How I get Awesome Website & App Designs on a Budget
Getting high-quality designs at a budget price is a tough ask...
If you go through professionals/agencies you'll most likely be quoted thousands of dollars for a web or app designs. Even if you just need high-quality graphics, the costs will stack up fast.
After running a Design Agency for 18 months, here's how I get high quality designs at an affordable price.
Let's get started.
Onlinejobs.ph - Outsourcing to the Philippines
It's no secret that higher quality means a higher cost, but outsourcing has completely changed the game.
Onlinejobs is a platform that connects freelancers from the Philippines to Clients.
Why the Philippines?
It's because freelancers in the Philippines are hard-working, talented and most are fluent in english.
By outsourcing to the Philippines you can expect a lower salary range from $3/hr - $10/hr.
As with any country the higher your budget the higher quality of talent you can expect.
If you're looking for an awesome designer I recommend setting your budget at $6/hr - $10/hr.
What's the catch?
Although outsourcing to the Philippines is cheaper, there's a smaller pool of designers available.
This means you should expect to put more time in for finding, vetting and managing designers.
Pros
- Great solution for business owners looking for high quality designs on a budget
- Filipino freelancers are trustworthy, hardworking and talented
Cons
- Not great for business owners short on time - more time required for finding, vetting and managing designers
- Upfront cost of $69 to use the Onlinejobs.ph platform
How Onlinejobs works
Onlinejobs works like any other job board.
You post a job, specifying your job description, salary range and type of employment your looking for e.g. freelance or full-time
After you post you'll get offers within 1-2 hours from Filipino freelancers
At this point you'll be able to vet and interview the designers to see if they're a good fit for your job.
Upwork - More Talent Available
Our strategy for Upwork is similar to Onlinejobs.
With Upwork we'll have access to more countries that we can hire from.
The countries I recommend based on the quality of designs, fluency in english and price are:
- Philippines
- Eastern Europe - Ukraine, Georgia
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
The average salary on Upwork for a graphic designer is $25/hour.
For the countries mentioned above you should expect to pay a salary from $7/hr - $15/hr.
Upwork is also equipped with a ton of useful double edged features that will save you time:
- Reviews from previous clients (expect to pay higher for freelancers with good reviews)
- Payroll managed through their system (Charges 3% for every transaction)
Pros
- Access to designers from a range of countries
- Review and payroll system
- Talented Designers on the Upwork Platform
Cons
- Higher price for talented designers
- Upwork will charge you an extra 3% on all payments
- Lower job applications - expect around 5 jobs applications per job post
- Time required to vet and manage designers
How to post on Upwork
The first step is posting your job. Here you can include your job description, budget
You'll also be able to target freelancers from specific countries
Once your job is submitted, you'll receive offers within 2-3 hours. Expect to receive only 5-8 offers.
Hopefully this helps with getting the high-quality designs you need.
If you're short on time and don't want to focus on finding and vetting designers - I run Pixel True, a full-service design agency that provides high-quality designs at an affordable price.
If you need Websites, Apps or marketing assets we got your back! We offer a risk-free 14 day trial of our services 👍
