Table of Contents
- What Makes Los Angeles Graphic Design Firms Unique?
- What Does A Los Angeles Graphic Design Agency Specialize In?
- What Are The Different Types Of Los Angeles Graphic Design Firms?
- How Much Do Los Angeles Graphic Design Companies Charge?
- Why Hire A Los Angeles Graphic Design Agency?
- How To Hire Graphic Design Firms In Los Angeles
- 10 Questions To Ask When Hiring Los Angeles Graphic Designers
- Takeaways On Los Angeles Graphic Design Companies
What Makes Los Angeles Graphic Design Firms Unique?
Los Angeles graphic design firms are only a tiny fraction of the city’s dynamic creative industry.
In 2017, there were 67,600 people employed in the design field, according to the LA County Economic Development Corporation.
With Hollywood located in the heart of the city, Los Angeles is the global capital of entertainment.
The entertainment industry has been the main driver for the city’s economic development, supporting dozens of industries such as film, television, advertising, design, fashion and more.
Los Angeles is also home to some of the world’s higher learning institutions, attracting top talent from across the nation and around the world.
Moreover, in the last decades, the city of Angels has become an international hub for startups and high-tech industry.
This makes L.A one of the most vibrant and innovative economies in the world, and it is no wonder that the LA graphic design agencies are among the most creative in the world.
In fact, according to LA County Economic Development Corporation, Los Angeles is the world’s innovative design capital, with leading expertise spanning from auto design to architecture and fashion all the way to prestigious design colleges.
The fierce competition within the industry as well as the rising costs of living mean that only the top-notch graphic designers are based in Los Angeles.
How Big Is The L.A Graphic Design Talent Pool?
From 215,930 professionals nationwide in 2019, 13,440 graphic designers work in Los Angeles, making it the second city with the highest employment level in graphic design behind New York.
California leads the nation with 29,060 specialists employed in this industry.
However, the pandemic crisis has affected the graphic design sector as brands no longer invest as much in branding or advertising campaigns.
The field is expected to grow merely 3% from 2018 to 2028, much slower than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Despite this fact, eCommerce is a fast-growing trend and the demand for online design services is anticipated to grow by 2025.
What Differentiates Los Angeles Graphic Design Agencies From The Rest Of The World?
Let’s look at some key factors that differentiate graphic design agencies from other agencies from around the world:
- Rich and diverse talent pool: Los Angeles attracts top-talent from across the nation and the globe, resulting in the most diverse, highly skilled and inclusive workforce.
- Standout creativity: Being the world-leading creative economy, Los Angeles hosts some of the most innovative and visionary professionals who set the tone for innovation and are always one step ahead of the latest trends.
- Broad network of connections: Graphic design agencies in Los Angeles operate in a highly concentrated marketplace, establishing vast connections in related fields such as fashion, television, film, digital media and more.
What Does A Los Angeles Graphic Design Agency Specialize In?
Compared to other graphic design companies, Los Angeles agencies tend to specialize in developing visual identities for the locally dominant industries.
The dominant industries driving L.A’s economy are:
- Entertainment
- Aerospace
- Technology
- Fashion
- Bioscience
- And more
Like any other graphic design agency in the world, L.A-based agencies specialize in providing visual branding for businesses.
These companies will typically specialize in :
- Graphic design
- Print design
- Logo design
- Website design
- Product design
- Package design
- And more
What Are The Different Types Of Los Angeles Graphic Design Firms?
L.A graphic design agencies can be categorized in a few different ways.
Firstly, they can be classified by the exact type of service they offer:
- Graphic design agencies specialize entirely in graphic design services such as graphic and print design, logo and product design, package design, website design or UX design.
- Mixed services agencies provide the whole range of graphic design services but also tap into aspects of marketing or advertising like branding, digital marketing, content marketing, video marketing, SEO or social media marketing.
- Full-stack agencies are the ones who have widened their area of expertise and apart from the typical graphic design services, they also provide website development, eCommerce development, video production, market research or consulting.
The second way to categorize these agencies are by the platforms they specialize in, some of the most popular being:
- WordPress website design agencies are the ones that build custom websites with versatile blogging platforms while providing powerful SEO optimization and safe cybersecurity.
- Drupal website design agencies help businesses create highly functional and scalable websites atop an open-sourced software base.
- UX design agencies specialize in building adaptive and easy to use online platforms, websites or mobile apps.
Finally, some of these firms choose to specialize in a few specific industries, such as:
- Entertainment & digital media
- Technology
- Hospitality
- Fashion
- Healthcare
- And more
How Much Do Los Angeles Graphic Design Companies Charge?
Given the high competition within the graphic design industry, as well as the high-level of talent concentrated in L.A, the prices are higher than elsewhere in the world.
The major part of Los Angeles graphic design agencies charge between $150 and $200 per hour with the more high-end companies who expect an hourly pay of $250.
As for project-based pricing, the minimal budget is set at $10,000 while other agencies don’t go below $25,000. However, there are companies who are willing to take on projects valued at as little as $1,000.
Why Hire A Los Angeles Graphic Design Agency?
Being the globe’s creative hub, you can expect only services of the highest quality from L.A graphic design agencies.
Here are the top reasons why you should hire an L.A graphic design agency:
- Thriving talent pool: Los Angeles garners high-end talent from around the world. Given the high competition and equally high costs, only the best professionals prosper in L.A’s graphic design industry.
- Supreme creativity: L.A’s visionary creatives hold the most innovative tools for state-of-the-art graphic design.
- Experts who understand the local market: Los Angeles is home for top-tier specialists who have a deep understanding of the local market and can provide valuable insight in the graphic design field.
How To Hire Graphic Design Firms In Los Angeles
Choosing the best Los Angeles graphic designer can prove to be a tricky task as there are many available options out there.
When hiring a graphic design agency in L.A, consider these following aspects:
- Their process: Looking into an agency’s processes will help you grasp how they will manage your project, whether they would take ownership of the project or rely on you to drive it.
- Their portfolio: Examining their work is the safest way to find out if their creative perspective is the right choice for your unique requirements.
- Their talent: The top graphic design firms in Los Angeles usually have only teams of experts which means that no trainees or junior designers would be working on your project. This ensures the best possible outcome for your project.
- Their reviews: These may reveal the inconveniences other clients have experienced as well as the strengths of an agency.
10 Questions To Ask When Hiring Los Angeles Graphic Designers
Before deciding to hire a graphic design agency, be sure to gather as much information as you can about their corporate culture, approach and quality of their work.
Ask them these following key questions:
- Can you walk us through your portfolio and explain what your responsibilities were on these projects?
- Can you explain your design process?
- How do you approach a new project and have you worked on a similar project as mine?
- Who specifically from your team will be working on my project?
- What’s the timeline for this type of project?
- Is your work fully original or do you use templates as well?
- Would I get copyright to the design after completion?
- What kind of information do I need to provide?
- How are the costs for my project structured?
- Who is your project manager and point of contact?
Takeaways On Los Angeles Graphic Design Companies
A leading force in creativity and an internationally-renowned entertainment center, Los Angeles is home to some of the best graphic design firms in the world.
What differentiates L.A graphic design companies from the rest of the world are these main ingredients:
- Outstanding creativity
- Diverse and rich talent pool
- Vast connections
They tend to be most qualified in establishing strong brand identities for the locally dominant industries: entertainment, technology, fashion.
Most graphic design agencies in Los Angeles have a typical hourly rate range between $150 and $200.
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