How to Outsource Graphic Design Services (Tips and Best Practices) 

You’ll quickly see how much of a game-changer it is to outsource graphic design services, from the time you’ll save and the costs you’ll cut to the specialized creative talent you’ll tap into.

From logo design and social media graphics to full-scale branding projects, there’s a wide range of creative tasks you can delegate to skilled professionals. And knowing which tasks to outsource (and which to keep in-house) makes the process even more efficient.

Our team at Influize has put together a how-to guide that’ll help you meet the right people. We’ll also go through some other tips to get the most out of your money.

The Benefits of Outsourcing Graphic Design Services 

Outsourcing your graphic design work isn’t about dumping tasks. It’s a smart way to access expert creativity, save time, and reduce overall costs.

Save Internal Time and Bandwidth

All the time you’ve spent fiddling with Canva or making yet another version of a brochure could be spent on your core business tasks instead.

A third of marketers struggle to produce consistent visual content, so by delegating design tasks to a professional, you can reclaim those hours for product development or other priorities.

Lower Costs Compared With Full-Time Hires

Hiring a full-time, in-house graphic designer comes with significant fixed costs:

• Salary
• Benefits
• Hardware/software
• Ongoing training

And you need enough work to keep them busy year-round. Outsourcing allows you to pay only for what you need, when you need it. 

Tap Global, Specialised Talent Pools

You’re not limited to the skills of whoever is on your local payroll when you outsource. You gain access to a global talent pool of designers with specialized expertise and fresh ideas.

There’s also that collaborative benefit: different cultural and industry backgrounds can have a solid impact on your visuals. That kind of diversity can lead to more innovative and effective designs!

Scale Up or Down With Campaign Needs

Get more designers when you have a big campaign or seasonal rush, stop outsourcing for a while when things slow down.

This flexibility also means faster turnaround when timelines are tight. Outsourced designers (especially agencies or subscription services) have the capacity to handle quick pivots or high-volume requests because they often have multiple designers on hand.

Typical Graphic Design Tasks You Can Outsource

Not sure which design tasks are suitable to hand off?

Tips to Prepare Before You Contact Any Designer

Your experience will be a lot smoother if you set up a few things before sending that first inquiry or project brief:

Gather Brand Guidelines

Send them any guidelines or assets that define your brand’s look and feel. Specifically, gather up your:

• Logo files (in all the needed formats)
• Color codes (hex or RGB values of your brand colors)
• Brand fonts or typography guidelines
• Samples of past designs that you feel capture your style

If your company has an official brand style guide document, that’s gold; have it ready to share. Without these, they’re just guessing, which could lead to rounds of revisions nobody wants.

Write a Detailed Creative Brief

This is the document (or even just an email) that spells out exactly what you need designed and the vision behind it. It should include:

• Purpose and goals
• Target audience
• Key message or story
• Specifications and format
• Brand guidelines summary
• Deadline and milestones
• Reference examples

Define Feedback Loops and Deadlines

Include some of these details in your brief or initial chat:

• Approval Workflow: This could look like: draft is sent to you → you provide feedback → second draft → final sign‑off
• Number of Revision Rounds: Be clear on approximately how many rounds of feedback are included. Many freelancers or agencies assume about 2–3 rounds of revisions in their quote.
• Feedback Method: Explain how you’ll deliver feedback. Will you send an email with bullet points? Use a collaboration tool to comment directly on the design? Have a quick call to discuss?
• Preferred Tools: Tell them what tools you want them to use, from Figma or MarkUp.io to Google Drive so they can show version histories.
• State the Final Deadline Clearly: If you need the completed design files by a hard date, communicate that and maybe pad in a little buffer for unforeseen tweaks.

Decide Ownership and Licensing Up Front

Talk about ownership and licensing for the design work before you sign any contracts:

• Source File Ownership: Some freelancers only deliver the flat exported files unless asked. Make it known that part of the deliverables is that raw, editable file. If the designer is worried about misuse, reassure them it’s for your internal use only. Many contracts simply state that the client gains full ownership of all final deliverables and source assets once paid for.
• Copyright/Usage Rights: Decide who holds the copyright to the design. In most work-for-hire situations, you (the client) should end up with full copyright and usage rights to the work. This means you can use the design in any and all media, adapt it, etc., and the designer won’t reuse it for others.
• Future Edits and Maintenance: Consider adding a note about how future changes or derivative works will be handled. If you plan to have your in-house people edit the design later, make sure the designer knows (so they organize layers and files nicely).

The Six-Step Process to Outsource Graphic Design Successfully

Follow these steps, and you’ll drastically increase your chances of a smooth, successful outsourcing experience.

Step 1: Clarify Scope and Budget

Before you even reach out to any designers, you should know what you need designed and how much you can spend.

Make a list of all the design deliverables you need. Be as specific as possible. This helps you speak with potential designers and let you know what kind of designer or service is best (a single freelancer vs. an agency, etc.

And you could have a total project budget or an ongoing monthly budget if it’s continuous work, but just having any number (or at least a range) in mind is important as it narrows down the kinds of designers you approach and what level of experience you can expect.

Step 2: Choose the Right Sourcing Channel

Next figure out where and how you’re going to find your graphic designer. You can do this across:

• Freelance Marketplaces: Platforms like Upwork and Freelancer.com
• Design Contest Platforms: These are a specific twist on freelance marketplaces, where you host a contest and multiple designers submit concepts, then you pick a winner who gets paid.
• Subscription Design Services: Companies like Penji and ManyPixels that offer a flat monthly fee for “unlimited” graphic design requests.
• Boutique Agencies/Studios: These are small design firms or studios. You might find them via Google in your area or referrals.
• Staffing/Outsourcing Firms: Some companies (like MultiplyMii or others) specialize in recruiting remote staff or contractors for you. For instance, they could find you a dedicated full-time graphic designer in another country who works for you (usually through their agency) on an ongoing basis. This is like hiring, but outsourced.

Private Networks and Referrals: Ask other business owners or colleagues if they have a great freelance designer to recommend.  

Step 3: Shortlist and Review Portfolios

Now look at designers’ work and figure out who’s “the one”. If you’ve posted a job or reached out through your chosen channel, you’ll start getting responses or browsing candidates.

The goal of this step is to create a shortlist of the most promising designers and then do a deeper review of their portfolios and experience to decide who to proceed with.

If you’ve got dozens of applications (common on freelance platforms), do a quick skim to eliminate obvious non-fits.

You should have a pretty good gut feeling about who your frontrunners are after reviewing portfolios and background info.

• “Designer A’s style is exactly what we want but they’re slightly above budget.”
• “Designer B’s work is solid and they’re in budget and they have great client reviews, so they might be the safest bet.”
• “Designer C is an agency that would definitely deliver, but they have a longer turnaround.”

Step 4: Run a Paid Test Project

Start with a small, low-risk test project that’s the kind of work you’ll eventually need, but limited in scope. And you’ll always get a more genuine effort from the designer if it’s a paid engagement.

Let the designer know this is a test run and that if all goes well, you’ll possibly extend it into a bigger project. If it goes well and you’re happy, congratulate the designer on the good work and discuss next steps promptly. 

Step 5: Set Up Tools and Workflow

Now it’s time to set up the systems and workflow that will keep your project (and future projects) running:

Project Management Tools

If there are multiple tasks or revisions, a simple project tracker goes a long way. You can use Trello, ClickUp, Asana, Notion, Basecamp, whatever you’re comfortable with.

Trello is the most simple. You can create a board with columns like “To Do / In Progress / In Review / Done” and have cards for each design task. This visualizes progress and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Tools like ClickUp or Asana are better if you have subtasks and deadlines to manage. They let you:

• Assign tasks
• Set due dates
• Automate reminders

File Sharing and Storage

Decide where final files and assets will be stored and exchanged, because emailing large design files is not ideal.

Instead, use a cloud storage solution like Google Drive or Dropbox. Create a dedicated folder for the project or for all design assets in general. Inside, you might have subfolders like “Work in Progress” or “Final Files.”

You can both clearly label versions (e.g. Design_v1.png, Design_v2.png after feedback, etc., or use dates in filenames).

If it’s an ongoing engagement, you might want an organized folder structure, such as a folder per month for social media graphics, so it’s easy to find things later.

Design Collaboration & Feedback Tools

Figma is great for UI design. It’s a cloud design tool that allows live collaboration. You and the designer can literally be in the file at the same time, adding comments or making tweaks (depending on permissions).

It’s excellent for interface design or multi-page layouts. If your project is a website or app UI, insist on Figma or a similar tool (Sketch or Adobe XD are others, but Figma’s collaborative nature is better.

MarkUp.io is another good tool for providing visual feedback on web pages or PDFs. You upload or point it at the content so your collaborators can click and leave comments at specific points on the design.

For example, you can upload a JPG of the brochure draft, then put comment pins like “Move this logo a bit left” or “Change this text to XYZ.” It centralizes feedback so you’re not sending a long email with “on page 2, third paragraph, change color…” etc. MarkUp.io and similar tools (like InVision used to be popular for this) speed up the review cycle by making feedback clear and contextual. 

Step 6: Measure, Optimise, and Build the Relationship

The final step is an ongoing one:

• Measure how the outsourcing arrangement is performing
• Optimize your process as needed
• Nurture the relationship with your designer or design team

Measure Results (Design Performance)

Since graphic design often ties into marketing or product performance, check the metrics:

• If it’s ad creatives, how are the click-through rates or conversion rates? (Did the new outsourced banners outperform the old ones?)
• If it’s a website or landing page they designed, are users engaging, scrolling, converting as expected? Use your analytics or user feedback.
• If it’s content like an infographic or social media image, are they getting shares, likes, comments? Did that whitepaper design help drive downloads?
• Even for internal stuff like a sales deck, did your sales team feel more confident and get good responses from prospects after using the professionally designed deck?

Tie the design deliverables to whatever KPIs or objectives you had. This also gives you talking points when giving feedback to the designer (“This infographic was a hit, it got 50% more shares than our usual posts!” or “The flyer looks great, but we noticed people still missed the event date. Maybe it needs to be more prominent next time.”).

Measure Process Efficiency

Are deadlines being met consistently? How’s the quality versus original expectations? Are there frequent miscommunications or is everything smooth?

If you find any friction points, note them. For example, maybe you realize that feedback cycles are taking longer than they should. 

Optimize the Workflow

This could mean:

• Implementing a new tool: “We’ve been emailing feedback, but it might be faster if we start using MarkUp.io for comments directly on the design.”
• Time management: “We noticed the designer tends to deliver at the last minute of the deadline. Let’s set intermediary milestones a couple of days before final deadlines going forward, to have a buffer for polish.”

If you have an ongoing retainer or a long project, maybe have a quick “review meeting” at a midpoint to openly ask, “What’s working well for you? What could we do better?” 

Provide Constructive Feedback

If something isn’t meeting your standards, discuss it. Reference the brief or previous conversation, explain why it’s not hitting the mark, and perhaps ask how you two can avoid this issue.

Good designers appreciate clear feedback because it helps them satisfy you. And don’t forget to praise good work. 

Build the Relationship

Even if it’s a freelancer, treating them like a trusted partner rather than a faceless contractor gives you extra effort and preferential treatment. You can do this by:

• Sharing results and context: Let them know how their designs performed or were received.
• Involve them in brainstorming: Instead of always giving fully formed directives, occasionally ask their opinion.
• Consistency and fairness: Pay on time and be understanding if they communicate a scheduling issue. 

Document and Systematize

Make note of any best practices that emerge so you can repeat success. For example, you might end up with a “design brief template” that you use every time now because it proved to contain all necessary info.

Having these systems documented is handy if you ever bring on additional designers or if internal team members need to know how to work with the outsourced designer.

Know When to Pivot or Scale

It’s okay to try someone else if the designer still doesn’t meet your needs or communication is continuously problematic.

But if it’s going great and your design needs are growing, consider scaling up: can you give them more work? Should you extend a longer contract? If you originally outsourced as a trial and now see a permanent need, maybe it’s worth retaining them or even helping them integrate more.

Where to Find Reliable Designers

Where do you find graphic designers or teams that you can trust with your brand’s visuals?

Freelance Marketplaces

Freelance marketplaces are one of the most straightforward places to find designers. These are websites where thousands of freelancers offer their services, and clients like you can post jobs or reach out to them. The main ones include:

• Upwork
• Freelancer.com
• Fiverr
• More specialized ones like Dribbble Job Board or Behance Jobs for design-specific postings

Many businesses start here and then if they like someone, they continue re-engaging them off-platform eventually.

Subscription Design Services

These are companies that offer a flat monthly (or quarterly) fee for design work, often branded as “unlimited design.” You can usually queue up as many requests as you want, but the designer tackles them one at a time (unless you have a higher plan with multiple designers).

Turnaround per request is usually 1-2 business days for something simple, maybe a bit longer for complex tasks.

What to expect:

• You’ll subscribe and be assigned either a dedicated designer or a small team. Some services let you have some say (e.g., you might fill a questionnaire about your preferences and they match you with someone).
• Communication often happens via their platform or email or sometimes Slack integration.
• You submit design requests with all the details (they often guide you on what info to include). 

Boutique Agencies and Studios

These are smaller agencies that specialize in design and branding services. Unlike big ad agencies, boutiques often focus purely on design and creativity (not full-service marketing), which can make them perfect for design outsourcing when you’re prioritizing quality.

You can often find them through:

• Referrals
• Local business communities
• Simply Googling “[Your City] design studio”
• Searching on platforms like Clutch.co (which lists agencies and has reviews)

Private Communities and Referrals

Good designers might not bother bidding on Upwork because they get enough business through their network. If you look into those networks, you access talent that others might miss.

Also, designers in communities often know each other and will refer jobs if they’re busy or if something isn’t their specialty. For example, a UX designer might refer a branding project request to her friend who’s a brand designer.

How to Vet Designers or Teams

Make sure they’re the right designer for your needs:

Evaluate Strategic Thinking, Not Only Aesthetics

You want a designer who understands the why behind design choices, not just the how. Look for evidence that the designer thinks like a problem solver, not just a visual decorator. 

Check Range and Consistency in Portfolios

When you scan a designer’s portfolio, you want to assess both their range and consistency. That means they’re versatile, but also dependable in maintaining a certain level or style when needed.

The best freelancers can slot into your brand’s style and produce multiple pieces over time that all feel cohesive as part of one family.

Confirm File Delivery Standards and Revision Policy

Before you seal the deal with a designer or agency, make sure you’re on the same page about certain practical matters:

• What exactly will they deliver
• In what formats
• How do they handle revisions

This avoids misunderstandings like “Oh, you wanted the Photoshop files too? That costs extra.”

They should not be annoyed by these questions. They should appreciate that you know what you’re doing and it sets the tone for a good working relationship.

Assess Communication Speed and Clarity During the Test

When you run your paid test project, pay close attention to the designer’s communication style  (both how quickly they respond and how clear/helpful their responses are). Outsourcing often means you’re not in the same room (maybe not even in the same time zone), so clear communication is even more important.

Treat the test like an audition not just for design output, but for how the working relationship flows. If communication is smooth, chances are future collaboration will be too (and vice versa).

Designers who are fast and clear communicators make outsourcing easy because you’ll spend less time explaining and more time approving their work.

Tools That Keep Outsourced Design Projects on Track

The right tools help keep outsourced design projects organised, on time, and stress-free (mostly). Here are some essentials to manage collaboration, feedback, and file sharing efficiently:

Pricing Models and Contract Essentials

When outsourcing design work, choosing the right pricing model and having clear contract terms is crucial. Here’s a quick breakdown of common payment structures and key clauses to include for a smooth partnership:

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Outsourcing Graphic Design

Outsourcing can still go wrong if you make these mistakes:

#1 Vague Briefs and Missing Brand Assets

Vague briefs force your designer to guess what you want. And when designers have to guess, the first round of work might miss the mark. That leads to wasted time (and possibly extra cost if revisions pile up). Same goes for not providing the necessary brand assets and guidelines up front

Designers are creative, but they’re not mind readers. If you say “Make it look cool” or provide an ultra-short description like “Need a techy logo,” you’re likely to get something back that’s cool or techy in their eyes. It might not align with your vision or business goals.

That then requires back-and-forth to refine (or worst case, a complete redo because the initial concept was off base). This not only delays the project, but could also affect your budget if the scope of changes goes beyond what was planned.

#2 Choosing on Price Alone Without Test Work

Budget is important, but letting the lowest price tag convince you to hire a designer without considering their quality and fit can be a big mistake.

If someone’s quote is dramatically lower than others, you have to ask why. Are they less experienced? Will they rush the job? Do they cut corners? It’s not to say you should always pick the highest bid, but price should be one factor among many, not the sole deciding factor.

• Quality May Suffer: A very cheap designer might be that cheap because they’re new and building a portfolio, or they live in a region with lower rates (which can be fine if skill is there), or worst-case, they churn out cookie-cutter designs (maybe reusing templates or even plagiarizing) to make the volume worth it.
• Lack of Reliability: People who underbid might not have accounted for all aspects of the project. They might later realize it’s not worth their time and drop it or rush to finish. Or they might come back asking for more money midway, which can lead to disputes.

#3 Ignoring Time-Zone and Communication Fit

There’s nothing wrong with outsourcing to a designer halfway around the world, but ignoring the practical implications that come with major time zone differences causes both sides to get frustrated.

• Delayed Communication Cycles: If you’re in New York and your designer is in Manila, there’s about a 12-hour difference. That means if you send feedback in your morning, you might not get a response or revision until your next day.

  This can double the calendar time for each feedback loop if not handled smartly. If you expected same-day turnarounds, you’ll be disappointed unless they work odd hours to overlap.

• Work Schedule Expectations: If you assume the designer will work your business hours and they don’t (because that would be midnight for them), you could run into some misaligned expectations on availability.

  For example, you might be annoyed that they never respond to your afternoon messages (but that’s 2am for them). Likewise, if they send something at their end of day (which is your 3am), you won’t reply until their next night. Then you’re both twiddling thumbs in the interim unless planned.

#4 Skipping Licensing and Source-File Agreements

If you’ve got the final design in hand but later discover you can’t legally use part of it in the way you intended, you’ll need to tweak something. Except what if you never got the source files and now the designer is now unreachable?

These situations occur when you don’t hash out the details of licensing and file ownership from the start. Don’t assume everything will belong to you and be available without explicitly making that part of the agreement.

• Many designs use stock photos or even fonts that require licensing. If your designer uses a stock photo, who is paying for the license? Do you have the right license type for your usage (e.g., extended license if you print on merchandise)?

  For example, they might use a watermarked comp as a placeholder and you sign off on the design, but later you need to purchase the image  — whose responsibility was that?

• You’ll face copyright infringement trouble down the road or additional unexpected costs if you skip this conversation. It should be clarified upfront. Ideally, as the client you own the end materials, so you should ensure any third-party asset is properly licensed in your name if possible.

#5 Expecting Designers to Read Your Mind

A client might say “I’ll know what I want when I see it” or give minimal direction, then feel frustrated when initial designs aren’t to their liking. Or they might hold back detailed feedback hoping the designer just “figures it out.”

If misalignment isn’t corrected early, the project can spiral. The designer shows something, you’re like “no, not feeling it” but can’t articulate why or what you’d prefer instead.

They try again, still off in your eyes. Each iteration costs time. If revisions are limited, you might burn through them, and then either have to pay more or settle with something you’re not happy with.

Final Takeaways

Outsourcing graphic design can be a game-changer for your business because you get all the creativity without the time and money on your end.

You can start small and adjust as you go. Just make sure you avoid things like sending vague briefs or under-communicating and you should be good to go!