From marketing and brand strategy to digital product UX and social media, graphic or multimedia design has evolved into a valuable asset for modern businesses. Excellent graphic or multimedia design work sets you apart visually from your competitors.
Graphic design has become such an important part of running a business today that hiring a freelance designer is unavoidable. However, you may not have the resources to hire and retain a top-tier freelance designer on a full-time basis, especially if your design needs are limited.
In this scenario, a freelance designer is best.
What is a Freelance Graphic Designer?
A freelance designer creates visual media concepts to communicate business ideas and identity, with the goal of inspiring, informing, or captivating consumers' attention through virtual and physical art forms.
However, unlike their in-house counterparts who are paid a salary, a freelance designer is paid on a per-task or per-project basis, typically for short-term work.
Why Should You Hire a Freelance Designer?
Access to Expertise on a Budget
Freelance graphic designers have low business overhead because they are independent contractors who mostly work from home. The efficiency of a freelance designer's operation is ultimately passed on to you in the form of a lower service fee for the work they do.
Of course, some freelance graphic designers will charge you a premium, particularly if they have extensive experience in a highly sought-after niche like animation. But even at a premium, working with a freelance design specialist will be less expensive than hiring them full-time.
Wider Pool of Talent
When you hire a full-time graphic designer, your options are limited to that person's talents and creativity. This may be sufficient if your company is small or if your current design needs require only the skills your designer has.
However, for more demanding projects, you'll need a team of experienced designers with a wide range of skills. Fortunately, the freelance designer market connects you with a plethora of skilled designers in every niche. As a result, you can quickly find someone who specializes in what you need without having to deal with the headaches of onboarding new design talents or managing a large design team.
Efficiency, Speed, and Flexibility
Do you need something done after 5 p.m. on a Friday? You'll likely have to wait until Monday before your full-time designer can work on it. Freelance designers, on the other hand, work much longer hours and are open to taking on projects at a moment's notice. This means faster turnaround times for your project.
Freelance Designer Singapore: How and Where to Find the Best Part-Time Graphic Designers?
Hiring a freelance designer in Singapore is much easier than you think. There are numerous online freelance marketplaces that connect freelance designers and employers for little or no cost.
Here’s a list of the best freelance designer platforms to begin your search right away:
1.99Designs
99designs is a graphic design service that allows you to work with professional design experts from all over the world.
Simply fill out a creative brief on 99 Designs and then sit back and wait for designers to submit their ideas to you in a "job contest". This ensures that you get a design that you like before committing to working with a designer. You can also skip the 'job contest' and work with a single designer directly. For this option, you'll be given a curated list of more experienced designers but no design ideas.
2.Upwork
With millions of job listings and users each year, Upwork is arguably the largest global freelancing website on the web today. You'll find designers with varying levels of experience on this platform, making it easier to find one who fits your budget and project needs.
Upwork also has a high customer rehire rate, indicating that its freelancers are dependable. You can further protect yourself by using its project management tools to set up project milestones that ensure you only part ways with your money if these goals are met.
3.Behance
Behance has over 7 million creatives and a thriving community of designers looking for work. As a result, if you search this platform, you are almost certain to come across a freelance designer who is right for your project. Behance also allows job postings, which is a great option if you don't want to sift through thousands of design portfolios.
We especially recommend this platform if you need a freelance designer who works with Adobe Creative Cloud.
4.Fiverr
Fiverr.com is a well-known and popular online micro-job marketplace. It is the best freelance marketplace for listing micro-gigs(short-term projects) with quick turnaround times - typically within 72 hours.
Because the projects are smaller in scope, they can be completed faster and a working relationship can be tested quickly. Furthermore, Fiverr allows you to list a design project for as little as $5, making it one of the most cost-effective gig service platforms online. To meet the need for fast project completion, Fiverr has a mobile app that allows you to quickly post a job ad even while on the go!
5.Dribble
Dribbble began as an invitation-only community for designers to meet, share ideas and showcase their work. With the addition of a job board, Dribble has quickly grown to be one of the most visited freelance designer marketplaces.
Dribble allows you to narrow your search by geographical location, skill set, and more. We recommend creating a list of top contenders for your design project and reviewing their bios, reviews, and projects before settling on a designer.
6.LinkedIn Profinder
LinkedIn ProFinder is a freelance concierge service that connects you with over in-demand, highly skilled designers in Singapore.LinkedIn Profinder was created for high-quality freelance or independent professionals seeking new clients and projects.
Use this platform to connect with top freelance designers who meet your criteria. Be sure to read their recommendations, and ask for direct quotes. If the designer is interested in your request, they will respond with a brief proposal and provide you with access to their full LinkedIn profile.
7.Toptal
Toptal provides a highly curated experience that matches you with only the most talented freelance designers. You can relax knowing that your project will be worked on by only the best designers because Toptal screens freelancers on its platform thoroughly before they are listed.
Toptal's rigorous screening and testing process is backed by a risk-free trial period that allows you to explore the platform and try out the selected designer before committing.
8.AngelList (Angel.co)
AngelList is the place to go if you are a startup owner looking for design talent (specifically UI/UX designers). AngelList is similar to Match.com but for startups, in that, it connects you with freelance designers and investors.
In just three steps, you can connect with a freelance designer - simply create a free business profile - list your job opportunity - and wait to be contacted by interested designers.
9.Servicespace
ServiceScape is a mid-sized freelance platform that caters to editors, translators, writers, and graphic designers. We recommend this platform if you are looking for freelance designer individuals who can create memorable designs for your online or print content.
When you find a designer you like, a quick look at their profile should provide you with all the information you require, including their price, specialty, and availability.
10. Krop
Krop, like Behance, is a freelancer marketplace for creatives.
You can find freelance designers on this platform in two ways: by posting a job opportunity on the job board or browsing through portfolios until you find a designer you like. Depending on the option you choose, you can expect to pay between $199 and $299.
11.UXHires
Even though UXHires is a recruitment and staffing agency, it deserves a spot on this list because it is an excellent resource for finding dedicated freelance UX researchers, UX designers, and UI designers for long-term projects.
In true recruitment agency style, you won't be connected to the freelancers. But don't worry, you will be matched with the right talent for your project based on skills, experience, and personality because all the freelance designers on this platform are vetted thoroughly by the UXHire team, who also run Motivate(a well-known boutique UX and Design agency).
12.Art Wanted
Art Wanted is yet another freelance marketplace where you can find freelance designers in Singapore. Every day, thousands of new works of art and photography are uploaded, and you can view over 50,000 artist portfolios. Many of the images on Art Wanted can be purchased as professional prints, original works of art, or customized business products. You can contact a designer directly to work on your custom design project.
13.Crowdspring
CrowdSpring is an online marketplace to get crowdsourced design services.
The process is as follows: you will be asked to choose a category, submit a brief, and then select a package that fits your budget. Custom designs will be submitted by creatives who are interested in your brief for you to review - choose a design you like and collaborate with the designer to make it a reality.
14.Coroflot
Coroflot is a creative jobs board that connects you with freelance design talents in a variety of fields including illustration, architecture, and 3D modeling. Coroflot job listings are active for 90 days unless canceled and cost between $295 and $399.
15.Envato
If you're a power user of WordPress, you're probably already familiar with Envato Element plugins, themes, website templates, and other design tools, but Envato has so much more to offer.
Specifically, an industry-leading marketplace through which you can gain access to a network of over 7 million highly skilled freelancers for your next project.
16.Local Solo
LocalSolo is a freelance marketplace with top-tier freelancers in major cities around the world, including Singapore. This platform is ideal if you're looking for freelancers for a project that requires experience working with a high-level team or has an onsite component.
LocalSolo connects you with over 25,000 local, highly qualified freelancers who have worked with agencies, start-ups, and businesses of all sizes, allowing you to quickly find and hire the best local contract talent for your needs.
17. Design Crowd
Design Crowd is a community-based design service that has over 700,000 designers. Your design projects can be completed in almost any language, and Design Crowd also guarantees a quick turnaround time.
To find design talent, you'll need to publish a detailed creative brief, just like other similar platforms. However, unlike other similar platforms, submitted entries can be shared with other individuals on your team.
18.PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour ranks alongside UpWork as one of the world's most popular freelance job boards.
PeoplePerHour connects you with a large pool of specialized freelance designers and promises to match you with one who meets your requirements in as little as 15 minutes. There is also some leeway in terms of the type of hire you can make, such as whether it is project-based or hourly.
19. Freelancer
Freelancer has been around for a longer time than the majority of the other freelance marketplaces on this list.
Unlike others, however, Freelancer charges a flat service fee for most projects, and both parties (you and the designer) pay fees to begin a project, as a demonstration of commitment to the project. Everything else is fairly standard; through a job contest or by browsing profiles.
20. Working Not Working (WNW)
Working Not Working (WNW) has given the traditional job board a new spin with its "UnJobBoard" approach to how you meet and hire freelance designers.
First off, you can narrow your search to only include designers who are available during the duration of your project. Second, because WNW does not charge a commission, it is a great place to find freelance designers for a long-term project.
Final Word
Hiring a freelancer rather than a full-time designer has many advantages. The trick, however, to finding the right freelancer is to always consider if they check every box.
