Ultimate Checklist To Pick a Design Agency

It’s common for startup founders and department heads to struggle finding the right design partner. This is a crucial decision that can have long-term effects on your brand’s success, your customer’s perception, and even your company’s growth. 

Whether you need a rebrand, a new website, a partner for a one-off design task or continuous design support for unlimited design tasks, choosing the wrong design agency can seriously affect your bottom line. 

To help you navigate the process with confidence, and eliminate choices overload we’ve created a comprehensive checklist that ensures you find the perfect fit for your specific needs. 

Here’s an overview of the checklist to find the best creative agency for your business.

Checklist Overview:

1. Define Your Design Needs
2. Understand Your Budget
3. Research Potential Agencies or Freelancers
4. Evaluate Portfolios and Expertise
5. Assess Communication and Culture Fit
6. Check References and Testimonials
7. Review Pricing Models and Contracts
8. Understand the Onboarding Process
9. Track Metrics for Success

Step-by-Step Breakdown: Design Agency vs Freelancers

1. Define Your Design Needs

Before you begin your search, you must define exactly what you need from a design partner. Are you seeking a rebrand, social media creatives, or end-to-end design services for varied tasks? Knowing your needs will streamline finding the best design agency for your company.

What you need to answer:

• What kind of projects will you hand off? (e.g., web design, product design, branding)
• Do you need a long-term partnership or more hands for a one-off project?
• Do you have a specific style or aesthetic in mind?
• What are the deliverables? (e.g., digital, print, motion graphics)

Example: If you’re launching a new product, your immediate needs might include logo design, website UX/UI, and packaging. For instance, when Awesomic helped Yerbaé with product launches, it included social media graphics and product packaging as the main requests.

• Design Agency Pro: A design agency can handle multiple deliverables at once, ensuring brand consistency across your product.
• Design Agency Con: A freelance designer may be more cost-effective if you only need one field-specific deliverable.

2. Deeply Understand Your Budget

Financial constraints are a thing. Sometimes, companies in the service industry pretend it isn’t, and design services can wildly vary in pricing. 

Be realistic and upfront about what you can afford. Before making a decision, ask yourself: what are you losing by not having a high-quality design? 

What you need to answer:

• How much are you willing to spend on design services?
• What is the value of design to your business goals? (Growth, conversions, brand recognition)
• Should you consider a project-based fee, a pay-as-you-go model, or a consistent flat fee with no added costs?
• Will you need ongoing support and content reviews?

Example: A startup with a limited budget might opt for freelancers for one-off projects but consider an agency or Creative-as-a-Service (CaaS) model for more complex, ongoing needs.

• Design Agency Pro:.Agencies tend to have higher costs, but they bring more resources and expertise, offering scalability for future needs. Many even offer consulting for business growth. 
• Design Agency Con: Freelancers can offer a more affordable solution for startups with tight budgets and simpler projects. But keep in mind that ensuring consistent quality will be a challenge.

3. Research Potential Agencies or Freelancers

Once you’ve defined your needs and budget, it’s time to research the different types of design services available. Agencies, freelancers, and design services subscription-based providers all have their own strengths, and choosing the right model depends on your specific needs.

What you need to answer:

• Do you need a full suite of services or specific field expertise? (branding agency vs design subscription with branding services)
• Have you explored subscription models for consistent spending and quality?
• Are you open to a global, remote agency and service providers, or would you rather collaborate with a local one you can visit?

Example: If you're launching an app, you may need a digital agency specializing in UX/UI design rather than a traditional full-service branding agency. 

• Design Agency Pro: Design agencies offer specialized UX/UI skills and can seamlessly handle both the design and development processes. Subscription-model design services agencies usually handle the project management for you.
• Design Agency Con: Freelancers may provide cheaper rates, but you also need a project manager who can handle UX, UI, and development, which can complicate management.

4. Evaluate Portfolios and Expertise

A design partner’s portfolio shows the quality, style, and versatility of their work. When evaluating portfolios, it’s important to understand how they approach the design process and who they’ve helped. If they’ve helped other companies with similar projects or in the same industry, then they’re more likely to succeed in yours.

Portfolios are one of many ways to see if a design agency has the expertise you need. Also, look for case studies and awards. These awards can be from the people who work in the company or from the projects they’ve worked on, and they must be recognized as a staple in the design world, such as the Red Dot Design Award.

What you need to answer:

• Does their work align with your brand’s vision and values?
• Do they have experience with similar projects or industries?
• Can they showcase a variety of design disciplines (print, digital, branding, motion)?

Example: A startup in the tech industry should look for portfolios and case studies that showcase modern, sleek, and tech-savvy designs with a robust focus on user experience and trends coupled with a business-focused approach. 

• Design Agency Pro: An agency experienced in design for the tech industry can bring best practices and new trends, elevating your brand with cutting-edge innovation.
• Design Agency Con: A freelancer may have a smaller and more focused portfolio, which fulfills your specific requirements without needing a suite of services and lowering the possible cost for the project. 

5. Assess Communication and Culture Fit

Working with a design partner isn’t just about the end product—it’s about collaboration. The reality is that many design agencies will offer you the high-quality work you want. That’s their expertise, their domain. It’s only reasonable that they can deliver professional design services. But how much attrition will you face until you get that final product?

A cultural fit ensures a smooth and productive partnership, while solid communication means fewer misunderstandings and faster iterations. When you close that deal, make sure the communication aspects are a part of it. No one wants to be on the receiving end of radio silence when trying to solve a complex and urgent problem. 

Awesomic understands this issue because it is the exact problem the founders wanted to solve when creating high-quality designs: speed of iteration and communication. The talent pool in Awesomic communicates daily, revisions are unlimited, and the app offers many integrations to streamline communication.

What you need to answer:

• How often do they communicate? (Daily, weekly, as needed)
• What tools do they use for project management? (e.g., Slack, Asana, Trello, proprietary app)
• Is their company culture compatible with yours? (Values, work ethic, flexibility)
• Are they proactive and responsive when presented with problems?

Example: A modern SaaS company often needs rapid changes and agile partners who can iterate quickly due to fast-changing requirements for users, customers, clients, employees. Ensuring your design partner is used to working at that pace is crucial.

• Design Agency Pro: Agencies tend to have a structured communication process that doesn’t allow for noise and radio silence. With dedicated project managers, or customer success representatives, which makes it easier to stay on track.
• Design Agency Con: A design agency is another brand with values and a culture that may not fit your company best. It’s essential to understand this and if the agency or design service provider can attend to your needs regardless of their values. 

6. Check References and Testimonials

Let’s see if these sound familiar: best creative agency, award-winning professionals, fast and high-quality, satisfaction guaranteed, results may vary, etc. in sum, don’t simply take a design agency word for the quality of their own work. Nowadays, we have review aggregators, website reviews, referrals, references, testimonials, Reddit communities, and even the no-yet-dead forums.

A successful track record is the best indicator of a reliable design partner, and this track record will show on those sources. So, do your due diligence regarding promises from design partners. 

Evidence of long-term client relationships and positive results are the most important things you should be looking for in a design agency. 

What you need to answer:

• How many positive reviews or testimonials can they provide?
• Can they showcase examples of measurable success? (Increased conversions, improved engagement)
• Are you able to find testimonials of similar companies?

Example: A tech startup looking for a B2B design agency should seek feedback from past clients operating in a fast-paced, innovative environment and competitive niche. 

• Design Agency Pro: Agencies often have an extensive list of past clients and testimonials and can provide detailed case studies, helping you make a more informed decision.
• Design Agency Con: Many freelance designers use platforms such as Upwork, which has client reviews on display, simplifying the research on reliability, while design agencies rarely care for their Clutch accounts and other review aggregators. 

7. Review Pricing Models and Contracts

Design services providers may opt for various pricing models, from project-based fees and credits to monthly and yearly retainers. Some can require more payments for revisions, assets used, results-based commissions, and other hidden costs.

Understanding precisely what model the agency you’re thinking of entering business with is using will be the most important hurdle to overcome when you decide to collaborate with them. Always look for transparent responses whenever the pricing subject arises. 

What you need to answer:

• What’s included in their pricing model (revisions, extras, consulting)?
• Do they offer flexibility for companies of different sizes that require fewer services?
• Are there hidden fees for additional services? What about design assets and software?

Example: A growing, fast-paced startup should consider a more flexible, transparent pricing model where they can adjust the month-to-month payment fee according to their budget.

• Design Agency Pro: Agencies will usually work with you on the pricing for your company. They can be more flexible on services, plans, and models, allowing you to scale services based on demand and providing a long-term return on investment.
• Design Agency Con: Unlike freelancers, design agencies rarely allow for a buy-out of a design asset.

8. Understand the Onboarding Process

The onboarding phase of your business endeavor with a design agency will set the tone for your collaboration. Understanding how long this process takes on average and when you can expect results to be delivered makes sense. 

Ensure your design partner has a smooth and efficient onboarding process that clarifies the project scope, timeline, and communication protocols. And if they have a dedicated point-of-contact, whether a person or an easily reachable contact form, or in-app chat

What you need to answer:

• What is their onboarding process like, and how long does it take for the first deliverable?
• Do they offer a detailed project timeline with milestones?
• Will you have a dedicated point of contact or account manager?

Example: A startup launching their product or a new service usually requires multiple campaigns simultaneously. Miscommunications and unfulfilled timeline expectations can damage the company tremendously. Ensure that timelines are clear and deliverables are set.

• Design Agency Pro: Agencies often provide dedicated account managers, detailed project timelines, and ongoing support. 
• Design Agency Con: Onboarding from the first exploratory call to the first deliverable may take longer than freelancers who receive a simple brief and start working on it. 

9. Track Metrics for Success

This is the most dividing factor in choosing a design partner: how will I track the numbers and ensure positive results? 

Establishing KPIs (key performance indicators) upfront will help measure the value you’re getting from your design initiatives and let you know when you can track such results. For instance, an ad may need a survey with your target audience to show the before and after results.  

Whether improving brand recognition, increasing web traffic, or enhancing user experience, track progress to ensure your investment pays off.

What you need to answer:

• Are you tracking the right KPIs for each initiative? (conversion rate, traffic, user engagement)
• How often will you review performance metrics, and what is needed to get the metrics?
• Is there room for optimization based on performance, or should you find another partner?

Example: A tech startup launching an SEM display ad campaign can track how the creative assets affect conversion rates and cost-per-click to measure the value of your design partner’s work.

• Design Agency Pro: There are design agencies that offer data analytics, marketing consulting, brand identity and consulting, and other data-based insights as part of their service.
• Design Agency Con: The field expertise of other design agencies is the design itself, meaning the data tracking and results expectations will need to come from you. Which may result in extra work and not simplify your workflow.

Expanded Checklist For Successful Design Agency Collaboration

Here’s an expanded version of the checklist with subtasks to help you stay organized:

1. Define Your Design Needs

• What kind of projects will you hand off? (e.g., web design, product design, branding)
• Do you need a long-term partnership or more hands for a one-off project?
• Do you have a specific style or aesthetic in mind?
• What are the deliverables? (e.g., digital, print, motion graphics)

2. Understand Your Budget

• How much are you willing to spend on design services?
• What is the value of design to your business goals? (Growth, conversions, brand recognition)
• Should you consider a project-based fee, a pay-as-you-go model, or a consistent flat fee with no added costs?
• Will you need ongoing support and content reviews?

3. Research Potential Agencies or Freelancers

• Do you need a full suite of services or specific field expertise? (branding agency vs design subscription with branding services)
• Have you explored subscription models for consistent spending and quality?
• Are you open to a global, remote agency and service providers, or would you rather collaborate with a local one you can visit?

4. Evaluate Portfolios and Expertise

• Review portfolios for similar projects or industries
• Check for versatility in design styles and services
• Evaluate the quality of their problem-solving capabilities in past work

5. Assess Communication and Culture Fit

• Ask about their preferred communication channels
• Ensure alignment in work ethic and company values
• Clarify how frequently updates and check-ins will occur

6. Check References and Testimonials

• Request case studies or past client success stories
• Look for long-term relationships with past clients
• Confirm testimonials are recent and relevant to your industry

7. Review Pricing Models and Contracts

• Confirm what’s included in the pricing (revisions, consulting)
• Ensure the contract includes clear deliverables and timelines
• Clarify any flexibility or scalability in pricing

8. Understand the Onboarding Process

• Request a project timeline with key milestones
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and points of contact
• Ensure a clear workflow and toolset are agreed upon (Slack, Trello)

9. Track Metrics for Success

• Establish KPIs (conversion rates, brand awareness, etc.)
• Set a schedule for regular performance reviews
• Discuss how performance data will inform ongoing design iterations

Using a checklist will make your decision process faster and deliver more reliable results when it comes to picking between a design agency, a subscription-based service, and freelancers. This is also a simple framework to help with your decision. Feel free to add more questions and items or remove some depending on your particular needs. 

Awesomic has unified the pros of a design agency with award-winning talent and the flexibility of freelancers under one umbrella: a monthly subscription plan that covers all your design needs with no added fees, unlimited revisions, and integrations to streamline your communications. We’ve helped over 3000 companies with their design tasks and are confident we can help you, too. You can book a demo below, and we’ll figure out together if taking the next step makes sense for your business. 

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