For brands aiming for fresh and consistent visuals without the hefty price tag and long-term commitment, design subscriptions are an appealing option.
With research revealing that poor design is 15 times likely to scare away audiences compared to poor content, brands know that good design is a worthy investment.
In this article, let’s break down how design subscriptions work, how they fare against alternatives, and how you can make the most out of them. Let’s jump right in!
What Are Design Subscriptions?
A graphic design subscription is an on-demand service offering unlimited graphic design at a monthly rate.
With monthly design services, you won’t need to hire your own in-house designer or look for a freelancer. As long as you’re subscribed, you can request visuals and even motion graphics from your design subscription services provider.
The best graphic design service agencies typically offer the following features:
- Unlimited graphic design. Though not “unlimited” in the sense that your plan might only allow you to have a certain number of active projects at a time, you can request the designs without having to pay individually for each design.
- Unlimited revisions. If you’re not happy with the initial draft, you can request revisions again and again until you’re satisfied with the visual. Given, of course, that those revision requests are within your month of subscription.
- Quick turnaround time. The turnaround time may vary depending on the provider. But most platforms would offer up to a four-day turnaround time, allowing you to make the most out of your monthly fee.
Photo by Kawê Rodrigues from PexelsExamples of Design Subscription Companies
Here are a few popular examples of platforms that offer on-demand creative work:
- Penji. Hailed by many as the best unlimited graphic design service provider, this OG on-demand platform only hires the top 2% of creatives to work on graphic design and motion graphics. Their stellar reviews on Google, Clutch, and other review platforms are a testament to their work ethic, and they offer a quick turnaround time of 12-24 hours. On top of all that, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Design Shifu. Often regarded as a good entry-level unlimited graphic design subscription, this platform offers one of the cheapest rates and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Despite the quality of designs heavily depending on the designer assigned to the project, it can be a practical option for newbie marketers.
- ManyPixels. This platform, meanwhile, takes pride in being “simple, fast, and affordable.” At a mid-level rate, ManyPixels offers a wide range of services, from logos to presentations.
- Kimp. Another rising star in the on-demand design industry, Kimp offers a simple pricing model for users. They offer three plans: photo, video, or photo + video.
How to Maximize Value from Design Subscriptions
Here are a few ways to maximize design subscriptions and ensure that you’re not wasting money, time, and the designers’ expertise:
1. Choose the right subscription
It goes without saying that you need to choose the right provider to be able to get your money’s worth. Unlimited graphic design might seem like a good deal in general, but having a mediocre designer work on your project means you might need to request more revisions than usual. As a result, you would be spending more days on the same project instead of having more designs done.
In addition, choosing the right plan is also crucial. For instance, don’t choose a plan that includes motion graphics if you don’t plan on requesting those.
2. Prioritize requests
Since “unlimited” doesn’t literally mean unlimited in terms of on-demand graphic design, you have to plan your design queue. Which projects do you need done right away, and which ones can wait? Consult your campaign calendar and plan accordingly.
3. Give detailed briefs
Make sure your design brief is detailed and clear from the start. Doing so will help ensure that you and your designer are on the same page and avoid massive revisions down the road. When requesting a design, make sure to add:
- Your brand guidelines, if you have any
- Inspiration boards or images reflecting the style you’re aiming for
- Past design projects you’re happy with
Photo by Teona Swift from Pexels4. Batch requests
To reduce creative bottlenecks, you can also batch your requests. For instance, if you need five images for a campaign you’re running, you can request all those in one go instead of one by one. Though the designer might not submit all those images at the same time, having them in one request will ensure cohesiveness and keep your designer on the same design mindset throughout.
5. Plan campaigns ahead
Ideally, you already have a campaign calendar on hand before you roll out your design requests. With this approach, you can focus on requesting projects as well as revisions or approvals instead of being caught up in a complex back-and-forth that can delay delivery.
6. Track ROI
If you really want to get down to numbers, compute how much per design would cost if you request them via design subscriptions. You can then compare it to how much you’ll be spending on freelance projects or if you’re hiring an in-house designer.
However, the cost of design services is not the end-all, be-all. After all, you also need to look at the design skills and if the design really reflected your brand identity and fostered engagement. Only then can you truly gauge if the design costs gave you a good return on investment.
The Lowdown
Without a doubt, design subscriptions offer more than just a steady flow of visual assets. They also provide brands with quick access to design expertise without having to commit long-term to an in-house designer or spend precious time and energy looking for a freelancer.
However, not all design subscriptions are created equal. If you want to get the most value for your buck, it’s crucial to find a provider that offers the best expertise in the type of design you need. You also need to plan ahead, do your own research when requesting projects, and monitor progress to make sure you’re getting the most out of your investment.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels
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