design retainer services
Your dedicated creative partner (without the full-time overhead)
Consistent design support to help your brand grow with confidence month after month.
Got a million things on your design list but don’t have the time or in-house resources?
As your business gains momentum, design needs tend to show up regularly. Marketing assets, updates, launches, refinements… it all adds up.
A design retainer removes the stop-start cycle, giving you ongoing access to experienced design support (ahem, that’s me!) without the commitment or cost of hiring in-house.
Think of it as a designer on your team — just more flexible
With a monthly retainer, you pre-purchase a set number of design hours and use them as needed. I become an extension of your business, providing reliable, strategic design support while keeping your visuals aligned with your bigger picture.
Your retainer can be used across a wide range of design needs, including:
Brand collateral & marketing materials
Social media graphics & templates
Branded documents & presentations
Packaging updates & extensions
Website graphics & content support
Signage, print assets & campaign visuals
how it works:
Monthly planning
At the start of each month, we’ll outline priorities and agree on deliverables, timelines, and estimated hours.
1
Design & delivery
I work through your tasks with priority attention, keeping you updated along the way.
2
Check-ins & reporting
Used hours are tracked and reported monthly so everything stays transparent and aligned.
3
-
Turnaround times vary depending on the scope of each request, though most items require 3–5 business days. Faster timelines may be possible where capacity allows.
All communication — emails, calls, and check-ins — is included within your retainer hours to ensure continuity and clarity.
-
Retainers are available as 3, 6, 9, or 12 month contracts. Used hours are tracked and reported each month.
Retainers are invoiced towards the end of the month to cover the upcoming month, and will include any additional hours used over the current month.
Communication via emails, calls, or other means, is subtracted from the total retainer hours.
Retainer Packages
(Minimum engagement of 3 months)
Sprout
10 hours/mth
Perfect for light, ongoing design support and occasional updates. Ideal if you want a trusted designer on hand for small but important tasks without committing to a higher monthly workload.
Bud
20 hours/mth
A balanced level of support for growing brands with regular design needs. Great for consistent marketing assets, content updates, and keeping your brand looking polished month to month.
Bloom
30 hours/mth
Designed for established brands and agencies that need hands-on, ongoing design support. Best suited for businesses with frequent launches, campaigns, or multiple touchpoints that require consistency and care.
Why retainers work so well
-
Simplified process
Say goodbye to multiple contracts and invoices for individual projects and hello to one flat fee each month.
-
A trusted creative partner
Enjoy the best of both worlds. Retainers feel a bit like having a designer on staff, but with no employment overheads.
-
Cohesive brand
Collaborating regularly means I get to know and love your brand, ensuring consistency across all of your assets.
-
Creative relief
Alleviate the creative burden from your team so that you are free to focus on your top priorities day in and day out.
-
Predictable budgeting
Retainers allow for predictable planning of your monthly marketing spend.
This service is a great fit if you…
Are past the DIY stage and want professional consistency
Already have brand foundations in place
Value long-term collaboration over quick fixes
Need regular design support without hiring in-house
FAQs
-
All facets of design – business cards, brochures, publications, posters, signage, packaging, digital assets, social assets and more.
However, brand identity creation, custom illustrations/patterns, and third party fees such as stock photography, font licenses etc are not included. These will need to be quoted separately.
-
A minimum 3-month engagement term is required. After 3 months, we can re-evaluate and move to 6, 9, or 12 month terms if necessary.
-
I am flexible to accommodate your additional needs. Extra hours can be purchased at the retainer rate applicable to your package, subject to my availability. If you frequently exceed your allocated hours, we can adjust your package accordingly.
-
The first retainer invoice will be sent along with the retainer agreement. After that, you’ll receive an invoice on the 25th of each month for the upcoming month along with any additional charges from the current month.
-
10% of the booked hours can roll over into the following month, but not the month after that. Hours unused at the termination of the retainer are forfeited.
-
You can cancel at any time after the minimum 3 month term with 30 days’ written notice, however cancellation inside the minimum term means a 50% cancellation fee will apply.
-
Yes! Payments by card will be securely processed through Stripe. Bank deposit details for Australian clients is also provided as a payment option.
enquire now
Ready to have a go-to design partner?
If you’re looking for ongoing, thoughtful design support that grows with your business, I’d love to learn more about you.
To ensure we’re a good fit and I have availability, please fill out the form and I’ll get back to you within 2 business days.