How to hire a Freelance Graphic Designer: Marketing Manager's guide
I’ll have the yellow chair please.
Your designer just told you they're booked until March. You've got a campaign launching in two weeks, a rebranding discussion happening next month and your CEO wants "just a quick social graphic" by Friday. Meanwhile, you're managing three freelancers who all need different briefs, use different file systems and have mysteriously gone quiet this week.
There's a better way. Here's what working with a freelance design partner on a retainer works – I know as I offer that service within Lyons Creative.
Here is what it can look like in five quick points:
1 What Makes a Design Partner Different from "Just Another Freelancer"
You don't need someone who disappears after week two or needs their hand held through every brief. You need a design partner who:
Actually gets your brand (so you're not explaining it every single time)
Works at your pace (because campaigns don't wait)
Challenges your thinking when something won't work (instead of just saying "yes" to everything)
Integrates with your team (not another person to chase down)
Think extension of your team, not external vendor.
2 How to set up the relationship for success
Week One matters: Share your brand guidelines, show examples of what you love (and hate) and get them access to your assets. The upfront investment pays off when you're not explaining your brand voice for the 47th time.
Communication that actually works:
Weekly check-ins beat endless Slack threads
Clear briefs = fewer rounds of revisions (brief template: what, why, when, success looks like)
One point of contact on your side (not five people giving contradictory feedback)
The files situation: Agree upfront on where files live, what formats you need, and how revisions work. Nothing kills momentum like "can you send that as a PDF? No, the editable one. Actually, can you resize it for Instagram?"
3 When retainer relationships make sense (and save you time)
Signs you need ongoing support, not project-based:
You're briefing design work every week
Campaign deadlines are non-negotiable
You're tired of re-explaining your brand to new people
The "finding and onboarding" cycle is eating your time.
What retainers actually solve:
Your designer knows your Q4 plans in July (so they can block time)
Faster turnarounds (because they're not juggling five other clients that week)
Priority access when something urgent hits
One less invoice to chase every month.
4 The virtual design assistant model
For teams who need reliable support without full-time commitment:
Set hours per month (10, 20, 40 whatever matches your actual volume)
Dedicated to your projects during those hours
Handles the routine stuff (resizing ads, updating templates, social graphics and updates to your Squarespace website - and I’ve done a lot more) so your team focuses on strategy
Predictable cost, predictable availability - agree a fee upfront so both parties are clear.
5 What Success Actually Looks Like
Three months in, you should notice:
Your team's focusing on strategy
Campaigns launching on time
Consistent brand quality across everything
You're not playing telephone between five different freelancers
One less hiring headache on your plate
The cost isn't just what you pay them it's what your team can finally focus on instead.
Over to you!
The best design partnerships don't feel like outsourcing. They feel like having another team member who just gets it without the overhead, the office politics, or the 12-week hiring process.
You know you've found the right partner when you stop thinking "I need to find a designer" and start thinking "I'll send this to Angela." I have over 20 years experience working with marketing teams from FTSE 100 companies, publishers and expanding businesses.
Ready to stop juggling freelancers? Book a free intro call with me and I can go over how I work with my retainer clients and how we could possibly work together. Click the bottom below to begin the conversation.
