Our expert analysts have identified the top graphic design companies that deliver the highest quality creative services relative to cost.
These agencies specialize in various types of graphic design, including logo, flyers, labels, ads and digital collateral – to name a few. The top three are:
Digital Silk is an award-winning graphic design company distinguished for its innovative work and unique designs. They create visual experiences for clients of all sizes and industries.
Featured Clients: doForms, P&G, XEROX, SONY, Toyota, Impendi Analytics
Slice Design is a London UK branding and packaging design agency with more than 15 years of experience. They help big brands and small startups with brand identity, NPDlaunch, and updating packaging designs.
Featured Clients: Pladis, Unilever, Danone, Cypressa, Bayer, GSK
Ink, Inc. Creative Group is a full-service inbound marketing agency based in Brooklyn, NY. They deliver digital marketing and branding services to biotechnology, computer software, engineering, and financial businesses.
Featured Clients:ClockInEasy, At&T, Swiss Re, Accenture, Westfield
Graphic design companies create imagery and visual content that businesses use for branding all of their products, services, and material. A streamlined visual identity helps companies attract new clients and retain old ones.
A variety of imagery/visual content can be created by graphic design companies. This can include:
Each of these bears a specific significance for your business and branches out into even more specific areas.
Apart from what’s already pointed out – strengthening your businesses’ brand identity, awareness and visibility – utilizing the services of a graphic design company with a proven track record can have other benefits.
For instance, having an instantly recognizable, effective logo can give you an edge over all other companies in your niche by making you stand out.
Also, as your brand grows and new platforms and strategies emerge, having a steady graphic design company as a partner will ensure you’re never short on appropriate design solutions that match the needs of said channels and platforms.
Other notable advantages of dedicating your strategy and budget to having a top graphic design company by your side are:
The amount you as a business will need to spend on the services of a graphic design company depends on these factors:
Generally speaking, North American graphic design companies will charge hourly rates, usually from $100 to $200, while companies in Eastern Europe or India will charge anywhere between $35 to $75 per hour.
Looking at particular types of design, the creation of a logo is among the costliest one: a high-quality logo can cost anywhere between $2,000 and $15,000.
In case your business is in need of a thorough makeover – meaning, a complete rebranding work is necessary – the cost of this can increase vastly, even above $250,000 to account for the creation of a website and a complete marketing strategy.
For a better overview of each graphic design company’s hourly rate and price sheet, check out our list of best design agencies above!
Of course, what you want to look for in a graphic design company is the highest rate of talent possible, as well as innovation and an eminent portfolio (preferably the one that won prizes).
But those are very general metrics and they don’t really speak of the company’s notion of integrity, professionalism and business comradery. You can look for levels of expertise, customer testimonials and more in the listing table above.
However – when selecting one, be sure to focus on their:
Meaning, can they quickly and effectively conduct research on your desired target audience, competitors, brand, trends and industry in general? Can they adjust themselves to new demands on the market?
Make sure all of these questions can be answered with a resounding “yes” before hiring someone!
These two factors go hand in hand. Graphic design is a complex process and for it to go down well, it needs to be communicated closely between team members of the graphic design company and the company and you as a client. An objective must be set clearly so that it can be translated into a visual solution you will be proud of.
Their track record is something that you should value highly, but also by their previous clients in past referrals.
Coming up with a price of a work you demand can be tricky. That’s why trusted and reliable partners will let you know -in very clear terms- what their pricing structure looks like for every step of the process, even before you ask (but you should ask anyway! More on that below).
Likewise, a habit much valued for any good graphic design company is for it to have professional, passionate and determined team members who excel in cooperative work.
This can mean many things, but what it should always mean, is for a design company to take note and respect your suggestions, insights and interventions along the way in the process. The depth and strength of your cooperation will determine the final outcome of their work on your visual identity.
Before you hire one of the best graphic design companies from our agency table list above, ask each of the candidates these questions. They will help you establish their level of expertise, their collaborative habits, how they use their resources and more.
Industry experience can help you identify the agency that is familiar with your audience and aesthetic.
Companies that work with corporate clients will be best positioned to produce designs that build authority and trust.
Those that work with consumer brands will have a proven track record in producing engaging designs that help increase brand awareness and retention.
Every creative company has its own way of approaching projects and helping clients achieve their objectives. However, only the best of them will tell you that every brand is different and each of them should enjoy an approach tailored to their needs.
Most agencies kick their new collaborations off with a questionnaire designed to understand the brand, the business behind it and the client’s objectives, as well as gather the resources they need to get started.
Discovering whether the potential candidates on our list have clearly defined processes in place will give you an insight into their organizational structure and how they manage their projects.
It will show you how they proactively optimize their efficiency which is particularly important when working with a client that charges by hour.
Depending on the work that needs to be done, the company you hire may ask you to provide different types of materials.
This may include brand style guide, logo in an editable file such as SVG, digital assets and online profiles, market research and buyer personas.
Asking potential companies what trends your brand should incorporate will give you an insight into how observant the agency is.
It will also tell you how in tune they are with the current trends and how strategic they are as not all trends will fit your unique needs.
The answers to these questions will help you evaluate how well the agency (has tried to) understand your business, values and objectives.
And, it will give you expert insight into your existing brand as well as help you identify red flags such as the agency working to maximize your investment rather than maximize their value to your business.
Conducting market analysis on your potential clients will allow your graphic designer to determine your client base, create a stronger strategy and fine-tune their marketing materials.
By doing so, your partner will also be able to deliver work that stands out and outsmarts the competition.
Once you narrow down the list of candidates, you should find out who of the team members will work on your project before you make your final choice.
This will help you understand what type of expertise you have at your disposal as well as to what extent you can leverage your team’s skills.
Graphic design companies have different areas of expertise and offer a range of services. However, it is the agency you hire that should be able to create outstanding work that communicates the brand’s vision.
Moreover, they should understand your business needs and requirements and be able to offer a customized strategy that will consistently promote your brand message.
The best graphic design firms will never produce their designs using templates. To create work that is compelling they should use their creativity and develop unique products.
They should build a custom design that will help you stand out from your competition by studying your brand and business needs and then develop an idea from scratch.
While most of the graphic design projects are short-term, you should aim at investing in a long-term partnership when completely outsourcing graphic design.
Moreover, graphic designers should also focus on tracking key metrics and provide you with analytical reports that will give you an insight into the effectiveness of their work.
While it is normal that you as a client want to have a project deadline, it is also important to remain flexible. Graphic design is a creative process that might take longer than estimated.
However, a professional company should set specific timeframes and task deadlines as well as report on the project’s progress so that you know when to expect the project delivery.
Be it in person or online, you and your partners should regularly meet during your project. They should set weekly meetings where they will report on the finished tasks and project progress.
However, they should also be open to feedback and criticism and consider it as constructive advice that will help them make your design more compelling.
Sometimes you may need to make small changes in your designs. Whether it is your logo or graphics, there may be times that you will need to adjust some elements in your designs based on your marketing strategies.
This is why the company you hire should provide you with vector files that you can easily edit using illustrators. In other words, you should make sure that you own the designs.
Every company has a different policy when it comes to trademarking. Some may allow it and some may not. However, we recommend that you pick a partner that makes no such restrictions.
So, before signing the contract, you should carefully go through all the clauses and speak to your legal advisor on how to complete this process.
Graphic design companies come in many shapes and sizes, and can cover a wide range of specific fields, as we’ve seen. They can be all-encompassing, such as branding and corporate design firms or way more particular, focusing on just your logos or execution of billboards.
Aptly, their price range differs as well. Several factors that we’ve covered in this article will influence what the financial outcome for your business will be – but the potential return, both in revenue and in customer retention, can be repaid tenfold.
It is now up to you to find that perfect graphic design company partner! And we’re here to help!
By using our definitive listing of the very best graphic design companies both in the US and abroad, you may read through previous clients’ and customers’ testimonies and reviews, get a good look at their portfolio and level of expertise, team size, hourly rates and more. In short, enough material to help you make a well-judged decision.
…
