Finding the right graphic designer is a challenge. Although there is no shortage of freelance marketplaces, searching for the right creative that suits your requirements and budget is an uphill battle. A few graphic design options are hiring in-house talent, w orking with freelancers, paying an agency, doing it yourself, or subscribing to on-demand graphic design services. If you’re unsure what graphic design service your project or business needs, here are eight options.
1. Penji
Penji is an on-demand graphic design company that offers unlimited designs and revisions. All these are for an affordable flat monthly rate. Subscribing to Penji is like working with a team of graphic designers. After submitting your design brief on Penji’s custom platform, you will be assigned a team of designers and an account manager to monitor the project. Working with Penji’s team means there will be no more bottlenecks in your company because of a fast 24 to 48-hour turnaround.
Penji offers three pricing tiers that suit every business’s needs. Penji’s Starter plan starts at $499 per month, Marketer plan at $995 per month, and Agency plan at $1,497 per month.
2. Behance
You can go to Behance if you’re looking for the best diverse creatives in graphic design and other fields. The platform lets designers showcase their different portfolios and work on inspiring projects. Creatives can take on projects that fit their style and expertise. On the other hand, recruiters can find designers suitable for their brand design needs and budget. You can filter projects, assets, images, and people by creative fields, such as branding, art direction, architecture, fashion, motion graphics, graphic design, and more.
On top of that, you can also search for designers by availability in case you want them full-time or freelance. Or, if you’re looking for designers who are experts in specific tools, you may also filter by tools, such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, and Lightroom. Behance’s pricing depends on the designer’s experience, expertise, and overall credibility. You can review each profile and choose the rates that fit your budget.
3. Dribbble
A channel for talented designers to showcase their work, Dribbble offers a platform for sharing design snippets, gaining feedback, and exploring trends in graphic design. Dribbble isn’t called the number one job board for nothing. The platform receives an average of 1.1k targeted clicks monthly. It’s viewed by more than a million top designers worldwide. Hiring on Dribbble is easy as you can use the Designer Search feature or let designers come to you via the Job Board.
You can post a job using the Job Board at $99 monthly. This will post your listing and easily hire full-time or freelance creatives. You can even swap out listings as needed. You can use the Hiring Suite plan for $199 per month. This more seamless hiring solution lets you choose from the platform’s ready-to-hire community of top designers. Search through the platform’s database of graphic designers. Filter by budget, location, work, and more. You can send as many messages or invites as possible and bookmark designers for future needs. Both plans don’t require long-term commitments. You can cancel anytime with no additional responsibilities or fees!
4. 99designs
Another way to find graphic designers is through design contests, and 99designs is one of the top platforms for them. To hire on 99designs, start by creating a detailed project brief outlining your design needs, including the style, colors, and any specific requirements. Choose the appropriate design category, such as logo design or web design. Set a reasonable budget to attract skilled designers and select a contest type – a design contest or a one-to-one project.
Multiple designers submit their work in a design contest, and you pick the winning design. For a one-to-one project, you can directly collaborate with a specific designer. Provide timely feedback to guide designers in refining their concepts. Evaluate portfolios, ratings, and client reviews to make an informed decision. Once you find the right designer, award them the project and proceed with the collaboration through the 99designs platform, ensuring a smooth and efficient design process.
5. Canva
If you want a more affordable solution, Canva is a free and easy-to-use design platform for everyone. Although the free version is limited, it can do a bang-up job in creating your branding and marketing materials or passion project designs. Canva simplifies the design process, allowing even those without advanced design skills to create professional-looking visuals. Its drag-and-drop functionality, coupled with an extensive collection of beautiful pre-designed templates for various purposes, such as social media posts, presentations, and marketing materials, enables brands to achieve visually appealing results quickly.
Canva’s collaborative features make it a preferred choice for teams working on design projects, facilitating seamless communication and feedback. Additionally, the platform provides access to a diverse range of stock images, illustrations, and fonts, reducing the need for external resources. Its affordability, especially when compared to hiring professional designers or investing in complex design software, makes it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes, including startups and small enterprises. The Canva Pro monthly rate is $14.99. Meanwhile, the Canva for Teams monthly rate for the first five people is $29.99.
Final Words
If your marketing team has a considerable budget, you can work with marketing agencies to have a full-scale team working on every project. But the best option for businesses of all levels is a subscription-based service because it’s flexible, affordable, and efficient.
