What Makes Graphic Design In Boston Different From The Rest Of The US?
Boston is a very unique city – its ties to Europe and the continent’s traditions are still very much strong and is a home for some of the most elite schooling institutions in the country, such as Harvard and Northeastern.
It is also a thriving business hub with a diverse market that benefits from regional networking.
The uniqueness of Boston graphic design agencies arises from the specific traits of the city itself, such as:
- Networking opportunities: Boston has ample opportunities for connecting with businesses, services and products provider and entrepreneurs – not just in the city, but within the whole East Coast region. This makes Boston an overall great place for business - and every business needs graphic design.
- Breeding ground for highly educated individuals: The area around Boston is home to some of the most esteemed educational institutions in the US. The universities produce top talent for hire across various fields, including graphic design.
- A vibrant business ecosystem: The diversity of talent and ideas stemming from a nurturing city environment makes for graphic design companies’ innovative nature and a great business acumen. The business environment houses world-renowned companies across all sectors, all requiring graphic design solutions that push the envelope of its craft. Also, Boston was named the best city for entrepreneurial growth and a hub for startup success – twice!
- Entrepreneurship that develops talent: With large VC funding, investors and capital, Boston is a home to entrepreneurs that keep the area inventive and vibrant. This creates the need for graphic designers that are up to the challenge of aligning their client’s brands with the demands of their market.
What Do Graphic Design Companies In Boston Specialize In?
Much like graphic design agencies in other US cities, Boston companies create visual content and imagery that businesses use in their products, services, marketing material and general branding.
The purpose of this visual content is communicating specific values and ideas to brands’ target audiences.
Boston graphic design companies are involved in making:
- Digital content such as website illustrations, images, infographics, charts, social media photos
- Brand identity and corporate design elements like typography and fonts, logos, business cards
- Marketing material such as campaign visuals, billboards, ads, flyers, banners, posters
- Product packaging such as labels, boxes, online visuals
- Print and publication material such as book covers and illustrations, product brochures, catalogs
- Environmental design creations such as billboards, murals, exhibits, posters, signs
Each type of graphic design content bears a certain significance for a business by covering different advertising channels and communicating with various demographics.
How Much Do Graphic Designers In Boston Charge For Their Work?
Boston is in the top 30 cities of the world when it comes to the cost of living. The high standard of living dictates the prices graphic design agencies will charge for their work.
The average hourly rate for Boston-based graphic designer is between $50 and $60.
Most graphic design companies in Boston will take up projects that are within the $1,000-$100,000 range.
However, the true price of their work really depends on the type of graphic design needed. For instance, designing a logo can cost between $2,000 and $15,000.
The final price that a Boston graphic design company will charge you comes down to these factors:
- The complexity and scope of work needed
- The type of graphic design that needs to be done
- The size of your business
- Cost of materials
- Experience of designers
Why Should You Hire A Graphic Design Agency In Boston?
Boston graphic designers work in a market that is diverse, open for global influences and trends from around the world and has a long-standing tradition in design.
The graphic design companies in this city are used to working with some of the most prestigious clients and delivering end-results they can be proud of.
The reasons why it’s prudent to hire a graphic design agency from Boston include:
- Access to a thriving regional market: Boston and the wider region of Massachusetts are in the area that is well-connected with buzzing business hubs like New York and Washington. The vicinity of these huge markets, as well as the Boston market itself, come with different sort of networking options and advertising opportunities.
- Huge talent pool: Boston’s prestige attracts creative talent from all over the country, not just locally. Boston graphic design companies employ versatile specialists that are proficient in various kinds of graphic design and know-how to rise to the occasion even for the most niche clients.
- Prestige: Working with a graphic design agency from one of the most prosperous and progressive parts of the US brings prestige to the business using their services. Having a graphic design solution made by one of the Boston design companies is a great selling point.
How To Hire A Graphic Design Agency In Boston
Hiring a graphic design agency can seem like a daunting task, given the sheer number of options available.
The key traits your business should look for in a Boston graphic design agency are, of course:
- A more than a satisfactory portfolio
- A pool of top-talent
- Pricing range that fits your budget
However, going beyond these must-haves, there are also certain metrics that speak about the company’s level of professionalism, general business culture and integrity.
When choosing your graphic design partner, you also need to take these factors into account:
- How well they understand your market: Can they quickly and effectively conduct research on your desired target audience, competitors, brand, trends and industry in general? Can they adjust themselves to new demands on the market? Have they had the opportunity of working in your target market?
- How well you know your goals: A clear understanding of objectives you wish to achieve with your graphic design will inform the kind of partner you need – the partner that is able to deliver these goals. Having a clear idea of your entire project and its desired results will make it easier to communicate the idea to the agency. And they, in turn, will be able to produce results of higher quality.
- Agency’s core competences and operations: Research your prospective agency partner’s capabilities and competencies to get a sense of a niche they specialize in by looking into the industries of their past clients. Also, try and get an understanding of how they operate internally as well as externally. Their work management practices, day-to-day work routine and communication channels will shed the light on what you can expect from the agency and the work they would deliver.
- Your budget: Any graphic design project can inflate the total cost through additional services and unforeseen setbacks. In order to stop the project from becoming a very expensive venture, determine the allocated budget for your project in advance and find an agency that is on board and respects that.
A habit much valued for any good graphic design company is having professional, passionate and determined team members that excel in cooperative work.
Best graphic design companies form deep, professional bonds with their clients.
What this should always mean is that your chosen graphic design partner needs to take note of and respect your suggestions, insights and interventions during the process.
The depth and strength of your cooperation will determine the final outcome of their work on your visual identity.
15 Questions To Ask When Hiring A Graphic Design Company In Boston
Before deciding on the one graphic design company, ask each of the candidate agencies the questions below during the interview.
They will help you establish their level of expertise, collaborative habits, how they use their resources and just how reliable of a partner they may be.
- What are your previous experiences with clients from our industry?
- How do you plan to reach our business objectives and have you already achieved some that were similar?
- What do you think about our brand’s current graphic design position?
- How would you describe our brand and what do you think is our core value and mission?
- Are there any of our current visual identity elements that you like and are there any that you would like to change? If yes, how?
- How will you conduct market research on our target audience and how will you target them visually?
- Who will comprise the team that will work on our project?
- What is their area of expertise and what work have they done before?
- Who is our point of contact?
- Will we be able to share our thoughts and ideas throughout the process?
- Will we have regular meetings to touch base?
- How do you determine the project’s timeline?
- Will you need any materials from us?
- How will we be involved in the project?
- How much will you charge us?
Takeaways On Graphic Design Firms In Boston
Graphic design agencies in Boston provide superior services within the $50 to $60 hourly rate range (on average) and excel at pushing the boundaries in:
- Digital content
- Branding material
- Environmental marketing
- Print and publications
- Product packaging
- And other facets of graphic design
Using our advice on how to narrow down your search in order to find the graphic design company that fits your niche, budget and specific projects, you can save yourself both time and money in gaining the design solution your business will be proud of.
To start your search, either browse through our list of top-class Boston agencies above this article or use the Filter button at the top of the page to fine-tune your search according to team size, budget or hourly rates.
Best of luck!
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