Your creative design team fuels marketing campaigns and shapes customer experiences. But when deadlines tighten, brand consistency falters, or resources run thin, things can start to feel off track.
Why? It often comes down to one core issue: how your team is structured.
A well-thought graphic design team structure is key to sustainable creativity and efficiency. With the right setup, you can sidestep bottlenecks and deliver consistently on-brand design projects, no matter the scale.
This guide explores team structures designed to tackle common challenges and set your graphic designers up for success. Whether you’re running a lean operation or need to scale up your project team to meet new demands, read on to get actionable insights to streamline workflows and prepare for growth.
Ready to rethink how your design team works? Let’s dive in.
Different types of graphic design team structures
Choosing a flexible design team structure can make or break your creative operations. Here are five common design team structures—each addressing different needs to align with your organization’s unique goals and ensure growth-driven design:
Centralized graphic design team structure
A centralized design team structure serves as the single hub for all creative work, ensuring consistent branding and efficient resource use across your company. But it’s slower to respond to department-specific needs, which can feel frustrating in fast-moving environments.
If you want to prioritize a unified look and streamlined design processes over immediate responsiveness, the centralized team structure is perfect. With everything coming through one team, you get brand-aligned deliverables every time, creating a cohesive identity at every touchpoint.
Embedded or distributed team structure
In embedded design team structures, graphic designers work directly with design managers, within individual departments or units. This structure speeds up delivery and provides a deeper understanding of specific needs, making it appropriate for startups or environments where close collaboration drives innovation. Think: tech companies pairing design with product teams.
The trade-off? Brand consistency can take a hit. Without a central team overseeing standards, you risk a patchwork identity as departments interpret guidelines differently. If you go this route, extra vigilance is key to keeping your company's brand voice intact.
Matrix team structure
The matrix team structure is all about balance. Designers report to both a functional manager (like a creative director) and a project manager, ensuring they meet both departmental and individual design project needs.
However, managing dual reporting lines can be tricky, with conflicting project requirements sometimes causing confusion. Still, this setup works well if you need to handle dynamic projects while maintaining steady departmental work, as it promotes cross-team collaboration and flexible resource allocation.
Pod-based team structure
Pod-based teams operate like creative SWAT teams—small, autonomous groups taking ownership of projects or client accounts from start to finish. Each pod comprises a design leader, designers, strategists, and specialists. It’s a favorite for agencies or organizations with project-specific needs, thanks to its agility and focus.
The downside? Resource inefficiency. When pods have lighter workloads, resources can go underutilized. If you decide to adopt this team structure, be sure to plan workloads strategically for balance.
Hybrid/on-demand team structure
The hybrid model combines an in-house core design team with external resources, like freelancers or agencies, to handle fluctuating demands. It’s a cost-effective, flexible team structure for businesses that experience seasonal spikes or varying project needs.
Quality control can be a problem, though. Aligning external work with your design strategy requires strong processes and oversight. But if you're looking to scale without overloading your internal design team, the hybrid model is a solid solution to ensure consistency and adaptability.
How business context shapes your design team structure
The effectiveness of a design team organizational structure isn’t just about internal operations—it’s deeply tied to the broader design culture and context of your business. Let's review the key factors that play a critical role in determining which structure will drive optimal results:
Company size
Small businesses often do best with hybrid or embedded models. A hybrid team keeps a lean in-house core while scaling up with freelancers or agencies when things get busy. Embedded teams, where graphic designers sit directly within departments, are great for fostering collaboration and tackling specific needs—perfect for smaller, dynamic setups.
In contrast, larger companies typically thrive with centralized or matrix structures. Centralized teams create a unified brand voice and ensure consistent workflows, which is vital in big organizations. If your company manages cross-departmental projects, a matrix structure can help balance competing priorities while maintaining brand standards.
Industry requirements
If you’re in tech or ecommerce, agile or distributed teams often make the most sense. These setups are built for speed, allowing your graphic design team to align closely with product teams and adapt quickly to changes.
In retail or media, a pod-based model is often ideal. By focusing on campaigns or seasonal projects, graphic designers ensure timely delivery while staying creative. For industries like healthcare or finance, where compliance and brand integrity are non-negotiable, centralized teams provide a safe, consistent approach.
Growth stage
Early-stage startups need flexibility. Hybrid models work well here, with a small core team handling essential tasks while freelancers or agencies scale things up as needed. It’s agile without unnecessary overhead.
As you grow, more formalized setups like matrix or centralized structures help handle increasing demands. Mid-sized companies often benefit from matrix models to balance departmental and project needs. On the other hand, mature companies with established workflows lean toward centralized teams for consistent branding across all touchpoints.
Budget constraints
Hybrid models are often the most cost-effective. You can maximize output with a small, skilled team and scale up with freelancers during busy periods. Just make sure to have clear brand guidelines and good onboarding to keep the quality high.
If your budget is tight, embedded design teams are another smart option. By assigning designers directly to departments, you avoid the overhead of a big centralized team while still delivering targeted support.
Why to choose a hybrid/on-demand design team structure
If you’re aiming for cost-effectiveness and top-notch design output, a hybrid or on-demand graphic design team structure is an obvious win. Here’s why:
Cost-effectiveness
A hybrid model is like having your cake and eating it too—it stretches your budget without stretching you thin. Here’s how it works:
- Pay only for what you use: No full-time salaries draining your resources. You pay per project, making your budget work smarter, not harder.
- Slash overhead costs: You don't have to bear expenses like benefits, office space, and onboarding.
- Scale up (or down) when you need: Whether it's a big campaign or a product launch, you can bring in extra help without worrying about long-term commitments.
Elevated design quality
Saving money is great, but the hybrid model also steps up your design game. Key benefits include:
- Access to specialized skills: Freelancers and on-demand pros bring niche expertise, so you always have the right person for the job.
- Fresh, innovative perspectives: External designers bring diverse experiences and new ideas, keeping your creative output fresh and engaging.
- Global talent pool: Removing geographical barriers allows you to collaborate with top talent from around the world.
Let's take Tinuiti as an example. This performance marketing agency needed to manage fluctuating workloads and access specialized talent. By partnering with MarketerHire, they integrated expert designers seamlessly into their team. The results?
- 100+ projects completed
- Boosted creative output
- Fewer design revisions
"We can get creative out faster, test it faster, and see results in a faster cycle than waiting for the next trend," says Hiram Cruz, Tinuiti's Creative Director of Growth. Learn more about their collaboration here.
How to assess your current design needs and resources
Before you can optimize your graphic design team, you need to take a good, hard look at where you stand right now. This means assessing your current design needs and resources to pinpoint what's working, what’s not, and what you can do better.
Here's how:
Understand your design workload
Start by analyzing your design workload to identify patterns and challenges. Consider the following:
- Project types: What’s on your plate? Are you building marketing materials, product visuals, or digital assets? Understanding the diversity of projects will help you see the skills you need.
- Turnaround times: How fast is your team delivering? If deadlines feel like a constant scramble, that’s your cue to investigate delays.
- Peak periods: Identify times of the year when design requests surge, such as during product launches or marketing campaigns. This will help you plan your resources better.
To answer the above, you'll need to conduct a capacity audit. Try:
- Tracking workloads: Who’s doing what, and how much? Monitor tasks over time to ensure balance.
- Assessing quality: Is your team delivering great work consistently, or does quality dip during crunch time?
- Spotting bottlenecks: Where do things slow down? Whether it’s revisions or approvals, find the holdups and tackle the causes.
This process gives you a reality check on your team's ability and where you need to adjust.
Analyze your resources
Now, shift your focus to your team's skills and tools. Are they set up for project success?
- Skill inventory: Make a list of each team member’s strengths—UX design, illustration, motion graphics, or other specialties.
- Gap analysis: Match your team’s skills to project demands. Are there areas where expertise is missing or team members are stretched too thin?
- Hiring priorities: Use the gaps to decide whether you need to hire or upskill. Focus on the most critical needs first so your team can keep pace with current and future projects.
Take a page from Brad Reid, Creative Director at Springboard. Brad faced ballooning agency costs and a disjointed design process. To solve this issue, Brad partnered with MarketerHire to bring on a design assistant who integrated seamlessly with his team. The results?
- 70% cost savings
- 200% more quarterly campaign refreshes
- 20% more ads per partner launch
“Using MarketerHire to find an in-house design assistant provided immense savings for Springboard. It allowed me to significantly improve our profit margins,” says Brad Reid. Discover more about Springboard's collaboration with MarketerHire here.
Choosing the right structure for your graphic design team
Building the perfect graphic design team is all about balance—understanding what your core team can handle and when to bring in extra hands for specialized or fluctuating needs. With the right mix of key roles and flexible support, you can scale efficiently and keep creativity flowing.
Core team
The core team drives your brand's creative strategy and handles the day-to-day. Structuring this team right means knowing the roles and responsibilities and how they fit together:
- Creative Director/Design Lead (Top of the hierarchy): Oversees the overall design vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with business goals. This role is crucial for setting quality benchmarks and managing the team’s workflow.
- Senior Graphic Designers (Second level of hierarchy): Bridge the gap between leadership and production, mentoring junior designers and executing high-level projects.
- UI Designers and UX Designers (Second level of hierarchy): For businesses with a digital presence, these specialists focus on creating intuitive and visually appealing interfaces for websites and applications.
- Project Manager or Design Ops Specialist (Second level of hierarchy): Facilitates communication, sets deadlines, and ensures projects move smoothly from conception to delivery. This role is essential for optimizing workflows and maintaining efficiency.
- Junior Graphic Designers (Third level of hierarchy): Handle production-level tasks, such as creating social media graphics, simple branding, or adapting templates to project needs.
Flexible hires
Even the best core team can’t do it all—nor should they. That’s where a flexible component comes in, letting you tap into specialized skills when needed. Freelancers or contract designers are perfect for projects like:
- Illustrators for custom graphics: When a campaign requires unique visuals, hiring an illustrator on a per-project basis can elevate the creative output without overextending your team.
- Motion designers: Specialized in creating animations or video assets, motion designers can add depth and dynamism to your digital campaigns.
- Brand refresh experts: If your business is undergoing a rebrand, an external designer with experience in brand development can provide fresh perspectives and strategic insights.
Using freelancers smartly means you’re ready for high-demand seasons, new design trends, or niche projects without the long-term commitment. Just make sure they have clear briefs and brand guidelines, plus strong, effective communication with your core team is a must.
💡Read More: Marketing Freelancer, Agency or Full-Time Hire: Which Is for You? [Quiz]
Why use MarketerHire to build your graphic design team
Finding the right balance between a capable core team and a reliable flexible component can be challenging. That’s where MarketerHire excels—it connects you with pre-vetted design professionals. This way, you can:
- Quickly scale resources: Find the right designers, motion artists, or UX/UI experts in days, not weeks.
- Optimize costs: Pay only for what you need, reducing overhead while maintaining high-quality output.
- Achieve brand consistency: Work with professionals who are matched to your specific projects and customer satisfaction goals.
Whether you’re building a core team or adding a flexible layer of talent, MarketerHire provides a streamlined solution to help you optimize your design team structure. Start hiring with MarketerHire today.