Freelancers are agencies now?

Lately I’ve been seeing more and more solo designers offering design “subscriptions”: fixed monthly fee, one request at a time, cancel anytime. It’s basically a retainer plan, rebranded.

And the model makes sense! Especially for early-stage startups who need ongoing design support but might not want to hire someone full-time for a variety of reasons—including not knowing whether the business will still be around five months down the line. (Which probably explains why this setup is more common in the US, from my limited perspective, where startups come and go by the minute.)

The marketing rubs me the wrong way

A lot of these are solo designers calling themselves an “agency.” Now, sometimes a single freelancer has a network of collaborators they bring in as needed. Or they’re just starting out and looking to grow soon. That’s a bit of a gray area, and in that case “studio” or “agency” might make sense.

But that’s not what I’m referring to here. I’m talking about people who proudly say, “When you work with Studio XYZ, you work only with me. No other collaborators.” So far, still fine!

What’s not fine, in my opinion, is writing—on the same landing page—something like:

“Ditch unreliable freelancers today and work with Studio XYZ instead!”

But… you are freelancer too! 😅 You’re just hoping prospective clients won’t notice. Sure, it’s technically stated that they’ll be working with you alone, but then why present yourself as an agency in the first place?

That’s what bugs me. Not the model itself, but the almost dishonest positioning.

Design = task delivery?

Then there’s the way the service is often structured: You pay → You get a Trello board → You add cards → You get “deliverables”

Simple. Transactional. Trello becomes a prompting box and the designer becomes ChatGPT.

Maybe there’s more going on behind the scenes though. Maybe the designers hop on calls, ask thoughtful questions, and push back when needed, and Trello is simply their project management tool of choice! But that’s not the idea you get from the landing pages. They pitch the service as a UI vending machine, so I’m inclined to believe that’s what it is.

That messaging shapes expectations; not just those of the given clients, but of the entire industry. It reinforces the idea that the value of design lies in how many mockups you can produce, and how quickly.

Full-timer vs “me”

Another pattern I’ve noticed: almost every one of these sites has an FAQ section that starts with: “Why not hire a full-time designer instead?” And the answer is always some variation of: “Because a full-time hire costs $100K+/year, and I only cost $5K/month.”

Which might sound like a deal for a sec; until you remember that $5K month is $60K/year—for part-time availability. Not such a dramatic difference.

Of course, not everyone needs a full-time designer! In many cases, working with a freelancer or a small studio makes more sense. But if your selling point is “I’m the same but cheaper” (and that isn’t even entirely accurate) I don’t think you’re doing anyone a service.

Clarifications

To be clear: I love the idea of making good design more accessible, and retainer models are great. Also, sometimes a client simply needs some mockups, shipped fast. Maybe to show them around and validate an early idea; perhaps to put a fresh coat of paint onto a legacy app that they don’t have the resources to fully remake just yet. And that’s totally fine! But these subscription services are often presented as the ideal setup for every company, and that’s just misleading.

Basically: you wanna sell design subscriptions? Totally fair and welcome! Just don’t be sleazy about it and be mindful of what expectations you’re creating.

Curious to hear from you:

• Have you worked with a one-person design subscription “agency”?
• Do you offer this kind of service yourself? Am I getting it wrong?
• What’s your take—good, harmful, or something in between?

You know where to find my email ^-^