Brianna HarrisonLooking for ways to transform your corporate brand? Thank your luck because you’ve landed on the right page!
In today’s review, we’ve chosen the best design services in Toronto based on our set criteria. This includes the range of services, proven results, and customer satisfaction.
Let’s walk through the potential costs first so you’ll know what to expect.
The Cost of Design Agency Services in Toronto
Before we get into the costs, let’s define what a design agency is first. People often blur the lines between design agencies, graphic designers, and web designers, so it can help to know exactly what you’re getting here.
Design agencies offer a wide range of services, often concerned with marketing initiatives. This may include creating visual assets such as logos and typography, as well as making web designs.
Simply put, they usually offer more of an all-in-one solution for business marketing, but they go beyond just the advertising side of things. This means that graphic design and web design services are usually only a portion of the services they provide.
Now, with that in mind, their services will naturally cost you more depending on the project. They have more people on board, more minds, and usually, more versatility than an individual graphic designer or web designer, after all.
Because of this, it’s also more likely for design agencies to have a minimum project size.
The minimum project size can start for as low as $1,000 and go for as high as $50,000. Basically, if the cost of your project doesn’t reach the minimum, they have to decline.
There is also an hourly rate that you need to take note of and that usually starts from $20 to $300. The rates also vary depending on the type and extent of the project.
See the table below to see the price ranges for common design services:
| Service | Estimated Cost |
| Complete Brand Identity Design (Up to 3 samples/variations) | $589 |
| Complete Brand Identity Design (Up to a dozen samples/variation) | $989 |
| Website Design | $2,000 – $7,000 |
| Social Media Management | $448 |
| Product Packaging Design | $700 – $989 |
| Marketing Collateral (Menus, brochures, leaflets, billboards, postcards, etc.) | $299 – $499 |
| Press Release Writing | $289 $989 |
| Reputation Management (The more locations, the lower the costs) | $49 – $89 (per month) |
| Complete and Fully Managed SEO Management (includes in-content link building, backlinks catalyzers, local business listing, blog writing, press release, etc.) | Up to $60,000 |
The Best Design Agencies in Toronto
Ready for the best branding services that your business deserves? Read ahead to discover what we think of the top options right now!
1. BrandLume
| SERVICES | Branding services, website design & development services, and digital marketing services |
| WEBSITE | https://brandlume.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 91 Oxford St, Toronto, ON M5T 1P2 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | +1 855-864-6283 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Whether you’re a small business or a corporate giant, BrandLume offers a suite of services for you. More importantly, you’ll get guaranteed results that many past customers can vouch for.
The first thing we like is having the choice between a la carte or all-in-one solutions. This setup puts you in command of the services you get and the amount you’ll have to pay for.
In line with this, its wholesale-priced comprehensive packages also earned our favor. You can choose between three major services, namely Marketing, Branding, and Website services.
Under each service hub, you can choose among the mini-projects that make up each major service. For example, under the Marketing Services Hub, you can buy SEO services, Pay-per-Click services, digital content services, and more.
We took interest in this because it narrows down big projects into smaller chunks. This is favorable for business owners who just want to target specific marketing points instead of revamping their entire brand.
You can even take it a step further by using add-on services per project. Plus, they offer a free 30-minute consultation that allows you to speak to an expert to sort out your options.
To wrap it up, we adore how simple it is to buy their services without providing any confidential details whatsoever. And of course, the non-salesy customer support is also a cherry on top.
We might already be nitpicking here, though, but it kinda sucks that they’re too rigid with refund policies. Maybe a few tweaks here and there will fix it, but so far, we’re happy with what we’ve seen.
Pros
- Has worked with over 6,400 companies around the globe
- Charges by project, not company size
- Offers a la carte or all-in-one solutions
- Options to buy add-ons for each service
- Free 30-minute consultation
- Simplified buying processing without info fishing
Cons
- Unnecessarily rigid refund policies
Customer Reviews
Here’s what past customers have said about this company:
BrandLume did a great job on making the website . Everything is professionally done. I really liked how they spent the time to make the design look clean and appealing. They also make it very easy to work with them with their website commenting tools. Thanks again for an amazing website BrandLume! – Daniel Sharma
From start to finish working with the team at BrandLume has been a dream. They were able to gather all of our ideas and put them together for us in a site that we are truly proud of. It has been and will continue to be a great relationship with the guys as we have found a team who understood what we wanted and delivered it better than we could have expected. BrandLume is a company I will be recommending to everyone. – Jodi Tomlin
2. Brand & Mortar
| SERVICES | Brand marketing, social media, digital marketing, web design and development, PPC, SEO, video production, public relations and technology, and application development. |
| WEBSITE | https://brandandmortar.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 31 Powerhouse St suite 203, Toronto, ON M6H 0C7, Canada |
| CONTACT DETAILS | 416 729 1154 [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Sunday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
Brand & Mortar is all about providing real-world results to a wide variety of customers. This multi-awarded, results-oriented company is great for you for various reasons:
The first thing we love to highlight is its transparency and cohesive plans. They’ll keep you in the loop with what’s happening by outlining their work process clearly.
We also like how concise they are with each service no matter how big or small it is. For instance, their public relations services involve crisis management, spokesperson services, influencer engagement, and more – in short, you get a complete package.
As we said, this is a company driven by results so let’s put the spotlight on some of its case studies.
One of its most successful projects was yielding a 373% increase in Amazon sales for one of its clients. Another remarkable project was producing a 200% increase in site traffic for another online business.
For us, results are the best gauge for service excellence so this is a definite plus in our book. You can even request a free consultation through their website, which is a great bonus for convenience.
All-in-all, this company is great if you’re chasing solid, long-lasting results. A clearer presentation of specialized services would make this better, but it’s already good for what it is today.
Pros
- Transparent and cohesive plans
- Free consultation available upon request
- Worked with major brands including Intel, Toshiba, and UPS
Cons
- All-in-one solutions but with little customization freedom
Customer Reviews
Here are some customer reviews from some of the past clients of this company:
I worked with Brand and Mortar on brand design and web development for a new company. From the beginning, I received excellent service from Jordan and his team. He met with me to discuss the design process and answer all my questions to make sure I was comfortable with the moving forward. Once we got started, his team worked hard to turn my vision into reality. They worked tirelessly through many rounds of revisions without hesitation or frustration. They adapted to my evolving needs and were flexible throughout the process. In the end, they delivered an excellent final product that exceeded my expectations. – Jeff Johnson
Brand and Mortar provides marketing solutions to any business in Canada. Honestly, I’ve dealt with lots of agencies in the past- these guys are just the best. They’re a full service agency and extremely detail oriented at everything they do. They helped consult me for my brand, and designed a logo and website for us. They’re quite easily an extension of our team and I’ve felt supported the whole way through. I highly recommend them to all businesses looking to grow! Beyond impressed with their work! – MaryAnn Rapea
3. Social Media 55
| SERVICES | Digital services, social media services, niche-specific services, website design, graphic design, public relations, SEO, PPC, other additional services, etc. |
| WEBSITE | https://socialmedia55.com/ |
| ADDRESS | Address: 130 King St W #1800, Toronto, ON M5X 1E3, Canada |
| CONTACT DETAILS | +1 844-633-4255 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
There are a lot of things that we like about Social Media 55 but we’ll summarize them in five main points.
First of all, they offer almost every branding service you can imagine, from digital marketing to web design. The best part is, they offer high customization through their a la carte style of service.
Another thing we like is their expertise in mobile app marketing. In fact, through our research, we found that they help clients get more than 100,000 app installs in a year.
One of our favorite services is the localized digital marketing solutions for more specific target marketing. This means that you can shape your marketing efforts specifically for your local audience in Toronto.
The fourth point in this list is the free consultation service they offer. Other companies also offer this, which signals that they don’t lag behind the industry minimum.
Finally, we applaud the amazing results they generated for past customers. To give you an idea, they once helped a company get a 2,000% increase in website page views and a 750% increase in post reach.
The only downside we found is that their rates per service are undisclosed and they don’t seem to offer flat-rate packages. But overall, we love the services and results they provide as an agency.
Pros
- Wide selection of services
- Customizable services
- Localized digital marketing services
- Expertise in mobile app marketing
- Offers free consultation
Cons
- Rates only available upon request
Customer Reviews
Take a look at what past clients have said about this company:
Thanks to the quick actions taken by Social Media 55, our positioning online is now a huge improvement. They helped get our site visibility through search. They are also working on rebranding for our social media needs. We are really happy with all the strategy they have put in place. – Kiara Miller
Great communication and service all around. Web designers with experience make it an easy job for us. The marketing efforts are night and day when using professionals like Social Media 55. Our go to agency for anything marketing or design. – Max Segal
4. Major Tom
| SERVICES | Marketing services, web development services, SEO, PPC, social media marketing, marketing automation, video production, etc. |
| WEBSITE | https://www.majortom.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 801 – 317 Adelaide St W, Toronto, Ontario M5v 1p9 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | +1 (416) 892-6767 [email protected] |
Major Tom is our top choice for clients who want a solid return on investment (ROI) and return on ad spend (ROAS). Basically, they’re a great design agency for getting more than what you pay for.
Before we discuss their results, let’s talk about their range of services first. Like the other agencies on our list, they offer services that range from branding to web design.
The only distinct difference we found was instead of a free consultation, you can chat with a staff member in real-time. This is good if you want to speak to someone ASAP but a bit of a downer if you prefer a scheduled consultation.
Now, the highlight in this company is in the returns they give to their clients. We’ll put a couple of examples here so you can have an idea:
In one of their past projects, they helped a client achieve a 176% increase in e-commerce conversion rates. What’s even more mind-blowing is the 1,124% increase in paid media ROAS that they aided in generating.
For another project, they helped a client bring the cost-per-lead down to 29%. So now, the client is enjoying higher returns because of this significant decrease.
To sum it up, this agency is great if you want a notable ROI or ROAS for branding and related services. Unfortunately, you can’t see their rates per project until you connect with them, which puts the pressure of obligation on you once you’ve reached out.
Pros
- Wide range of services
- Easily chat with a staff member on the website
- Proven results of solid ROIs and ROAS
Cons
- Rates per project available only upon connecting with the company
Customer Reviews
Here are some reviews from past clients of this company:
Major Tom has managed our SEO and SEM efforts for many years with outstanding results! The team has been exceptional and they all know their stuff! Their expertise and optimization have allowed us to increase our conversion rates while reducing our lead costs. I would highly recommend working with them for your digital marketing needs! – Paul Malfara
We worked with Major Tom to promote our brand and capture data during Chinese New Year. The campaign was a great success even though we had a very tight timeline. They were extremely organized in laying out the steps and communicating. This has convinced us to hire Major Tom for the on going management of our Chinse marketing. Very satisfied! – Karine Lachapelle
5. Arnold Street
| SERVICES | Digital marketing strategy, analytics & reporting, search engine marketing, social media advertising, email marketing, social media management |
| WEBSITE | https://arnoldstreet.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 100 King St W. Suite 5700, Toronto, Ontario M5X 1A9 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | 1-866-317-0222 416-849-3857 [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Arnold Streets will give you a nice avenue to customize the services you need. Plus, their portfolio of past work is one of our favorites too.
In terms of services, this company is pretty similar to every agency on this list. The only thing that was missing was UI/UX designs for websites, but this is just a small drawback as this company specializes in other areas instead.
To be precise, they work best in digital marketing, social media, and branding. We arrived at this opinion after seeing their incredible portfolio of creative output.
To give you an idea, their branding style ranges from sleek and professional to something more preppy and fun. But in general, most of the elements revolve around a clean and minimalist approach, which we like because it’s the common trend these days.
They also give guaranteed results as we’ve checked on their past projects. One of their past works even boasted a record of 1.1 million impressions on social media.
By the way, they also do branding designs for retail product packaging. So if you want to venture into that trade, then they can cater to you as well.
The only things missing here are disclosed prices and consultation services. But overall, it’s also as exemplary as it is.
Pros
- Best for digital marketing, social media, and branding services
- Customizable services
- Guaranteed results, particularly on social media services
- Offers retail product packaging design services
Cons
- No UI/UX designs for websites
- Prices only available upon request
- No free consultation available
Customer Reviews
Take a look at what past clients have said about this company:
Each and every instance I’ve spent working with Emily and Arnold Street Media has been fantastic. By far, one of the most compassionate, yet direct and vibrant companies I’ve seen in this realm. Emily is responsive, knowledgeable, and above all, empathetic to your needs, your ideas, and your goals. This is an easy recommendation from me. Outstanding. – Aaron Sambey
I’ve worked with Emily and the ASM team on a number of different content projects over the last few years. Emily has always gone above and beyond to make sure the work is flawless, on time and exactly what I’ve asked for. The team is super easy to work with and very professional. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Arnold Street and look forward to working with the team again soon! – Jaime Lipowitz
6. The Blue Creative
| SERVICES | Design, Development, SEO, Internet-of-Things, Cross Platform App Development, Artificial Intelligence, Voice, Augmented Reality |
| WEBSITE | https://www.thebluecreative.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 250 Yonge Street, Suite 2201, Toronto, ON M5B 2L7 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Email: [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Open 24/7 |
The Blue Creative is a female led design agency that crafts and develop online experiences with the end-user in mind. They offer customized websites that can result in increased online traffic and sales while remaining easy to use at the same time.
They have a diverse and large team located all around the world, which gives them an advantage of varying perspectives. They aren’t limited to a single culturlar approach, but rather can harness the expertise of talented individuals from different countries.
In this sense, they can also accommodate clients from around the globe, since they have a an effective online system and platform of communication in place. With The Blue Creative, your idea won’t just be another project, but a product of global collaboration.
With over seven years of experience and composed of over 160 creative minds, The Blue Creative has helped hundreds of brands and startups get their business online. Whether you need to design a website from scratch, need SEO integration or want to create a cross platform app, this design agency has got it covered.
Pros
- Female led design agency
- Designers located around the globe
- Each site is a global collaboration
Cons
- No rates posted online
7. Power by Design
| SERVICES | Corporate, Not-For-Profit, Entrepreneur, Full-Scale Campaigns, Web Development, SEO |
| WEBSITE | https://www.powerbydesign.ca/ |
| CONTACT DETAILS | Phone: 647-377-1866 Email: [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Open 24/7 |
Power by Design was founded in 2008 and is composed of designers with their own signature expertise. Their team is a mix of social media connoisseurs, web developers, graphic designers, branding specialists and more.
What makes this design agency unique is that they have three dedicated teams that all have their niche tasks. They have a team for corporate accounts, one for nonprofits, and another to handle budding entrepreneurs.
With such a large team, you might think that their prices are expensive – but you’re mistaken. Since Power by Design is a remote online-based company, they have a lower overhead and can offer reasonable rates.
Their specialty is full-marketing campaigns in every shape or form. So whether it’s in old school print, new school digital, or purely on social media, they’ve got it covered.
If you need an aesthetic but SEO-rich website that works on various platforms, Power by Design is an excellent choice to get the job done. They offer professional designs at a lower cost, making them one of our top design agencies in Toronto
Pros
- Specializes in full-scale campaigns
- Purely online-based and remote
- Three specialized niche teams
Cons
- No rates posted online
- No physical office
Customer Reviews
Let’s see what their clients have to say:
“As part of starting on a new business venture and needing a website, Rachel was recommended highly to me. It was an excellent recommendation. She offers a full service, professional set of services targeted to entrepreneurs. She demystified the process and created an amazing product including a stunning logo for our business. Her service, knowledge and the product she created for us was top notch. I highly recommend her!” – Melissa Tamblyn
“As a new entrepreneur managing a number of moving pieces, having Rachel’s creative expertise relieved a lot of pressure! I’m now confident that I have a professionally branded website. In addition to her flexibility and quick turn around times, Rachel’s positive energy made it a pleasure to work with her. I highly recommend her services! Lumen Consulting Group Inc. will definitely be reaching out to Power By Design for future projects.” – Rachel B
8. Nomad Cre8tive
| SERVICES | Branding, Social Media, Content Creation, Professional B2B |
| WEBSITE | https://nomadcre8tive.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 460 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1N4, Canada |
| CONTACT DETAILS | +1 514 928 1783 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Thursday, 9 AM – 5 PM Friday, 9 AM – 3 PM |
Made up of a curated group of freelancers specializing in content creation, graphic design, and digital marketing, Nomad Cre8tive is a remote agency that provides agency quality projects at premium freelance prices.
One of the reasons why we highly recommend them is that they’re really good at what they do. So good in fact, that they’re trusted by famous brands like Campbell’s, Logitech, Bud Sprout Bloom, and Little Burgundy Shoes.
We also loved how responsive they are when working on projects. We also saw that they really make the effort to match the end product with the client’s vision, which is truly a commendable feat.
The only thing they’re lacking are accreditations and awards, but we believe that they’re already on their way to receiving lots of that.
For the quality of their work, we also noted that their prices are very affordable, a fact which is evident in several reviews left by their previous clients.
Pros
- Trusted by globally-renowned brands
- Affordable prices
- Flexible operating hours
Cons
- No notable awards at the time of writing
Customer Reviews
High quality design work delivered
“Working with Nomad Cre8tive was a fantastic experience – they seek to truly understand their clients’ needs and it shows! I was very pleased with the creative direction guidance and the high quality design work delivered. Alyssa was always quick to answer any questions and I love how her team brought our vision for new social media graphics to life. Highly recommend!” – Alexandra Ward
Very knowledgeable and offers great guidance
“Working with Nomad Cre8tive has been a beautiful journey! We’re grateful for the work they’ve completed for us, from understanding our needs as a small business to the quality of the end-result designs. Alyssa is very knowledgeable and offers great guidance – this collab was insightful, to say the least! We can’t wait for our next project :).” – Manal Malko
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Design Agency
Finding the best design agency in Toronto can be overwhelming. Of course, the important thing about choosing is their design, but that isn’t the only thing you need to consider.
Specialty
A good design agency will have a long list of services they can provide. But there will always be an area where they excel.
Depending on your needs, find out if the agency specializes in it. It’s better to let a master do their magic than an all-around trader with less satisfactory results.
Reliability
Aside from having a good reputation among past customers, another sign that a company is reliable is the possession of certifications, awards, and reviews. This determines its team’s expertise in the field.
In terms of connecting with clients, they should present original ideas too, not just accept all the recommendations you make. They are professionals and should guide their clients to achieve what they want and more.
Past Work or Portfolio
A good design agency should always be user-centered. They must always focus on user-friendly designs, plus a signature style that can intrigue people.
A good design agency knows and follows the changing world of design. Therefore they always look for new and exciting styles.
Experience
It’s always good to check how long a design agency has been in business. As a rule of thumb, the more experienced, the better.
New design companies may provide the same capabilities as a veteran design agency, sure. However, the latter has more extensive experience-based knowledge.
With an experienced design company, you wouldn’t have to worry about them not being masters of their craft. Plus, it would also be easier to search for reviews of them if you want to know what their previous clients think of them.
FAQs About Design Agencies in Toronto
A robust branding approach can bring your business to greater heights. In case you need more services like this, check out our review of the best graphic designers in Toronto to fully maximize your marketing efforts!
