As access to information has become easier, getting your audience to connect with your message through all the noise has become harder. Because of this, many companies have turned to visual communication to relay their message. Visuals deliver a message faster than text or speech, are shared more widely on social media, and (when paired with short text) can increase comprehension by 89%. This is why so many companies are adopting visual content strategies as the norm.
Perhaps you already have a similar strategy in place and are searching for new opportunities to take it to that next level, or maybe you’ve never even thought of integrating visual content into your strategy until just now.
Regardless of where you find yourself, you can develop a solid visual storytelling strategy through a huge variety of media — infographics, interactive content, motion graphics, GIFs, memes, social thumbnails, traditional data visualization, and more. Before diving into the actual execution, though, you should first look into who will be producing these design assets for you. Too often this important step isn’t given the time and attention it deserves to ensure success.
Let’s take a look at our options: in-house, freelance, or design agency. Each of these will provide their own unique approach toward the development and execution of a project, so your choice will mainly be driven by your content and goals.
1. In-House
Not everyone has the option of an in-house designer, but for those fortunate enough one at their disposal, it’s a good place to get started.
Pros
They’re In-House: An in-house designer is very beneficial in providing a depth of company knowledge that outsourced work can sometimes fall short on. They know the industry, audience, major players, and what works best for that particular niche in terms of captivating design. Also, with an in-house designer, you have unfettered access to them. If project specs need to be changed or there’s a last-minute asset addition, they’re right at the next desk over.
Cons
Creative Restrictions: An in-house designer’s skill set is usually that of a generalist, meaning they possess a broad range of general design skills to fulfill company needs but don’t necessarily have expertise in a specific field of design, like data visualization, infographic design, etc. (though there are exceptions where major agencies can sometimes find very specialized designers in-house). Lastly, most in-house designers are bound to the entire team, making them hard to wrangle if you need your project prioritized over others.
Best for…
If you’re working on internal projects that require strict branding guidelines, definitely consider this as your first option. If, however, you’re unable to utilize your in-house designer and need to outsource, make sure their Art Director is still involved in the project to some capacity; having that little extra perspective from someone well-versed in design can be very beneficial for you.
2. Freelance
If you find yourself without an in-house designer, the freelance route is a worthwhile alternative — and often also the cheapest. There are a seemingly unlimited number of freelance designers out there, which makes the task of finding the right designer for your project one of the more time-consuming options. On the flip side, with so many designers in the freelance sector you can expect to see more competitive bidding to win your business.
Pros
Diversity: Aside from the monetary benefits, use the fact that there are so many freelance designers out there as an opportunity to explore your options for various design styles and aesthetic approaches. You just might stumble across something new that turns out to be perfect for your project needs.
Cons
Limited Project Management: When hiring a freelance designer, keep in mind that design is generally the ONLY thing you’re hiring them for. In most cases you’ll be responsible for providing content and script, as well as project management and even identifying the best creative direction to accomplish your goals — so while most freelancers are affordable because of tools like Upwork, finding a quality freelancer could end up costing the same as hourly agency rates.
Best for…
If you have a limited budget, are looking to switch up your design aesthetic, or have a one-off or unique project, a freelance designer can help provide you with some fresh ideas and concepts from an outside perspective. Additionally, if you just need a designer and prefer to manage concept to completion, then a freelancer will provide you with that freedom.
In any case, before hiring a freelance designer be sure to check their portfolio, see what companies they’ve worked with in the past, confirm any references, and most importantly jump on a 30-minute phone call — or even better, meet with them in person — to see if your personalities mesh. The designer may be incredibly talented, but if you don’t get along or communicate similarly, the success of your project is at risk.
3. Agency
Some of the best pieces of visual communication have been created by communication design agencies, mainly due to the simple fact that they have teams dedicated to making sure all the necessary elements — tone, brand, aesthetic, etc. — are seamlessly brought together in the finished product. As such, many communication design agencies will offer services in addition to design, including topic ideation, research, content development, and dedicated project management; some will even provide marketing and consulting services to help promote your assets.
Pros
Turnkey Service: If you go through an agency, you should expect to do very little in getting the project off the ground. All well-established communication design agencies should have a process that can be adjusted to your project needs and deadlines. Using that process, agencies are able to develop project goals, lay out all project specs, create a full design schedule, and present deliverables to you throughout the progression of the project. Your only job is to provide feedback and sign-off at each stage. In addition, communication design agencies are highly specialized in telling stories through visuals. Just as you would hire a web design agency to build a website, a visual communication agency is the best to ensure success for your visual content strategy.
Cons
Price: Compared to a freelance designer, agency rates will usually be noticeably higher, mainly because of the additional services that are offered. Rates can fluctuate based on whether or not a particular service is needed — research, content development, etc. — but the quality of design should never be a factor when obtaining a project quote.
Best for…
Those who have projects that are very technical in nature, involve multiple moving parts (like several stakeholders or strict deadline), need experts in communication design, and/or require services beyond design should look to a visual communications agency.
Whichever design avenue you decide to take with your visual communication strategy, know that there are always exceptions to the rules and the pros/cons from above will not necessarily map to everyone. In the end it’s all about client satisfaction, and more often than not, any one of the designer options above will bend over backwards to keep you — the client — happy.