Photutorial’s take
Designed.co is a very expensive graphic design service with very high customer satisfaction thank to quality designs. However, it’s too expensive for most clients, who can find cheaper alternatives in Awesomic or ManyPixels.
Pros
- Beautiful designs
- US based designers
- Extremely high user satisfaction
Cons
- Expensive in every aspect
- Small user base
- Not the best for non-US businesses
Designed.co is a costly graphic design service that not every business can afford. While the quality of designs and the overall service is very good, you can find much cheaper unlimited graphic design services with similar quality. Our Editor’s Pick for the best unlimited graphic design services, Awesomic, starts at just $699/month and also offers a 7-day trial (for $7). Another good option is ManyPixels, costing $425+/month.
However, if you’re looking for one-time designs, you can try a crowdsourced service like 99designs or look for professional graphic designers at Toptal, who prevets every freelancer, so you get to work with the very best.
How much does Designed.co cost?
Designed.co offers three types of services: graphic design subscription, project based graphic designs, and recruitment. They do not charge hourly rates as they believe it incentivizes slow design, and instead offer two pricing programs: a subscription-based unlimited (not really) design service and flat-rate pricing per project. The subscription-based service offers an unlimited number of projects with unlimited revisions, while the per-project pricing offers a custom quote for individual design projects.
Their turnaround time for standard design requests and changes is 1-2 business days, and they offer same-day turnaround times for smaller design requests and changes. However, more complicated design requests or brands with complicated brand guidelines may add time to the turnaround time.
Designed.co offers a free demo, but not free design. They do provide a money-back guarantee on subscriptions, and refunds are available within the first week of the subscription. There is no long-term contract required, and the minimum subscription is month-to-month. They also offer discounts for long-term prepaid commitments and multiple accounts. You can also get custom pricing and talk to sales to discuss your needs and find the best pricing options.
Subscription pricing
Designed.co graphic design subscriptions come in four sizes: Assistant, Part Time, Full Time, and Agency. They plans cost from $2,500 to $10,000 per month, making Designed.co one of the most expensive design services we’ve tested, right after Superside.
| Plan | Assisant | Part time | Full Time | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost/month | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Priority | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Projects | 4–7 | 8–14 | 12–21 | 16–28 |
| Design time | 40 hrs | 80 hrs | 120 hrs | 160 hrs |
| Project management | 10 hrs | 20 hrs | 30 hrs | 40 hrs |
| Weekly team call | 30 min | 1 hr | 1.5 hrs | 2 hrs |
Designed.co is a full-stack DesignOps team that provides an all-in-one design service to businesses. Their services include a designer, art director, and project manager, with a turnaround time of one day or more. The team is based in the US and consists of full-time, degreed professionals who do not outsource or offshore their work. They offer allegedly offer unlimited number of design requests and revisions (not really; you get the number of hours you buy), along with unlimited storage, and weekly check-in calls with the team.
One of the most notable features of Designed.co is their all-in-one tool for submitting, managing, communicating, and proofing files. This makes the design process seamless and straightforward, allowing clients to easily communicate with the team and track the progress of their projects.
However, it is important to note that there are certain services that are not included in their offerings. These include copywriting, content creation, proofreading, spelling and grammar checks, printing and production of projects, 3D design and renderings, website and app development, coding, interaction design, rapid prototyping, user experience design and workflows, copying existing materials and websites, presentation animation, transitions or interaction, video production and video editing, and animation and GIFs (with the exception of stop motion animation, which is now offered).
Project-based pricing
Designed.co offers 8 design types, and several subtypes within each, so we won’t breakdown the pricing for each. You can order print, digital, packaging, document, branding, presentations, illustration, and photography designs/services. To order a project-based design, you need to submit an online form, explaining your project.
Most of the designs cost $500 to $1,000 and have a turnaround time of 1 to 4 days, but there are also much cheaper and much more expensive designs, which can take up to 7 days. For example, a social media post costs $500 and takes 1+ days, while and infographic costs $750 and takes 3+ days.
One the main downsides of the project-based designs at Designed.co is that they are too expensive for most business. While corporations might be able to afford them, these prices are unattanaible to most businesses. A much cheaper and better alternative for one-off designs is 99designs. It’s a crowdsourced service, where you get 30 to 90 designs for each project submission, and you pay from $200 to $1,000+.
Recruitment services
Designed.co also offers headhunter service for graphic designers. The pricing is quite complicated and depends on the duration of hiring. When hiring this way, you should be aware of the very high headhunter fees, starting at $500/month + 6% of the financial year salary, and up to $19,800 plus time.
You can hire professional graphic designers much cheaper through freelance services like Toptal, where you pay $80 to $150 per hour.
Design services
Designed.co offers a comprehensive range of design services, including print, branding, digital, packaging, presentations, and photography. The team consists of degreed and certified multi-disciplinary designers, art directors, and project managers based in the US, who are dedicated to delivering quality designs on time. The company does not outsource or offshore any work and offers simple, efficient, and affordable project-by-project, flat-rate pricing, subscription-based design or low-cost recruitment services. Designed.co’s brand management tools ensure on-brand delivery, and its customer support is highly responsive and helpful. While the company does not offer copywriting, content creation, proofreading, 3D design, website or app development, video production, or animation services, they are happy to recommend trusted partners to clients.
Frequently asked questions
Is Designed.co worth your money?
Designed.co is an expensive graphic design service that not every business can afford. At much lower prices, you can get very good designs at Awesomic or ManyPixels. However, if you can afford to spend up to $10,000 per month on graphic design, Designed.co might be a good choice.
Is Designed.co legit?
Designed.co is a legitimate graphic design company based in Florida and founded by Jeremy Lessaris.