1. Business Model
Understand the differences in pricing, commitment, and how projects are scoped.
Traditional
Pricing: Project-based, often high upfront costs
Billing Structure: Milestone or end-of-project invoicing
Commitment: Long-term contracts or per-project agreements
Scope: Defined before work begins
On-Demand Designer
Pricing: Fixed monthly/weekly flat rate
Billing structure: Recurring automated payments
Commitment: Cancel-anytime flexibility
Scope: Evolving based on task requests
2. Speed and workflow
Compare how fast each model moves and how they manage requests and delivery.
Traditional
Turnaround time: Weeks to months
Onboarding: Formal proposals, approvals, contracts
Task handling:
Multiple projects at onceEfficiency:
Slower due to scale and process layers
On-Demand Designer
Turnaround time: 1–3 business days per request
Onboarding: Quick sign-up, minimal friction
Task handling: Tasks handled one at a time in a queue
Efficiency: Lean, focused delivery system
3. Flexibility and revisions
Explore how easily each model accommodates changes, revisions, and pauses.
Traditional
Revisions: Limited, often charged extra
Scope changes: Often requires new contracts or fees
Pausing work: Rare or not possible
Workflow adaptability: Less adaptive mid-project
On-Demand Designer
Revisions: Unlimited within active membership
Scope changes: Easily adjusted within the membership
Pausing work: Can pause/resume membership anytime
Workflow adaptability: Flexible and on-demand
4. Team and communication
Understand the human side of the service—team structure and communication style.
Traditional
Team size: Large teams, multiple departments
Point of contact: Account/project managers
Communication style: Formal, scheduled meetings
Consistency: Work may pass through different team members
On-Demand Designer
Team size: Solo or small team
Point of contact: Direct with the designer/founder
Communication style: Async, casual, often via email or tools
Consistency: Same person handles all design tasks
5. Use cases and ideal clients
See which type of business each model works best for and why.
Traditional
Ideal for: Large, complex branding or marketing campaigns
Design volume: One-off or periodic needs
Client type: Enterprise or mid-sized businesses
Scope: Broad service offerings (branding, dev, strategy)
On-Demand Designer
Ideal for: Startups, solo founders, agile marketing teams
Design volume: Ongoing design needs
Client type: Small businesses, fast-moving teams
Scope: Specialized in design, UI/UX, Webflow, etc.
6. Ownership and relationship
Explore how each model builds relationships and handles design ownership.
Traditional
Client relationship: Transactional, formal
Team rotation: Designers may change project to project
Transparency: Often limited visibility into progress
Design ownership: Often unclear or restricted without extra fees
On-Demand Designer
Client relationship: Collaborative, long-term
Team rotation: Consistent designer relationship
Transparency: Transparent tools and task tracking
Design ownership: Full ownership included
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