When to Bring on a Contract Designer.
One question companies seem to struggle with: how big does our creative team need to be?
While that varies wildly, in many cases a single graphic designer can suffice, but in most cases a contract designer is what you really need.
The reasoning is simple - good creative creates returns for your business in ways you’d never imagine. Great creative can create returns in business, sales, sentiment, product understanding, reach… the list goes on. We’ve seen countless instances where a brand will reach out to us for a project, and by day two I can see ten ways we could help them be better internally and externally. Usually this isn’t from what they’re doing, but from what they’re not doing.
A VP of Marketing will give me their brief, and by the time they send me their Dropbox link, I’ll know the amount of extra legwork we’ll need to do to cover the true scope of the project. This isn’t because I’m clairvoyant, but rather because I know when a team has their shit together, and when they don’t. (Spoiler: for the most part, it’s a mix. They’re getting by, and the system works, but it’s held together by tape.)
So let’s get to the point - a good contract designer can be the hero you need. Want a senior level designer doing work for your company but don’t want to hire a full-time employee? Contract designer. Want someone who can fill the gaps on creative projects across multiple buckets within your company, but don’t have the budget to add a production designer to your team? Contract designer.
Contract design should be approached with an understanding that you need someone who feels like an extension of your team. A major perk of that - they’re there when you need them, and quietly at work in the background when you don’t. In so many ways, it’s like having a creative team, without having to completely restructure your company.
Expo 86 Design Co. is a creative studio based in Murfreesboro, TN | We specialize in branding, motion, & bringing a human touch to approaching creativity. Feel free to reach out.
