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In the vibrant industry of digital design services, Deer Designer is rapidly emerging as an industry phoenix, riding high on a subscription model that promises more than just pretty pictures. It’s essentially a business democratizer, placing a dedicated design team in the arsenal of agencies, event managers, churches, and others. It’s doing to design services what Netflix did to home entertainment — revolutionising access, costs, and the consumer experience.
“As I see it, quality design should never be a luxury,” says Thiago de Carvalho, founder and CEO of Deer Designer.
The subscription revolution
De Carvalho’s vision is anchored in a system where a flat monthly fee secures clients an entire design team – a designer, an account manager, and a quality analyst. An idea as ingenious as it is practical, it bears the unmistakable imprint of De Carvalho’s entrepreneurial acumen, cultivated over years of acing challenges commonly associated with startups and digital enterprises.
“What I’ve created is a space where clients don’t have to worry about sourcing, recruiting, hiring, or training,” De Carvalho elaborates.
The benefits for small businesses and startups are palpable. According to 2023 stats from The Business Growth Report, 87% of new businesses struggle with overhead costs during their first five years. A turnkey solution like Deer Designer’s could provide them with a cost-effective way to scale up without compromising quality or adding to overheads.
“We’re a small product studio focused on working with early-stage startups. We consistently need visual design help, and Deer Designer allows us to meet the demands of so many different startups. Affordable. Communicative. High-quality,” says Nick Rimsa of Tortoise Labs, one of Deer Designer’s proud and satisfied clients.
Redefining client relationships
Deer Designer truly differs from its competitors in its approach to client relationships. The emphasis is on fostering lasting partnerships rather than one-off transactions, and this is where de Carvalho’s business philosophy takes centre stage.
A 2023 PWC Customer Intelligence Series report reveals that 73% of customers point to customer experience as an important factor in purchasing decisions. Deer Designer’s model leans heavily into this, providing clients with an intuitive and impactful experience.
However, not everyone is enamoured with the subscription-based model, with some saying that it can often lead to client complacency. With a flat fee, clients risk taking the service for granted and not utilising it to its full potential, which could result in wastage and an ineffective client-designer relationship.
De Carvalho counters this scepticism with pragmatism, reinforcing his belief in his business model and the tangible results it has delivered to date. “I believe in the power of communication. Unlike most design services out there, Deer Designer is not just a conveyor belt of designs churned out by random designers. Instead, we prioritise forging strong relationships between our clients and our design team, providing a personalised experience and making them feel like we are an integral part of their own team. This approach fosters a collaborative and trust-based environment, resulting in designs that not only meet expectations but also elevate creative pursuits.” he says.
The vision ahead
As the global business ecosystem continues evolving, so does De Carvalho’s vision. With a successful 2023, Deer Designer is eyeing a future that’s multilingual, multiregional, and more inclusive. De Carvalho plans to expand services to cater to companies in various languages, a move that aligns with his philosophy of making design more democratic.
The company’s impressive track record of hundreds of satisfied customers, expanding global reach, and a team of dedicated designers ready to tackle any design challenge with bespoke solutions, stand as a testament to the transformative power of innovation, backed by a solid business model and a clear vision. Indeed, this combination has the potential to revolutionise the entire design industry.
“And at Deer Designer, we’re dedicated to making it accessible to all. To make the “small” look BIG,” De Carvalho concludes.
For businesses worldwide, the future of design looks promising – and it’s one shaped significantly by the vision and audacity of Deer Designer and its dynamic founder, Thiago de Carvalho.
