DIY graphic design apps have made design accessible to non-designers. Apart from the ease of use and affordability, these apps offer ready-to-customize templates for any design asset. But that defeats the purpose of custom graphics for your business. After all, your business branding identity sets you apart from the competition. That’s why you should invest in custom graphic design work. You can get that from custom graphic design services or make designs from scratch!
Know how to make custom graphics and which custom graphic design services to hire.
How to Make Custom Graphic Designs?
1. Create Designs from Scratch
Although most DIY graphic design apps have available templates for easy editing and customization, it’s better to design with a blank slate. It can be a challenging endeavor at first, but you’ll get the hang of it once you practice it.
You can start with a logo, for example. There are various logo styles, such as wordmark, monogram, abstract, lettermark, and combination marks.
You might wonder, “Should I use AI for my designs instead of making them from scratch?”
Well, AI is a handy tool, but it’s better for inspiration than for actual branding. You can’t guarantee the originality of the designs provided by the AI.
2. Look for Design Inspiration
If you’re starting from scratch, browsing for various design work can help you create designs. You can seek new designs on graphic design portfolios from pro graphic designers! But with a quick search on any search engine can yield results to inspire you to create fantastic visuals.
3. Hire a Graphic Designer
But if you still need help creating your design work, the next best thing is to hire a graphic designer. After all, you want to focus on your business. Having a graphic designer frees up your time to do other important responsibilities. You can find them on graphic design freelance sites like Upwork or Fiverr.
However, most small businesses may require an all-year-round graphic designer. Plus, some freelancers specialize in certain graphic design work or can be unavailable for another future project. Then, the best alternative in hiring freelance graphic designers is subscribing to custom graphic design services. Or, if you have the budget, you can hire an agency.
Custom Graphic Design Services
Most custom graphic design services are one-off designs, unlimited services, or agencies. If you are ready to invest in these services, make sure that you have a sufficient budget.
Here are our top picks!
1. Kimp
The first on our list is Kimp. Since they’re an unlimited graphic design service, you can request various designs, such as logos, social media visuals, and advertisements. With Kimp, you can receive requests within 24 hours. Plus, subscribers have access to KIMP360 to manage their accounts and files. Also, if you need videos, they have an unlimited video service! Kimp is ideal for agencies, entrepreneurs, professional services, and fitness brands.
Pricing:
- Graphics - $599/mo
- Video - $699/mo
- Graphics + Video - $995/mo
Free Trial? Yes - 7 days
Money-Back Guarantee? No.
2. Penji
Another go-to option for small businesses is Penji. When you subscribe to Penji, you can request over 120+ design types, which the designers can custom-make for your brand. Additionally, you get access to the built-in dashboard, allowing you to:
- Submit requests anytime
- Switch designers anytime
- Talk to your designers
- Use the point-and-click revision tool
But if you’re not ready to subscribe to an unlimited graphic design and want to stick to Penji for designs, they have a new Marketplace option!
Pricing:
- Pro - $499/mo
- Team - $997/mo
- Agency - $1995/mo
Free Trial? No.
Money-back guarantee? 30 days
3. Design Pickle
Design Pickle is another unlimited graphic design service to consider. Like the other subscription design services on this list, Design Pickle has its own platform allowing users to request and manage their design projects. You can integrate Design Pickle into Zapier with other apps, such as Slack and Google Drive. Finally, if you also use Canva for design work, the design service can provide Canva files for additional edits on your end.
Pricing:
- Graphics - $499/mo
- Graphics Pro - $995/mo
- Graphics Premium - $1695/mo
- Power Plan - Book a Call
Free trial? No.
Money-back guarantee? 14 days only for quarterly and annual subscriptions only
4. Flocksy
Our last unlimited graphic design option is Flocksy. Since 2016, Flocksy has provided unlimited custom work for clients. Some designs include ads, emails, and blogs. Other than those, you can also subscribe to their video and copywriting service to get an all-in-one custom service.
Pricing:
- Silver Plan - $499/mo
- Gold Plan - $599/mo
- Platinum Plan - $1695/mo
Free trial? No
Money-back guarantee? 14 days
5. DesignBro
Here’s our first pick for the one-off design service. You can select a design you need and choose a plan that fits your budget. Although they don’t have the “unlimited” feature, this is ideal for businesses with low monthly demand for designs. You can return to DesignBro for other design options.
Additionally, DesignBro also has a contest feature if you just need one design created by various designers.
Pricing: Depends on the design you need
6. The NetMen Corp
An alternative to DesignBro is The NetMen Corp. With this option, you can buy a package instead of buying designs one by one, making it an affordable choice for small businesses on a budget. Even though they don’t follow the unlimited design service model, you can get unlimited revisions and concepts, depending on your chosen design.
Pricing: Projects start at $99
7. The Bureau of Small Projects
Agencies like The Bureau of Small Projects can certainly meet any small business design need. Although they work with big brands and personalities, your business can definitely become elevated with the help of this agency. They ensure that your branding and marketing assets will be unique to your company through comprehensive research and storytelling.
Pricing: Contact the agency
8. Narwhal
Our final custom graphic design service on our list is Narwhal. Collaboration and transparency are at the core of their agency. This drives them to produce award-winning and compelling visuals and collateral for branding and marketing.
Pricing: Contact the agency
Conclusion
Custom graphic design services aren't free like most DIY graphic design tools. You can leave the design work to them while you manage your business. But rest assured that your designs are in safe hands with the experts. Plus, you get tailored designs that no other business can imitate.
