For small businesses, outsourcing creative and design work can be a game-changer.
It gives busy marketing teams some breathing room, freeing up their time to focus on running their business while professional creatives handle the heavy lifting. With the right creative service provider, outsourcing can deliver high-quality results, fresh perspective, and creativity that takes your branding to a whole new level!
The biggest question, however, is … what is the right creative service provider for you?
Should you go to a design agency? Try out a subscription-based Creative as a Service platform like Designity?
If you’re not sure, then let today’s blog be your guide! Today, we’re breaking down the pros and cons of both, so you can decide which creative solution best fits your needs!
Let’s get started!
More About the Traditional Design Agency Model
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The traditional design agency has long been the go-to solution for businesses looking to outsource their creative and marketing needs.
And what’s not to like? With their structured processes, experienced teams of talented professionals, and stellar reputations, they can offer significant benefits.
We’ll go over some of these benefits now:
Pros of the Traditional Design Agency Model
- Expertise — Traditional design agencies are usually made up of highly specialized professionals who excel in fields like graphic designers, brand strategy, illustrations, and more. With experts working for them, these experts are able to bring deep industry knowledge and creative expertise to every project, allowing them to handle even the most complex campaigns and deliver polished, professional results.
- Reputation — Established design agencies have good reputations and are well-known as credible and reliable companies. The agency’s reputation and portfolio often reflect positively on your brand, especially if they’ve worked with recognizable clients or delivered award-winning work.
- End-to-End Services — Design agencies have the manpower and resources to handle large-scale and complex projects from start to finish. Whether you need branding, website development, motion graphics, or packaging design, they offer a one-stop shop for all your creative needs. They know how to handle large-scale marketing projects across multiple platforms to keep a brand’s efforts consistent and working together.
But as great as these benefits are, design agencies also have their challenges.
Cons of the Traditional Design Agency Model
- High Costs — Premium pricing is usually the biggest drawback to design agencies. Their expenses for things like office space, full-time staff, and account managers mean higher costs for clients. This can stretch budgets or make professional design work feel out of reach for many small to mid-sized businesses.
- Slow Turnaround Times — Agencies typically have structured processes that include many checkpoints for approval, which can slow things down. If they’re juggling multiple clients, getting revisions or final approvals can take longer than expected. For businesses that need fast results, this can be frustrating.
- Lack of Flexibility — Many agencies require their clients to sign long-term contracts or retainers, which makes it tough to adjust services based on what you actually need. If you’re only looking for help with smaller, one-off projects, this setup is overkill and too expensive since it can leave you paying for services you’re not actively using.
What is Creative as a Service (CaaS)?
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Creative as a Service (or CaaS), is a modern approach to outsourcing design and marketing needs.
Unlike traditional agencies that usually require a contract or hefty upfront costs to retain services, CaaS platforms provide a more flexible, on-demand solution to meet creative and marketing needs.
The CaaS model allows businesses instant access to a huge pool of skilled designers, copywriters, marketers, coders, and more to take on projects of any size — whether it’s a one-off project like creating a logo or an ongoing need like managing social media or other marketing campaigns.
In short, CaaS gives brands the might of a full creative team without the overhead or rigid structure of traditional agencies, making it a great solution for businesses that need high-quality services with the flexibility to scale up and down as needed.
Key Benefits of Designity’s CaaS Model
Designity is a notable Creative as a Service platform that can offer your business many benefits.
Let's explore some of those now:
1. Flexibility and Scalability
Designity’s CaaS model can adapt to your business needs, whatever they are!
Whether you’re needing a quick logo design refresh, a complete brand overhaul, or a full-scale marketing campaign, you’ll always have the exact experts you need.
And with flat, monthly subscription pricing, services can easily scale up or down based only on our workload, giving you the right level of creative support when you need it and not paying for anything you don’t.
This flexibility is perfect for businesses that have fluctuating creative needs or those who are looking to test out new initiatives without having to commit to a long-term contract or the huge upfront expense of hiring an in-house team.
2. Cost-Effective
One of the most compelling reasons for Designity’s CaaS model is its budget-friendly pricing.
Instead of paying the salaries and benefits of a full-time in-house team or the pricey retainers of a traditional design agency, you’ll instead get access to a vetted pool of creative talent for a flat, predictable monthly (or quarterly or yearly) fee and no hidden charges ever.
This transparent pricing structure makes it easy to manage your budget without sacrificing quality, giving your business a cost-effective way to handle your creative needs.
Designity’s pricing is as follows:
- Plus— $5,495/month. Plus plan includes a Creative Director, 2 active Creatives, and a wider range of creative services.
- Premium — $8,495/month. Premium plan includes a Creative Director, 3 active Creatives, and access to all 100+ marketing and creative services.
- Custom — Custom pricing for the exact services you need to keep up with creative demand.
All plans offer unlimited project requests and revisions so you always know that your projects will meet your standards.
3. Designated Creative Director
Each Designity account provides you with a designated Creative Director, a marketing and design expert with at least 10 years of experience in their field.
Your Creative Director is thoughtfully assigned to you based on factors like your industry, communication style, personality, and skills required for your campaign, giving you the exact partner with the skill set you need to make your next project a success.
Your CD will take charge of your account, source and manage your creative team, and make sure all of your assets are in your hands when you need them. They’ll also act as your single point of contact, keeping you updated on project progress and making sure your deliverables are in sync with your goals and your brand.
4. Faster Turnaround Times
Because Designity’s CaaS model provides you with a dedicated team ready to dive into your next project, you can enjoy a faster delivery time than you typically would with a traditional marketing or design agency.
When you start your partnership with Designity, you and your Creative Director will agree on a timeline of when you can expect your projects to be completed.
And when that timeline is set, it’s set! Your Creative Director will quality check every deliverable turned in and make sure it’s ready to go as scheduled.
Have an urgent project pop up? No problem. Designity also offers an Urgent Care add-on, giving you the flexibility to meet tight deadlines without ever having to compromise on quality.
5. Huge Scope of Services
Designity offers 100+ design and marketing services to meet your business’s needs.
From graphic design to copywriting, motion graphics, package design, and even digital marketing and SEO, you’ll have all of the creative and marketing services you need under one digital roof.
This means you don’t need to hire multiple service providers for different projects. You’ll have everything you need in one place, making for a hassle-free experience.
How to Choose the Right Creative Solution for Your Business
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So, after reading about the benefits of both models, which is the right choice for you?
Well, that depends on you and your business.
A traditional design agency might be the best fit for you, if:
- You have a large budget and need high-end, specialized branding – If your company is looking for a high-profile rebrand, working with an established agency that has a long track record, and a client list made up of big names in your industry may be what you want.
- You want to work with an agency that carries industry recognition – Some agencies come with award-winning portfolios that can boost your brand’s credibility. If reputation is important to you, an established agency’s recognizable name and prestige could be the way to go.
- You’re handling large-scale, long-term creative projects – If your needs include massive, multi-channel campaigns that require dozens of creatives working in sync, a traditional agency’s structured approach might work better for you.
- You’re comfortable with longer turnaround times – Traditional agencies often have a long list of clients and projects go through several rounds of approval before getting to you, meaning projects may take longer than expected.
Any of these apply? Maybe Designity’s CaaS model makes more sense to you. Choose Designity if your business:
- Needs high-quality creative services without agency-level pricing – Traditional agencies charge premium fees, but Designity’s flat-rate pricing gives you access to professional creatives without retainers or hidden expenses.
- Values fast turnaround in their creative projects – With a dedicated Creative Director managing your workflow and a team of vetted creatives ready to get your projects done, Designity is able to give you a faster turnaround than most agencies.
- Wants a fully scalable solution that adapts to your changing needs – Whether you need a single project or ongoing creative support, Designity allows you to scale up or down as needed—without being locked into long-term contracts.
- Prefers an all-in-one creative solution – From branding and design to copywriting, video editing, and motion graphics, Designity offers 100+ design and marketing services under one roof, eliminating the need to juggle multiple vendors.
- Want a predictable, flat monthly cost with no hidden fees – Designity’s pricing is simple and straightforward, making it easier for businesses to manage their budgets without unexpected expenses.
<div class="c-blog_comp-cta cc-component-1"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left"><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-wrap"><img src="https://global-uploads.webflow.com/61cdf3c5e0b8155f19e0105b/6369722e59155470b6840033_Potential-clients.png" loading="lazy" alt="" class="c-blog_comp-cta-left-img"></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-cta-right"><div class="c-blog_comp-content"><div class="c-text-wrapper cc-mb-32"><div class="c-title-4 cc-bold"><strong>Want to save money without sacrificing the quality?</strong></div></div><div class="c-text-wrapper"><div class="c-text-2">Say goodbye to traditional, expensive agencies and unreliable marketplaces. Say hello to Designity.<br></div></div></div><div class="c-blog_comp-wrapper"><a href="/pricing" target="_blank" class="c-button cc-primary cc-inverted w-button"><strong>Get Your 2-Week Trial</strong></a></div></div></div>
Designity vs. Traditional Design Agencies: The Final Verdict
Ultimately the right choice depends on your business’s needs, goals, and budget.
But if you’re in the market for a cost-effective and high-quality solution to meet your business’s design and marketing needs, then Designity’s experts are ready to meet you!
Why not book your demo call today to see how a designated Creative Director, budget-friendly pricing, and top-tier creative and marketing talent can make the difference for your brand?
Not sure if it’s for you? No problem.
We’ll get you started with a two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test-drive our services risk-free. If Designity isn’t the partner you’ve been dreaming of, then walk away owing nothing.
But if we are, then get ready to transform your brand’s creative process so you can grow, stand out, and make 2025 your best year yet!
We’re ready when you are.