In marketing, graphic design serves as a powerful tool to communicate with a brand’s audience in a beautiful way. Some companies might put graphic design on the back burner. And I hate to burst their bubble but this could be the death of their marketing approach. The reason why some companies take graphic design marketing lightly is due to the steep professional fees. However, brands can still get quality and cheap graphic design if they snoop around a bit.

Consider this your lucky day as we tell you some tips on how to get affordable graphic design for all your marketing and design needs. 

 

Ways to Get Cheap Graphic Design

If you have a pile of design projects lined up and don’t know how to handle each of them, hire a budget-friendly graphic design service. Here’s how: 

 

1. Ask for recommendations

Whether you’re a startup, nonprofit, or medium-sized business, there is always a pool of graphic designers lurking within your network. You just have to find them! 

First, you can approach friends, family, and business contacts if they can recommend affordable graphic designers. Although graphic design affordability can be subjective, it’s good to have many options so you can choose one within your budget.

Next is to check whether or not their asking professional fees are in line with your budget. This is why scheduling meet-ups and discussing contracts are essential for transparency. 

 

2. Search locally

Hiring graphic designers who cater to an international market may come at a steep price. For instance, branding agencies, like Pentagram, could charge between $1,000 to $50,000 for design projects.

Instead of hiring bigger design agencies, try graphic design startups instead. The upper hand of hiring a startup is that you get cheap graphic designs in exchange for quality service. However, not all graphic design startups are made equal. Do a background check on the startups you’re eyeing on and check online reviews and customer testimonials. 

To search for one, join Facebook groups or forums. People who are on these channels are also looking forward to partnering with clients or other designers. 

 

3. DIY online tools

The advent of technology has opened up more DIY online graphic design tools. For instance, companies can now avail of online logo makers for a meager cost. True enough, entrepreneurs and marketers can expect to shell out a meager $30 fee for a logo. But will the logo be professional? Will it be unique? Will it stand out? Or will it emanate your branding? 

While this option can be tempting for small businesses, expect to work with templates or ready-made designs that other companies are using too. Only take this option if you have experience in graphic design and know the elements behind it.

 

4. Stock photos

Another way to get cheap graphic design is to download them from websites with free stock photos like Pexels, Unsplash, or Pixabay. From there, you can edit these images to your liking. As with DIY designing, stock photos don’t really make your brand stand out either. Most of these sites use stock photo cliches. It may be understandable if you use these photos for your blogs. If you want website graphics, however, using these stock photos contain less of your branding and more of mundane cliches.

 

5. Online marketplaces

Freelance graphic designers’ fees vary. While some charge an exorbitant amount, some can charge reasonable prices as well. You can go to online job marketplaces like Upwork or Fiverr. Check the graphic designers’ portfolio and overall reviews before scheduling an interview. 

 

6. Post on social media

Posting on social media is one way to find cheap graphic designers. Adjust your settings to public mode so your friends can share your post within their circle. Use appropriate hashtags and grab users’ attention through eye-catching graphics. Lastly, put all necessary details and information (including budget) on your post so you don’t have to continually answer trivial questions.

 

How to Communicate with Graphic Designers

Once you’ve found the right graphic design service, it’s time to get the ball rolling. The most important ingredient to get an excellent design project outcome is communication. Here’s how to communicate with your graphic designers:

 

Discuss the target audience and project goal

Graphic design should resonate with a brand’s target market. Put all your branding details on paper as the designer’s guideline, including the project goal. 

 

Clarify branding

What kind of branding do you have? What message do you want to convey? And what are your company’s principles? These are crucial so graphic designers will know what typeface, shapes, and color palettes to use.

 

Design concept and specifications

Be specific with the designs you have in mind. For instance, if you’re working on a billboard ad campaign, tell your designer what size the design will be on. Knowing the design concept and specifications leads the designers to the right path.

 

Show a few examples

Showing your designers a few examples for inspiration won’t hurt. Additionally, others who don’t know how to relay the designs they want can use other design examples to avoid miscommunication.

 

Give feedback

Graphic designers aren’t magicians who can whip up graphic designs without your instruction. Always communicate with them and give feedback if necessary. Professional graphic designers appreciate constructive criticism so don’t hesitate to give it.

 

Be open-minded

Sure, you probably have a particular design in mind. However, be open-minded to suggestions from your graphic designer. The reason why you hired them in the first place is because of their expertise. Give them a bit of freedom to impart their graphic design knowledge and skill.

 

Why Choose a Flat Monthly Rate for Unlimited Graphic Design

Cloud-based services are gaining traction these days. And truthfully, entrepreneurs and marketers would prefer this setup as it saves them infrastructure and maintenance costs. Likewise, cloud-based graphic design services are also all the rage today. 

Some companies offer unlimited, cheap graphic design in exchange for a flat monthly rate. Here’s why paying for a fixed flat monthly rate is better and cheaper than other options:

• You get unlimited graphic designs and revisions
• There are no additional fees per project
• No hourly fees
• You don’t have to pay for the designer’s salary, benefits, or bonuses
• Fast turnaround
• High-quality 
• User-friendly communication apps and tools

When it comes to high-quality graphic designs, Design Doctor is a name you can trust. We work with experienced and professional graphic designers who can deliver any design project you want. Our service is suitable for agencies or companies who have graphic design projects underway. For as low as $329 a month, you get unlimited graphic designs downloadable in 24 to 48 hours. It’s a fast, seamless, and quality service at a surprisingly affordable fee.