What is a Graphic Design Subscription & Is It Right for You?

Thinking about getting a graphic design subscription? Fantastic idea! This is one of the most affordable and easiest ways to get your graphic design done. Still, the graphic design subscription model is not for everyone. Find out if this type of service would make the right choice for you!

No business can survive without professional graphic design in today's digital world. From your website and logo design to print collateral you use to promote your business, dated and sloppy design won’t cut it.

And while the average salary of an in-house graphic designer will cost you around 60k per year, there’s a much more affordable way to get a steady stream of quality graphics: a graphic design subscription.

Before discussing whether this graphic design service is right for you, let’s quickly explain what unlimited design entails.

What is a graphic design subscription?

There are many graphic design companies that offer unlimited design. Of course, there are some nuances to what the offer entails, but in general, the unlimited graphic design subscription model is the same.

So what is a graphic design subscription, exactly? Here’s how it works:

One of our customers, a software company called Codelation has seen an immense ROI working with ManyPixels.

Well, ManyPixels is one such company, and (full disclaimer) there’s an element of that as well. On the other hand, facts speak for themselves. Virtually no other design provider can match when it comes to the price-quality-speed ratio.

Does it seem like I’ve done a lot to convince you that there’s no other design service that can beat unlimited design companies?

• You pay a flat monthly fee for an unlimited number of design requests: It’s important to remember that this means unlimited requests, not unlimited designs. Even though most of these design companies have ultra-fast turnaround times, designs are still created by people, not robots. So, an expected daily output usually allows you to calculate how many designs you can get.
• You can make as many revisions as you want: This is a real game-changer if you’ve previously worked with freelancers. Whereas a freelancer will charge extra for additional revisions not previously agreed upon, an unlimited design subscription allows you to change your designs until you’re 100% satisfied at no extra cost.
• You can work with different designers: Imagine having access to dozens of designers with diverse skills and expertise for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire. This allows marketing agencies to expand their offer and helps small businesses get diverse types of graphics for an affordable price.
• You can pause your subscription at any time: Most unlimited design services have a flexible model, which means there are no contracts.

The benefits of an unlimited graphic design subscription

So now we’ve answered the question “what is a graphic design subscription,” and you should have a basic idea of how it works.

But what are some long-term benefits of using a graphic subscription model? Here are just a few.

More designs, more creativity

What happens when you don’t have to worry about additional charges for each revision? Or having to plan your design schedule meticulously so that one single designer can manage it all?

You can unlock the immense power of your creativity!

Yes, I heard it. But the truth is that without the day-to-day hold-ups you experience with every other type of design provider (except the expensive graphic design agencies, perhaps), you’ll be able to explore different creative possibilities and come up with unique visual solutions.

For example, you can replace templated social media posts with stunning custom illustrations that will boost your engagement rates and social media visibility. Or you can improve your website’s user experience with motion graphics ( many unlimited graphic design services include motion design in their scope of work too!).

Reliability

Freelancers can easily disappear off the grid, and in-house designers go on holiday or take sick leave. None of these are concerns you need to worry about with an unlimited design service.

With a team of designers on hand, there’s always a professional standing by in case the first designer can’t complete the task for whatever reason.Most unlimited design services also work year-round, allowing you to plan designs and get last-minute graphics whenever you need them.

Along with a full team of designers, our own services include help from project managers. They help to make client-designer communication run smoothly, and ensure our rigorous quality assurance system is put in place. 

Saving money and time

Right, we’ve mentioned that the graphic design subscription model is much more affordable than some other design providers. For comparison, an in-house designer in the US has an average salary of around $6,000 per month.

A freelance designer can be a fantastic investment for a one-off project. But if you consider the average hourly rate of about $35 (and the numbers are going up), getting as little as 10 hours of design work per week can be quite an investment on a monthly level.

Ok, but how about the situation where you’re strapped for finances and try to take the DIY design route? As most business owners soon discover, this is simply not worth it. You usually end up with unprofessional designs that can hurt your brand image and fail to help you achieve your marketing goals.

More importantly, you should consider how much of your own time is spent designing graphics and therefore how this reflects on the loss of revenue. How many clients could you have secured while you were busy designing a PowerPoint?

Is a graphic design subscription the right solution for you?

And yet, an unlimited graphic design subscription is not for everyone. There are some, albeit few, cases where this doesn’t make sense. So, let’s explain who should take advantage of this design production model and who is better off finding an alternative.

Who shouldn’t get a graphic design subscription?

Let’s start with a few cases when signing up for unlimited design services isn’t a great idea.

You just need help with one project.

In many cases (depending on the complexity of the design project), this can still be cheaper than hiring a freelancer. Still, this model doesn’t make sense for one-off projects.

When signing up, it’s best to have a long-term plan to make the best use of this model. Moreover, thinking on a per-project basis will probably incur some additional costs down the road.

You’re a big fan of meetings.

Although we highly encourage clients to form close relationships with one or more of our designers, it’ll never be like having an in-house employee.

At ManyPixels, you can also choose our Dedicated Designer plan and communicate with your designer easily through Slack. Our custom design management platform also allows marketing teams to collaborate - multiple users can view and access designs and leave comments directly on the graphics for a faster revision process. 

If that face-to-face touch is something you can’t give up, an unlimited design service might not be for you. However, if you like to give directions and let the pros do their work - it’s worth trying out!

Who should get a graphic design subscription?

If you recognize yourself in one or more of the following points, a graphic design subscription could be a perfect choice!

You need design on a regular basis.

As was already said, one of the best things about a design subscription is the amount of work you can get done.

If you can come up with many design requests (illustrations, social media posts, ads, etc.), this is the ideal choice! Design services like ours also work very fast, so it’s sometimes possible to get graphics back the same day you request them (depending on the complexity of the design).

You don’t have a designer or design team.

Whether you’re a startup or a small business, chances are that you still haven’t got a designer on your team.

Hiring and finding the right people takes weeks. Freelancers are unpredictable, and working with them regularly can become a hassle (you may need to find different designers for various projects).

Instead of all that stress and hassle, you can get your own design team in a few clicks. Our service can eliminate the need for another design provider, with all your design needs covered.

See our extensive scope of service here.

You want more design options.

Does that mean a graphic design subscription is not for you if you already have a design team? Absolutely not.

We work with many marketing agencies, some of which have several designers in their ranks. These are the two main ways we help them out:

1. We take care of the day-to-day so they can focus on more complex tasks. This allows the in-house team to spend more time developing a stellar creative direction, leaving the simple execution to us.
2. We create more options for their clients. If you want to win over clients, give them options. With our budget-friendly rates, you can significantly expand your service, both in terms of the number of designs, as well as the types. So, you can give your clients more while staying well within your budget.

You want affordable design.

Last but certainly not least - the graphic design subscription model is the most affordable way to get creative graphic design regularly.

Don’t believe us? Here! We’ve made a simple comparison of unlimited design vs. some of the other design providers. While freelancers may be cheaper on a one-off basis, in the long run, you’ll always pay less with an unlimited design service (at ManyPixels, you can get unlimited design at just $549 per month!)

Ready to start your design subscription?

We hope this helps you make an informed decision about choosing the right design partner for your business. There are really few downsides to working with an unlimited design company. You get everything you need designed in one place: from brand design to any digital marketing assets you might need - we’ve got you covered!

You can learn more about why ManyPixels is one of the best unlimited design companies. Or go right ahead and start your design subscription today with our 14-day money-back guarantee. See you on the other side!