The Problem
This startup was growing fast and needed design work constantly — social posts, sales decks, product one-pagers, event materials, ad creative, internal presentations. They’d been using a mix of freelancers from Fiverr and Upwork, and the results were inconsistent. Every new freelancer needed to be onboarded on the brand, every project required extensive feedback loops, and nothing looked cohesive.
The marketing team was spending as much time managing designers as they were on strategy. They needed a single design resource who could handle everything, learn the brand deeply, and deliver quickly without hand-holding.
The Approach
We set up a Standard retainer — one flat monthly rate, unlimited requests, 48-hour average turnaround. The first two weeks were dedicated to learning the brand inside and out — reviewing every existing asset, understanding the voice and visual style, and building a library of templates for recurring needs.
From there, the team submits requests through a shared board. Most work is turned around in 1–2 business days. Larger projects like sales decks or campaign creative are scoped within the retainer and delivered on agreed timelines. The key difference from freelancer hopping: zero ramp-up time on every request because the designer already knows the brand, the preferences, and the standards.
The Result
In the first year, we completed over 120 design requests — ranging from quick social graphics to complex multi-page sales decks. Average turnaround was 1.8 business days. The marketing team reclaimed roughly 15 hours per week that was previously spent briefing, managing, and giving feedback to rotating freelancers. Brand consistency improved immediately, and the team now has a library of templates and assets they can build on.
“Having a dedicated designer who knows our brand inside and out has been a game-changer. We move faster and everything looks polished.” — Client Name, Company