If you’re working in a busy team, you and your colleagues are likely juggling campaigns, social content, internal comms, and day-to-day design needs, and more. It can be hard to keep up, let alone stay ahead. That’s where a design retainer can change everything.
At Ave, we offer design retainers for organisations that want to treat good design not as a one-off, but as a consistent, strategic asset. Here’s what that means and why it could work for you.
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What is a design retainer?
A design retainer is a flexible monthly agreement that gives you guaranteed access to our team for an agreed number of hours per month. You pay a fixed fee each month, and in return, you get:
- Priority access to our booked-up schedule
- A dedicated creative team who knows your brand inside and out
- Responsive support for both planned and last-minute design needs
- Ongoing consistency across all your communications.
Think of it as an extension of your in-house team — without the overhead.
How does it work?
Every retainer starts with a conversation. We’ll get to know your team, your goals, and the kinds of work you need regularly, whether that’s campaign assets, social templates, internal presentations, fundraising collateral, website assets or anything else.
From there, we’ll agree a monthly scope that fits your budget and your workflow. We’ll set up shared systems to make collaboration seamless, and check in regularly to review priorities, capacity and results.
Need to scale up one month and down the next? We build in flexibility. You’re not locked into rigid hours — you’re supported in the way that works for you.
What kind of design work is covered?
Our retainers are as adaptable as your needs. Some of the work we regularly support with includes:
- Campaign concepting and rollout
- Social media graphics and content templates
- Print materials, flyers, reports, posters, signage
- Internal comms and stakeholder presentations
- Infographics, icon sets and explainer visuals
- Fundraising and donor engagement materials
- Website content updates and visual tweaks
- Moving image assets, such as gifs and animated social stings.
Whether you need a quick turnaround or help thinking bigger, by having an open retainer we’re on hand to make it happen.
Why choose a retainer over ad hoc projects?
Let’s be honest: there are times when design is the last thing to get scheduled and the first thing to be needed – creating a rush! A retainer helps you flip that script.
Here’s why our clients love theirs:
- Less admin, more momentum. No more repeated briefing or quote wrangling, just streamlined support when you need it.
- Better results, faster. We get to know your brand, your tone and your team. That means we can hit the ground running.
- Strategic thinking, not just execution. You’re not just getting designers, you’re getting creative partners who’ll help you do more with less.
- Budget clarity. Predictable monthly costs make it easier to plan and get sign-off.
- Room to breathe. Knowing you’ve got design support in the bank means you can focus on the bigger picture.
Ready to make design work harder for you?
If you’re tired of juggling freelancers, waiting weeks for small changes, or struggling to give your brand the attention it deserves, a design retainer might be just what you need.
Let’s talk about what a retainer could look like for your team.
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