Retainer Rates
Your work is
but the way it’s presented
hasn’t caught up yet.
A retainer keeps everything
aligned with your mission
...consistently
Your work is but the way it’s presented hasn’t caught up yet. A retainer keeps everything aligned with your mission, consistently
1. We’ve outgrown Canva, but we’re not ready for a full-time designer.
2. Our team wears too many hats, we need someone to just handle design.
3. We’re always scrambling to pull together flyers and reports last-minute.
4. We don’t have the time or energy to manage freelancers every month.
If this sounds like your team, you're exactly who we support.
If this sounds like your team, you're exactly who we support.
1. We’ve outgrown Canva, but we’re not ready for a full-time designer.
2. Our team wears too many hats, we need someone to just handle design.
3. We’re always scrambling to pull together flyers and reports last-minute.
4. We don’t have the time or energy to manage freelancers every month.
Why a Retainer?
If you’ve been juggling freelancers, DIYing graphics on Canva, or burning out your team trying to keep visuals on point then you sound like my favorite clients. Your problem is my super power. After 10 years of running a small but mighty studio, I’ve found my rhythm. Supporting non-profits, universities, institutions, and small businesses with consistent made-for-you designs isn’t just what I do, it’s my purpose. If that’s what you’re looking for, I’m elated you found me!
They say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but let’s be real, we all do. And your visual identity is the cover. Before anyone reads your mission, your captions, or your strategic plan… they’re looking at how it’s presented. A powerful story deserves powerful visuals. If the story looks underdeveloped, people might never give it the chance it deserves. It’s like showing up to a life-changing interview in sweaty gym clothes, your brilliance is still there, but it’s being misrepresented. A retainer makes sure your visuals are telling the truth about your value, consistently.
Plus, it saves your organization money in the long run. Our standard hourly rate outside of a retainer is $150/hr. The packages below are designed to honor our ongoing relationship with reduced rates, faster turnarounds, and more thoughtful collaboration.
Testimonials
Not Just a Vendor.
A Creative Ally.
Your team’s already juggling enough roles. Support your team by letting them do what they do best, I’ll handle the visuals!
Why Choose a Retainer
Over a Full-Time
Full-Time Designer / Art Director Costs:
◦ Average Salary: $90,000 – $130,000/year ($7,500 – $10,800/month).
◦ Additional Costs: Benefits (20-30%), payroll taxes (7.65%), equipment, software, and office space.
◦ Total Monthly Cost: $10,000 – $14,000 or more.
senior-level expertise at a fraction of the cost of an in-house executive. We take on all of the overhead including:
◦ Software (Adobe Creative Suite, Content Management System, Zoom, Etc)
◦ Equipment (Top of the line iMac, Wacom tablet, Professional Camera Gear, External Hard Drives, and other office supplies)
◦ Workspace (Office Space, WiFi, Etc)
No need for training, onboarding, or managing a full-time employee’s productivity.
A decade of experience in branding, design, and creative direction across multiple industries.
Scale up or down based on your business’s evolving needs.
Unlike a salaried hire, a retainer offers flexibility with no HR obligations.
Why Choose a Retainer Over a Full-Time Art Director / Designer?
Full-Time Designer / Art Director Costs:
Average Salary: $90,000 – $130,000/year ($7,500 – $10,800/month).
Additional Costs: Benefits (20-30%), payroll taxes (7.65%), equipment, software, and office space.
Total Monthly Cost: $10,000 – $14,000 or more.
Senior-level expertise at a fraction of the cost of an in-house executive. We take on all of the overhead including:
Software (Adobe Creative Suite, Content Management System, Zoom, Etc)
Equipment (Top of the line iMac, Wacom tablet, Professional Camera Gear, External Hard Drives, and other office supplies)
Workspace (Office Space, WiFi, Etc)
No need for training, onboarding, or managing a full-time employee’s productivity.
A decade of experience in branding, design, and creative direction across multiple industries.
Scale up or down based on your business’s evolving needs.
Unlike a salaried hire, a retainer offers flexibility with no HR obligations.
Which Retainer
Feels Right for You?
I’m your creative department, minus the hiring process. Let’s build a system that works month after month. Each month, we go over your goals then we construct the perfect set of deliverables that fit within your selected retainer. There’s a 3 month minimum. Start with what you need now, scale up or down as you go.
Seed
$2,550 /month
Grow your vision with expert creative support that scales with you.
Perfect for mission-driven solo leaders or small teams beginning to build their visual presence with confidence and intention.
For you if you’re:
Feeling overwhelmed juggling Canva, freelancers, or DIY graphics and need some momentum.
What you get:
Steady design support with one focused request at a time.
Monthly strategy call to keep things aligned.
High-quality visuals delivered in web + print formats.
Thoughtful revisions that help refine your message.
- A smoother creative workflow built around your needs.
Examples:
Event branding with supporting visuals, social media posts, animated reels, static flyers etc.
Website maintenance & illustrations.
Info-graphics, Powerpoint / Google presentation.
* Logo design, new websites, and report design available only in higher tiers.
Pro
$4,995 /month
Momentum meets mastery.
This retainer is built for brands in full bloom: organizations, initiatives, or programs that need dependable design leadership to match their impact. No more back-and-forths or design gaps. Just a clear system, an expert eye, and a powerful visual rhythm month after month.
Running 1–2 programs or campaigns each month that need compelling visuals and you’re juggling too many moving parts.
Craving consistency, cohesion, and elevated execution across all your materials.
Dedicated design capacity with multiple active requests.
Two monthly meetings to align on vision + direction.
Fast, reliable turnaround, typically within 2 business days.
Unlimited revisions so everything lands just right.
Access to photography, commercial fonts, and technical web support.
Logo design / branding. Including logo animation, brand guide etc.
Report designs, digital report summary (web).
Fully customized website.
Residency
$9,550 /month
Your full creative studio, on call and fully aligned.
This is more than support, it’s collaboration at the highest level. You get a creative partner who is steeped in your mission, fluent in your voice, and proactively building a visual ecosystem that elevates your brand across every touchpoint.
Leading large campaigns, public initiatives, or multiple departments.
Tired of explaining your vision over and over, you want someone embedded
What you get:
A fully integrated creative duo ready to support any project, any time.
Weekly strategy meetings to shape your direction and offerings.
Same-day delivery on most requests, rush work included.
High-touch brand execution including sub-brand systems and custom development.
- Photography, design, web, and consulting all under one roof.
Examples:
Event, commercial, and editorial photography (travel included).
Full branding for campaigns, events, branch orgs, etc.
Full art direction of your creative team.
Case Study: Wikimedia NYC
The Challenge: Wikimedia NYC needed a consistent, reliable creative partner to support their growing list of public programs and events but didn’t have the time to onboard someone new for every campaign. Their small team was juggling multiple deadlines and needed a designer who could step in seamlessly and bring their vision to life without a ton of back-and-forth.
The Impact : We developed a playful visual identity for each event or project. This included micro-sites, social media graphics, and presentation slides. Our work together has since grown into an ongoing retainer partnership, covering a range of design needs and campaign materials making their work more accessible, recognizable, and engaging.
Not Sure Yet?
Take this 5-minute questionnaire and I’ll recommend the best package for your needs,
whether that’s within or outside of a retainer.