Do You Need a Freelance Presentation Designer or Your In-House Team?
Just because you already have an in-house design team doesn’t mean using them for every important pitch, presentation, workshop, or event is always the right thing to do. It might be the right decision – but you need to know when it might in fact be better to bring in a freelancer. It’s not about one option being better than the other, it’s about knowing how to get the best results.
There will be times when using your in-house team is absolutely the right decision. There will also be times when looking outside your company and hiring a presentation-design freelancer can have a huge impact. Ensuring you’re getting the strongest, most effective presentation for the circumstances is what matters.
Creating opportunities, winning business, and effectively communicating are the outcomes you’re looking for. You just need to make sure you’re on the right path to get there. There are pros and cons to using freelance presentation designers and in-house teams: it’s important to understand which is better when you have specific goals you want to achieve.
The pros and cons of in-house presentation-design teams versus freelancers:
The pros of having an in-house design team
Your in-house design team knows your brand inside and out. They understand nuances a freelancer just wouldn’t get
They can guarantee consistency across company designs
It’s easy to communicate quickly within and across company teams
The cons of a having an in-house design team
A limited number of designers means limited capacity
The amount of training and development an in-house designer needs in order to achieve certain standards can be extensive
Overheads and salary costs
Creative stagnation - there is a risk of being boxed into a company’s branding and losing the freedom and new perspectives that collaborating with new people brings
The pros of hiring a freelance presentation designer
Freelance presentation designers can bring in fresh ideas and looks when they’re needed
You only pay them per project (more about costs in our blog What Does A Presentation Designer Charge?)
They may work across various sectors or be very niche and have experience and insights to match
Freelancers make a great extra pair of hands when things get busy but aren’t hanging around doing nothing and costing you money when it’s quieter
The cons of hiring a freelance presentation designer
Freelancers typically only work on shorter-term projects
Not all freelancers will get a topic quickly: we need to understand your content and that can take time. (Make sure you know how to brief and feedback to a freelancer)
Freelancers have boundaries that employees may not - and these will need to be respected
Not all freelancers have the same skill sets so cannot be compared on an equal basis
When it makes sense to hire a freelance presentation designer
You need a fresh perspective and creativity
Because freelance presentation designers are not working to your brand guidelines all day, every day, they can bring in new ideas and approaches your in-house team may not have considered. If you have a one-off event or need something to stand out, this can be particularly useful.
For flexibility and cost efficiency
You can pay a freelancer solely for the work they do without worrying about salary or other overheads. This is ideal when you know you have periods when you’ll need extra help, but you don’t want to hire another team member.
Varied experience and niche expertise
Freelancers who work within various industries can bring insight and inspiration from other sectors. Others may have in-depth knowledge of one sector and are equally valuable. Surprisingly, many presentation designers do not have graphic design training or experience – we do.
What to watch out for:
Limitations – some freelancers might take time to grasp the content, context, or internal processes
Boundaries – freelancers won’t always be immediately available, unlike employees
Variations in skill levels - not all freelancers have the same training, background, experience, or expertise
Project scope – not all freelancers will commit to long, on-going long-tail projects
When you should use your in-house design team
You need deep brand knowledge
Your in-house team is ideal when you need a designer who fully understands tone, branding, and company culture and you don’t have the time or the need to get a freelancer up to speed.
You need consistency
If you want to ensure a cohesive brand look across various presentations, your own team will be better placed to achieve this, especially at speed.
You need it immediately
You can get your team on a project and collaborating internally immediately. Hiring a freelancer will require more time and input both at the beginning and throughout the project.
Working out what’s right for your business
What’s right for your business will depend on what you want to achieve, and how you want to achieve it. For any presentation-design project, it’s important to ensure you know the options and the implications of using an in-house team or a freelancer. Make sure you choose the right one for your specific project.
Sarah, senior designer and creative director of power your point, has extensive experience in many sectors and specialist knowledge of designing presentations for the media planning and buying industry. She is also a trained graphic designer which means she has a true eye for design, not just the ability to make slides ‘look better’.
Do you have an important presentation coming up that needs a freelancer’s input?
We are always available to chat through the best options available to you where your presentations and other designs are concerned. Is it time to get creative? Why not get in touch?