The Creative Industry’s Quiet Truth: No Company Needs a Full-Time Graphic Designer

There, I said it.

After more than 20 years working both in-house and within agencies, I’ve come to a simple conclusion: most businesses don’t actually need a full-time graphic designer. They think they do — but they don’t.

Design work doesn’t arrive in tidy, predictable 40-hour weeks. It comes in bursts — new campaigns, seasonal pushes, a brand refresh here and there — and then it quiets down. Yet many companies still keep a designer on payroll year-round, trying to justify the cost by finding “something” for them to do. That’s not a strategy; that’s an overhead.

Design shouldn’t exist to fill time. It should exist to create impact. A sharp campaign, a confident rebrand, a well-executed piece of creative — those are the moments that drive business growth.

The truth is, companies benefit from working with designers who aren’t confined to a single brand. Someone who’s exposed to multiple industries, ideas, and approaches. That variety keeps the thinking fresh. It brings a wider understanding of what’s working elsewhere — and what’s not. You don’t get that from the same four walls every day.

The modern model isn’t about hiring for hours — it’s about hiring for outcomes. Accessing design expertise when it’s needed most, not just when there’s time to fill.

Because creativity isn’t a job title. It’s a resource. And used wisely, it can make a business far more efficient — and far more successful.