A graphic design company is a company that crafts visual content for branded materials, including logos, graphics, websites, animations, and marketing campaign visuals, all of which are crucial for establishing brand identity and fostering engagement with both potential and existing clients. 

This specialized agency plays a pivotal role in shaping a business’s visual language across online and offline platforms, ensuring that the output aligns with the brand’s value and messaging, resonates with its intended audiences, and is optimized for each published platform. For instance, graphic design companies edit their designs to meet the ideal size for Instagram stories, out-of-home (OOH) displays, and TV advertisements.  

Graphic design companies ideate, create, and help produce visual assets for branding kits, social media posts, websites, videos, posters, and billboards. They also help make textual information clearer and more engaging through principles like color theory, visual hierarchy, and the rule of thirds. 

Key services offered by graphic design companies include: 

• Brand kit creation 
  Developing a brand’s logo, color palette, typography, and other branded elements, including business cards, letterhead, and merchandise 
• Web and app design 
  Strategizing the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) of a brand’s website or application so it’s engaging, performs and functions optimally, and pushes users along the conversion funnel 
• Social media graphics  
  Creating visual promo assets, including posters and photographs, that will be posted across various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X, and Pinterest 
• Print design 
  Defining and creating the visual aspects of magazines, books, posters, out-of-home display ads, brochures, newspapers, menus, and catalogs so they capture and retain the audience’s interests and clearly communicate the desired message 
• Packaging design 
  Devising the package’s visual and functional structure, including form, materials, color, imagery, and typography 
• Presentation design 
  Making a business’s deck more visually captivating and informative through photographs, custom illustrations, animations, and infographics 
• Motion graphics 
  Providing movement to design elements for social media posts, advertisements, websites, and film and television to increase audience interest and help the brand stand out 
• Video production 
  Overseeing and managing the video production process, including scriptwriting, storyboarding, directing, footage recording, audio recording, post-editing, and visual effects 

In addition to these services, some graphic design agencies work with 3D graphics, illustrations, animations, event and tradeshow designs, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR).

Graphic design companies charge an average of $50-$150 per hour or $100-$1,500 per project, depending on its complexity, number of deliverables, desired turnaround time, number of revisions, availability of existing assets, and agency location. 

To help you more accurately budget for your project, below are the average project rates for different design types and services:

The top 50 graphic design companies on DesignRush charge an average of $93 per hour. 17% of the agencies accept projects under $1,000, catering to small and simple design ventures. Conversely, 0.9% require a $50,000 minimum budget, offering premium services for larger and more complex graphic design work. 

You should hire a graphic design company to leverage its seasoned expertise in producing visually compelling branding, marketing, and communication materials that resonate with your intended audiences and align with your branding. As a result, your brand will maintain its competitive edge and influence conversions, customer loyalty, sales, and revenue. 

A graphic design company can help you: 

• Develop high-quality brand visuals that are unique, recognizable, and timeless 
• Reinforce brand identity, recognition, and credibility by maintaining a consistent look across touchpoints  
• Craft innovative visual stories, including illustrations and videos, that distinguish you from competitors and capture the audience’s attention 
• Implement attention-grabbing call-to-action buttons, striking layout, and strategic user experiences that stimulate lead generation and customer conversion efforts  
• Effectively communicate your message to your target audiences by using a clear visual hierarchy, legible typography, and relevant graphics in your presentations, posters, and other content 
• Gain access to professional tools and technology that may not be readily available, such as 3D rendering software, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras, and visual effects talent 

Success story 

While there are many benefits to hiring a graphic design company, here’s a case study that illustrates how these advantages translate in real-world business situations: 

• Challenge: Chef Antoine Lours aspired to turn his food hobby into a passionate business endeavor, so he collaborated with DD.NYC to establish his brand visuals and online presence. 
• Solution: Drawing inspiration from the client’s French origins, DD.NYC used illustrations and photography across the website to highlight his roots and expertise. It also developed brand identity visuals and a color palette that was classy, modern, and approachable to appeal to Chef Antoine’s desired audiences and differentiate the brand from its competitors. 
• Results: Through DD.NYC graphic design expertise Chef Antoine’s website saw an 86% rise in website performance value and an 82% improvement in mobile performance. The brand also obtained 14 nominations and recognitions, including an honorary mention from Awwwards. 

To choose the best graphic design company for your business, consider the following steps: 

1. Specify your objectives 
   Define the type and number of outputs you want from the graphic design company. This will determine the type of graphic design services you need and provide a more accurate price point.  
2. Gather design samples 
   Collect graphics that closely match your vision for the project and note what you specifically want to emulate from these pegs, including typography, color palette, and photography style. 
3. Set a realistic budget 
   Define a budget that takes into account your project scope, timeline, and industry requirements. Consider also a retainer fee for long-term projects like social media graphics and quarterly report layout. 
4. Search for potential partners 
   Look for agencies with experience in your industry and graphic design requirements across marketplaces, publications, and directories like DesignRush. You can also ask business partners for recommendations. 
5. Conduct due diligence 
   Review the agencies’ client reviews, testimonies, case studies, portfolios, and list of recognitions to verify their credibility and reliability. 
6. Check for style alignment 
   Shortlist agencies that match your desired graphic style and provide the services you need, such as animation and illustration.  
7. Send a request for proposal (RFP) 
   Attach your project requirements, timeline, budget, and brand brief to your RFP. Compare proposals from different agencies and select those that offer the best value for money. 
8. Schedule interviews 
   Set a discovery call with your potential partners and ask about their approach to your project, design process, and experience in your niche to verify the agency’s expertise. 
9. Assess soft skills 
   Observe how the graphic design agency interacts with your team. Look for an agency partner that is responsive, professional, strategic, and aligns with your culture and values. 
10. Choose your agency 
    Finalize the terms and conditions of your service level agreement, timelines, non-disclosure agreement, and payment method. Also, discuss project management and communication approaches to avoid miscommunication and maintain efficiency. 

Need help finding an agency to create captivating brand visuals? Explore our Marketplace and send us your project brief. We’ll match you with five leading graphic design firms that meet your requirements — at no cost! 

Using our agency's filters, you can find the best graphic design company on DesignRush that fits your budget. Based on your budget, shortlist the selection from agencies catering to projects from $1,000 to above $50,000.  

To get you started, here are a few options at different price points:

Our agency directory also lets you browse agency profiles based on location, area of expertise, agency reviews, client types, team size, budget, and hourly rates to compare graphic design agencies comprehensively and find the best fit for your project. 

When hiring a graphic design company, watch out for the following red flags to avoid costly mistakes and long-term damage to your business: 

• Absence of portfolio 
  Without a portfolio or case studies, you won’t be able to verify the agency’s expertise and ability to execute your vision. A lack of portfolio may also be a sign of inexperience. 
• Generic or outdated designs 
  If an agency’s portfolio looks dated and templated, it may be a sign that it is not up to date with the latest trends and doesn’t tailor its services to clients. As a result, you might receive visuals that don't align with your requirements and don’t appeal to your audiences. 
• Bad client reviews 
  An overwhelming number of negative reviews and testimonies may hint at poor work ethics, communication, and project management, which may result in an unsatisfactory output. Moreover, it may also mean that the agency isn’t receptive to feedback and revisions. 
• Unclear processes or design systems 
  An ill-defined design, revision, and turnover process may signify disorganization or lack of professionalism, which could lead to scope creep, project delays, or miscommunications. 
• Frequent employee shifts 
  If the graphic design agency has a high employee turnover rate or only has freelancers as employees, then you may end up with inconsistent design strategies and implementation. 
• Focus on aesthetics only 
  A graphic design company that cannot provide strategic, well-reasoned justifications for its design decisions may not be able to deliver designs that resonate with your target audiences and drive tangible impact to your business. 

When hiring a graphic design agency, it's crucial to ask the right questions to ensure they align with your needs and expectations. Here's a list of pertinent inquiries categorized for clarity: 

Its Relevant Background 

1. What industries or niches have you primarily worked with in the past? How familiar are you with mine? 
2. Can you provide examples of completed projects similar to ours? 
3. How do you stay updated on the latest design trends and technologies? 

Its Services and Processes 

1. What specific services do you offer, and what do you specialize in? 
2. What tools, platforms, or technologies do you use? 
3. What is your typical workflow like, from project initiation to final delivery? 
4. How do you handle revisions or changes during the design process? 
5. What types of files do you deliver at the end of the project? 
6. How do you ensure privacy and security throughout the design process? 
7. What services do you outsource? 

Related to Your Project 

1. Who will be on my team and what are their credentials? 
2. How do you gather information and insights about our brand and target audience? 
3. How do you align your output with my brand identity, values, and messaging? 
4. How will you integrate your work with my marketing? 
5. Can you outline the timeline and milestones for our project? 
6. Who owns the rights to the work you produce for us? 
7. Will you use artificial intelligence, stock photos, or templates from my project? If so, how do you ensure originality? 
8. What level of involvement do you expect from us throughout the design process? 

The best graphic design companies in the US are: 

• Incrementors Web Solutions 
  • 5.0 stars on DesignRush (60 reviews) 
  • 5.0 stars on Google (27 reviews) 
  • Top clients: Canva, Verizon, Fonts, OfficeMonster 
• DD.NYC 
  • 5.0 stars on DesignRush (46 reviews) 
  • 4.9 stars on Google (72 reviews) 
  • Top clients: Forbes, Scholastic, Dupont, Havas 
• Digital Silk 
  • 4.8 stars on DesignRush (38 reviews) 
  • 4.7 stars on Google (12 reviews) 
  • Top clients: IBM, AT&T, Sony, Microsoft 
• Wanted for Nothing 
  • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (15 reviews) 
  • 5.0 stars on Google (6 reviews) 
  • Top clients: Nissin Foods, Purdue University, Brookfield Properties, Atlantic Council 
• eDesign Interactive 
  • 4.9 stars on DesignRush (30 reviews) 
  • 5.0 stars on Google (13 reviews) 
  • Top clients: FrostKing, Associated Press, ThirdLove, EXERON