Outsourcing Graphic Design has become an increasingly popular solution for businesses looking to access professional design without the overhead of an in-house team or engaging an agency.
Let’s look at the options to outsource your design requirements so you find the right designer and achieve the results you need to match your budget.
What Is Outsourcing Graphic Design?
Outsourcing graphic design services is like hiring a contractor to paint your house. It means hiring an external professional to create visual content for your business. This could include anything from logos and social media graphics to website design and branding packages. By outsourcing, you can tap into a wide pool of creative talent and focus on other aspects of your business.
Why Outsource Graphic Design Services?
There are several benefits to outsourcing graphic design services:
- Cost-Effectiveness: Hiring a freelance designer is often more affordable than maintaining an in-house design team or engaging an agency.
- Access to Expertise: Outsourcing allows you to work with skilled professionals who specialise in various design fields.
- Scalability: You can adjust your design needs based on your project size without long-term commitments.
- Time-Saving: Delegating design tasks lets you focus on your core business activities that you do best, and let a qualified designer follow your brand guidelines.
Steps to Outsourcing
Graphic Design
Ask yourself what do I need?
Start by understanding what you need. Are you looking for a one-time project or ongoing support? Outline the scope, timeline, and budget for your design work. Be specific about deliverables, such as file formats, sizes, and revisions.
Important Tip: A lot of business won’t understand all of these different aspects, so finding a patient designer who is happy to ask you questions and explain what’s needed is key to you getting the most of the services.
Establish a Budget
Decide how much you’re willing to spend. While outsourcing is cost-effective, remember that high-quality work may require a reasonable investment.
Create a Detailed Brief
While helpful, I have found most people don’t know how to do this really well, or they just don’t have the time. I prefer to chat, see what existing design materials are, and listen to the client. I then clarify the conversation in a detailed email so we are both clear on what is required. But if you do provide a brief, which your designer will thank you for, provide the following within your design brief. Include:
- Your brand guidelines (colours, fonts, logo, etc.).
- Examples of designs you like.
- Clear objectives for the project.
- Images
- Copywriting for the project.
Communicate Clearly
Establish regular check-ins to discuss progress and provide feedback. Clear communication ensures the designer understands your vision and expectations. I always make things very clear on what the time line is, because honestly, your not going to do this all for one flyer.
Review and Provide Feedback
Once you receive the initial drafts, review them thoroughly. Offer constructive feedback to help refine the design until it meets your needs.
Ensure Proper Handover
When the project is complete, ensure you receive all the necessary files in the required formats. Make sure you clarify usage rights and ownership of the designs. Qualified designers will ensure that you have rights to use the typography and any images they have sourced.
Common Challenges
(And How to Overcome Them)
Miscommunication
Solution: Use tools like Trello, Asana, or Slack to streamline communication and task management.
Our Solution: Telephone conversations that we back up with an email to clearly outline the discussion so we are both clear on what needs to be done.
Unmet Expectations
Solution: Provide a detailed brief and set clear milestones to track progress.
Our Solution: We communicate by listening to our clients and following up with emails so there is a clear timeline of expected deliverables. For larger projects we provide project timelines with dates and revision expectations. You talk to one person the entire journey and we always try to resolve any issues.
Finding the Right Fit
Solution: Don’t rush the selection process. Take time to review portfolios and conduct interviews if necessary.
Our Solution: Every project we take on is unique with different challenges. We find the project that best aligns with your requirements and you are never bombared with emails you don’t request.
All of the above is excellent advice, but I am realistic about how time poor people are.
Most people really aren’t sure about what to include in a design brief, or they may have started playing around with some ideas and don’t really know the guidelines around creating an effective design. These guidelines do exist to ensure your design is getting noticed and getting its message across.
These are my quick tips that I ask about (sometimes they don’t exist, and that’s ok too).
- Branding: If you have existing branding, provide all the links to files for your designer to look at so they can see the visuals of your brand.
- Budget: Having a budget in mind is good, but it needs to be flexible in both directions. Designers already have their own pricing structure, so you may need to put your requirements into priorities.
- Timelines: Establish date for deliverables. We liaised directly with the printer in this case, so we worked to the date the printer had established with the client
- Handover: We provide the printer with the high resolution print files once the client has completed their final payment with us. We also created an external drive for the files to remain in for a minimum of a 12 month period from the last date we provided any service that the client and printer have access to
- Create a list of what you need: This list doesn’t need to be detailed at first, but it must include everything you want delivered. The more detailed this list is, the cleaner and quicker your project will be delivered. Ask yourself this: what copy do I need to provide (if any); do I have all the images ready or will I need them sourced? Do I have all the right logo files; do I have all the correct contact details? Do I need a qr code? Do I have login details ready? These are just some of the things you may need to provide.
Client Example
Striving Ability Support already had their branding and web site designed. They wanted to have the following printed and designed:
- A6 Postcard Flyers (x4);
- Flags ( x2);
- Banners (x2);
- And a trifold brochure (x1)
As we did the branding and website design, we already had all of the original assets created for the brand. What we needed to know was the following:
- Copywriting: The topic and copy for the each A6 Postcard, if it was double sided, type of printing (ie printer or in-house).
- Flags: Were they the same flags, and were the flags double sided? Who was printing the flags? And we had to source the printers template for the flags so the design was exact.
- Banners: As there were two banners, we needed to know what each one was for, what copy they wanted on each banner, and as a third party logo was appearing on one banner, we needed a high resolution print file for that logo.
- Trifold Brochure: Trifold brochures require a template as each section isn’t the same size, I always prefer to use the printer’s template to avoid any issues. We also needed the context and copy for the brochure.
- Images: As we had already provided branding and web design, we had access to high resolution images for printing.
- Design: We followed the existing typography and colours from our previous designs, so major design decisions had already been decided. We followed the existing branding to maintain continuity and brand presence.
At Sahara Studio, I specialise in creating custom designs that align with your brand and business goals. As a freelance designer, I offer personalised service, transparent communication, and a commitment to delivering results. Whether you need a logo, website design, or a complete branding package, outsourcing your graphic design to me ensures high-quality work tailored to your needs.
Let's Review
Outsourcing graphic design is a smart move for businesses looking to save time, reduce costs, and access professional expertise. By following the steps outlined above, you can find the right designer and achieve exceptional results. If you’re ready to elevate your business with creative designs that drive results, contact Sahara Studio today to discuss your next project!