Graphic Design Agency or Freelancer: Which Should I Hire?

Online competition is unrelenting these days. If you don’t grab your audience’s attention, someone else will. According to recent statistics, 94% of first impressions are related to graphic design.

Research also shows that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than words and that it takes twice as long to recognize text than it does images. Graphic design is clearly imperative to your brand. It attracts readers, engages your audience, and establishes a connection. You need it on your website, your social media sites, and everywhere else you want to captivate customers’ attention.

What Exactly is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is the creation of a visual identity for your brand. The goal is for the design capture attention and for it to be easily recognized by customers so that it sets you apart from the competition. Graphic design has a huge impact on brand identity – giving an immediate impression of your company by way of color, font, and imagery. Graphics visually define your brand’s personality such as being witty, serious, formal, or casual. It also makes a statement about your mission.

Things to Consider

Every company is different, and they all have different requirements. When analyzing the needs of your company, you’ll want to take into consideration:

• Size of your business. If you are a tiny company, your needs may not be that great. If you are wanting to grow your tiny company into a good-sized one, you’ll need a talented, diligent graphic artist who can help you achieve your goal. Medium and large businesses typically require the assistance of a well-established agency with a team of creatives.
• Type of work. Is the graphic design you require a simple one? If so, an independent freelancer can most likely handle the work. Otherwise, you’ll need a professional team for the job.
• Volume of work. Freelancers generally work alone while agency graphic designers often work as a team. For small jobs, you might try a freelancer. For large volumes of work, an expert team is going to be your best bet.
• In general, freelancers are more affordable because they have to be in order for customers to order from them versus an established agency. Sometimes it’s better to pay more and get more if you are able to though.
• Customization needs. If the graphic design you are needing is highly specialized, you might turn to an agency to deliver because they are usually highly experienced in meeting a variety of customized needs.
• Scope of work. Depending on the scope of your work, you may can find a freelancer who specializes in it but especially when you need work on two things, such as a logo and website, you’ll find that most freelancers don’t offer a wide scope of services.
• What’s your deadline? Most graphic design agencies offer 24-hour rush services. Sometimes freelancers do too but you’ll need to double-check the fine print to make sure you get what you pay extra for. Some platforms allow a freelancer to extend the timeframe which defeats the point of a rush order.
• You can certainly find freelancers who are reliable but you’ll need to scour their reviews and feedback scores. A professional graphic design company wouldn’t be in business long if they weren’t reliable so compare and make what you feel is the best decision for your personal needs.

Hiring a Graphic Designer

If you are not a graphic artist yourself, you’ll do well to hire someone who is. But…who?

Around 25% of graphic artists are self-employed freelancers. The rest are with a graphic design agency. The dilemma is who do you hire, a graphic design agency or a freelancer?

Here are some points to ponder that will help you make the best decision for your company.

Graphic Design Freelancers

A graphic design freelancer is an independent who assists companies with their visual communication needs. They may work completely independently or with a platform such Fiverr or Upwork. Freelancers range from being extremely skilled and knowledgeable to being amateurs.

Benefits of Using a Graphic Design Agency

A graphic design agency typically consists of a team of experts who work together to visually tell your brand story in a clear and cohesive way. From brand design to website design and all points in between, a graphic design agency team is highly skilled and experienced in a wide array of graphic arts projects. Advantages of using a graphic art agency include:

1. Branding

Not only are graphic design agencies able to design graphics to introduce your brand, but they are also experts at creating your brand identity. Especially if you aren’t sure about the details you want to your story to tell about your company, a pro is the way to go.

2. Strong and Successful Branding

Graphic entail more than you might imagine. There is much thought that should go into your logo alone, not to mention the graphics on your website and social media pages. Graphic design agencies consist of experts who deliver powerful graphics that incorporate the ideal color scheme, fonts, and graphics.

3. Engagement, Interaction, and End Results

Professional graphic artists are especially talented in creating a design that encourages customer engagement and interaction. They are also focused on driving results.

4. Reputation

When you work with a graphic design agency, you can be assured they have a reputation to uphold. Graphic design is a fiercely competitive field. Agencies want to do their best, not only because most are passionate about their work but also due to the fact they want excellent customer reviews and feedback.

5. Professionalism

Dealing with an agency, you are more likely to find graphic design artists who are experienced and exceptionally talented because most agencies require an expert level of skill in those who work for their company.

While you may get lucky and get a steal of a great deal with a freelance graphic designer, your will be taking a chance. You’ll typically get the best results in graphic design from a professional graphic design agency.

If you would like to discuss your graphic design needs, please reach out to Mad Mind Studios. We are a professional graphic design team specializing in outstanding web design, logo design, and so much more. We look forward to helping your brand reach its full potential.