service. Penji offers a user-friendly platform that guides you through the submission, revision, and download processes. The more detailed your request is, the faster your graphic designers will be able to complete your final designs.
Who SHOULD NOT outsource graphic design?
Some businesses don’t need enough designs to justify outsourcing.
Outsourcing graphic design would only be an option if you constantly need graphic design work done. A freelancer may be a better option if you are looking for a logo designer or another one-off project.
You may not have considered additional costs.
Outsourcing appears to be a much cheaper option than hiring in-house designers. However, outsourcing graphic design can involve more administrative overhead and vetting.
There will not be a solution that is right for everyone.
Ensure that what they’re offering matches what you need before signing up for any type of design outsourcing. Choosing the wrong team can actually harm your business’ growth. If you want to design a graphic for an email, you may need a team that understands email marketing.
Who SHOULD outsource graphic design?
A common misconception is that only companies that cannot afford their own in-house teams outsource. Many established brands have in-house graphic design teams, so outsourcing is most effective for them.
Outsourcing their design allows their in-house designers to concentrate on the big picture. You don’t want to burden a team of designers with every social media and email graphic your company needs when you’re paying them to work every day on your brand.
Graphic design is outsourced by the following types of companies:
- Ad agencies: Ad agencies need content for Facebook, Twitter, Google, Linkedin, Instagram, and digital and print ads on a constant basis. It’s more than one design team can handle when you include A/B testing.
- Marketing agencies: Like advertisers, marketing agencies often have a surplus of day-to-day design work that they outsource.
- Web design agencies: Web design isn’t always as simple as creating one design. Sometimes with outside assistance, dozens of designs and illustrations are combined into a website.
- Marketing teams: Marketing teams within companies can have high expectations and strict deadlines. Outsourcing can help you ensure you get all the deliverables you need.
- Startups and established companies: Your design team can easily get overwhelmed if your company’s scale is growing. You can outsource graphic design to discover new content opportunities for established brands, or you can scale your output to meet the demands of ever-changing markets.
Pros and cons of traditional outsourcing
Pros:
- Labor cost: One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing graphic design is the reduction of cost.
- Scalable: An outsourcing process can help you meet changing demands if your business is constantly changing.
- Talent pool: Designers can be selected from around the world, providing a wider range of talent than you may be able to find locally.
Cons:
- Management: Managing your design team is that much harder from across the globe. Outsourcing can require a lot of administrative work, including hiring, HR, currency exchange, and potential legal issues.
- Lack of control: No matter how much vetting you do, if a designer doesn’t deliver on time-or doesn’t deliver at all-you may never know.
- Culture shock: If you’re creating designs for ad campaigns or social media, you may need to keep up with trends. Some cultural elements can be lost in translation when working with a designer from a different country.
- Communication: Communication will be hit or miss. You may not be able to keep track of your designers due to their schedules and distance, so it’s hard to know if they’re struggling.
- Internal conflict: In 2024, outsourcing is fairly commonplace, but it’s still controversial. Keeping your in-house design team reassured that they won’t be replaced will take a delicate touch.
Outsource the smart way in 2024.
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