Introduction
The Graphic Design category on Upwork is highly competitive, with thousands of freelancers and agencies vying for visibility. Clients today expect more than just visually appealing assets, they want brand-consistent, conversion-oriented design delivered with speed and professionalism. For agencies, success hinges not only on design talent but on sending the right proposals to the right jobs at the right moment.
This case study explores how 10 real Graphic Design agencies leveraged GigRadar to improve their core Upwork performance metrics, including Proposal View Rate (PVR), Lead Reply Rate (LRR), and proposal efficiency. By tapping into GigRadar’s smart job scanning, keyword-specific targeting, and instant alerts, these agencies were able to focus on high-fit opportunities and boost their visibility with clients.
Through real usage data, we tracked measurable growth in how these agencies were discovered, engaged, and ultimately hired, proving that GigRadar is more than a sourcing tool. It’s a strategic asset for scaling a profitable and consistent presence on Upwork.
Metrics analyzed:
- Proposal View Rate (PVR): % of proposals viewed by clients per month
- Lead Reply Rate (LRR): % of proposals that received replies per month
- Proposals Sent: Number of job applications submitted in a given month
- Replies Received: Number of client responses received in a given month
- Performance trend over time with GigRadar
Industry Overview: Graphic Design on Upwork
Graphic Design remains one of the most in-demand and competitive service categories on Upwork, covering a wide range of visual communication needs. Projects span from brand identity design, logo creation, and marketing collateral to packaging, social media creatives, pitch decks, and print-ready assets. Clients range from small businesses and digital startups to established eCommerce brands, agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
Key tools and skills that dominate the space include Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, Figma (for collaborative assets), typography, layout design, visual hierarchy, branding systems, and print production knowledge. Designers who combine strong aesthetic instincts with an understanding of brand strategy and communication goals consistently stand out.
Hourly rates vary by skill level, niche, and project complexity:
- Entry-level: $15–30/hr
- Mid-tier specialists: $35–60/hr
- Top-tier brand designers or illustrators: $70–120+/hr
The Graphic Design category receives a consistently high volume of proposals, especially for quick-turnaround or templated design tasks. To win high-quality projects, agencies must showcase niche specialization (e.g., brand identity, presentation design, packaging), highlight portfolio relevance, and articulate how their design work drives business value, whether through improved brand perception, engagement, or conversion rates.
According to GigRadar insights, Graphic Design consistently ranks among the top-earning verticals on Upwork for GigRadar users, alongside UI/UX Design, Web Development, and Digital Marketing, etc. During the week of April 17–21, 2025, Graphic Design agencies using GigRadar completed project work totaling $33,000 in earnings. Weekly revenue for this category typically falls between $15,000 and $40,000, depending on client demand and the mix of small- and large-scale projects.
Upwork offers a broad spectrum of graphic design opportunities from fast-turnaround social media creatives and presentations to high-value branding, packaging, and marketing system design. GigRadar data shows that our agencies in this space frequently secure both mid-range projects ($1,000–$2,000) and high-ticket engagements ranging from $10,000 to $15,000, especially for complete brand systems or multi-deliverable design campaigns.
This performance confirms that Graphic Design is not just one of the most active categories on the platform, but also one of the most profitable. Demand remains consistently high, and GigRadar-powered agencies are positioning themselves to win the most relevant, best-paying opportunities by targeting smarter and acting faster.
Segmentation: Who Are the Chosen Agencies?
To better understand performance dynamics, we segmented the 15 agencies based on usage duration, PVR and LRR growth, and engagement trends.
Agency Classification Based on Performance
Based on data from 15 real agencies using GigRadar, we identified four performance groups that reflect the platform's effectiveness across different types of Upwork agencies. Below is a narrative overview of each group, showing how GigRadar improved their visibility, proposal engagement, and overall performance.
GigRadar Agency Growth Narrative
Over the past two years, 15 agencies across diverse service verticals have integrated GigRadar into their Upwork growth strategiesб and the results speak for themselves. By automating job discovery, streamlining proposal workflows, and enabling data-driven bidding decisions, GigRadar has become a core revenue-driving engine. Based on their tenure, lead generation volumes, and conversion improvements, we’ve segmented these agencies into five distinct cohorts that reflect different stages of growth and success with the platform.
Fast Track Winners: Immediate Gains Within Months
Amzsparks LLC, Brandon Archibald, and CMB Website Development joined GigRadar in the past 3–6 months and achieved impressive traction almost immediately. Prior to using GigRadar, their average Proposal View Rate (PVR) hovered between 11%–14%, and their Lead Reply Rate (LRR) was closer to 3–5%. After onboarding, all three saw instant lifts. Amzsparks jumped from a modest 20.25% PVR in their first month with GigRadar to 34.9% in just one month, while Brandon Archibald lifted his LRR from 5.65% in the first month with the tool to 9.17% in two months, and CMB Website Development scaled both PVR and LRR by nearly 30% after three months with GigRadar.
These results were achieved despite a relatively short timeframe on the platform, proving that GigRadar is not just a long-term enabler but a fast-acting engine for traction. For all three agencies, their current best-month metrics, averaging PVRs above 30% and LRRs nearing 12% have become the new norm. With continued use, they’re poised to push those numbers even higher.
Volume Titans: Scaling GigRadar to Enterprise-Level Lead Gen
BN Digital, Codebridge Design, and Bloom & Branch Creative Agency operate at a significantly higher scale, regularly sending 800 to 1,200 proposals per month. Before GigRadar, their workflows were manually intensive and inefficient, with PVRs below 10% and LRRs hovering around 2–3%. After implementing GigRadar, they not only accelerated proposal output but improved conversion quality.
BN Digital, for instance, scaled from a 10% PVR pre-GigRadar to nearly 16%, while tripling their LRR to 7.1% after two months with GigRadar. Codebridge Design, with over 1,200 proposals sent in their peak month, saw sustained growth across nearly two years, improving LRR from just 2.5% before GigRadar to 10.5% after four months with GigRadar, with proposal visibility increasing to over 17%. Bloom & Branch Creative Agency went from 23.93% PVR and 6.03% LRR in their first month with GigRadar to 24.44% PVR, 7.47% LRR in just one month. These agencies have found a scalable rhythm where high-volume outreach doesn’t compromise quality, showcasing how GigRadar handles enterprise-level workloads without diminishing return on effort.
Conversion Champions: Elite Engagement at Scale
Six standout agencies: GNB Agency, ProCrea, GrafixGrove, Norml Studio, WOW WOW, and SHTONDA.DESIGN proved that GigRadar isn’t just about sending more proposals; it’s about getting better results from each one. These Conversion Champions all achieved best-month LRRs of 12% or higher, often doubling or tripling their initial response rates.
Take GrafixGrove: before GigRadar, their LRR sat at 4% with PVR around 15%. By their first month on the platform, LRR had climbed to 6.8%, and by their best month, it had soared to 25%, with a PVR of 58% (after four months). Similarly, WOW WOW boosted their LRR from 11.9% in their first month with the tool to 17.8% after three months with GigRadar, and ProCrea tripled their reply rate while doubling visibility after four months with GigRadar. GNB Agency went from 38.46% PVR and 14.4% LRR in their first month with GigRadar to 63.3% PVR, 16.7% LRR after six months with the tool. Norml Studio, on the other hand, went from 17.3% PVR and 5.3% LRR in their first month with the tool to 40.3% PVR, 12.8% LRR after three months with GigRadar. These agencies’s interim months weren’t stagnant, instead, they showed steady month-over-month improvements: e.g., GrafixGrove’s LRR climbed from 4% → 6.8% → 11.6% → 25%.
Today, these results represent the standard performance levels for each of these agencies. With GigRadar fully embedded in their bidding processes, they’re positioned to turn high-value projects into long-term client relationships on autopilot.
Long-Term Power User: Compound Gains Over Two Years
Masterly has been using GigRadar for over 26 months and exemplifies the long-term strategic benefit of platform adoption. When they joined, their baseline performance was modest, PVR around 9% and LRR below 3%. But even their first month with GigRadar marked an inflection point: PVR rose to 12.8% and LRR to 2.8%. Today, Masterly consistently operates at a PVR of over 25% and an LRR near 11%, they reached this result in 5 months with GigRadar.
The most compelling part? These results weren’t achieved through aggressive volume. In fact, their proposal volume decreased over time: from 564 proposals in month one to just 340 in their best month, yet responses more than doubled. This signals smarter targeting, better-fit jobs, and higher conversion efficiency. GigRadar didn’t just help Masterly scale. It helped them scale wisely.
Maturing Performers: Steady Growth, Ready for Breakout
Topto and Dee7 Studio fall into a high-potential category of agencies who’ve used GigRadar for 6–12 months and are tracking a clear upward trajectory. Both started with typical Upwork outcomes, PVRs in the 10–13% range and LRRs around 2–5%, but have since elevated their metrics significantly. Topto, for instance, now maintains a 26% PVR and nearly 11% LRR, they reached this result after three months of GigRadar, while Dee7 Studio increased their reply rate threefold, with PVR doubling over the same timeframe since implementing GigRadar.
What sets them apart is consistency. Their interim months showed steady improvement: e.g., Dee7 Studio went from 2.6% → 4.9% → 6.3% → 10.1% LRR in the span of 4 months. Their current best-month performance reflects a sustainable baseline, and with continued iteration, they’re strong candidates to join the Conversion Champion tier in the near future.
Engagement Wins: What the Top 15 Graphic Design Agencies Achieved
We analyzed the performance of 15 Graphic Design agencies that adopted GigRadar and tracked how their visibility, response rates, and proposal effectiveness evolved over time.
Key Results:
- The average Proposal View Rate (PVR) across all 15 agencies increased by 47%, significantly improving how often proposals were opened and reviewed by high-intent clients on Upwork.
- The average Lead Reply Rate (LRR) improved by 110%, confirming that GigRadar helped agencies not only get noticed but also convert views into meaningful conversations and client opportunities.
- Among the top 5 Graphic Design agencies, we observed an average reply rate increase of 213% per 100 proposals, demonstrating that GigRadar sharply boosted proposal efficiency, often without increasing proposal volume.
These outcomes validate GigRadar’s value for design-focused agencies: it doesn’t just automate outreach, it sharpens positioning, improves targeting, and ensures agencies are discovered by the right clients at the right time, ultimately giving them a clear edge in a highly competitive marketplace.
Tools & Tactics Behind the Numbers: Graphic Design Agencies
Top-performing Graphic Design agencies using GigRadar followed focused, strategic habits that led to better visibility and stronger client engagement. Their success came from smart filtering, precise timing, and outcome-driven messaging, not just higher volume.
Niche-Focused Scanners:
Agencies who used specific tags like “pitch deck design,” “brand identity for SaaS,” or “eCommerce packaging” saw higher-quality leads and stronger metrics. GrafixGrove and Norml Studio, for example, reached PVRs above 45% using tight, targeted scanners.
Speed Matters:
Reply rates jumped significantly when agencies submitted proposals within 30–45 minutes of posting. WOW WOW and SHTONDA.DESIGN boosted LRRs from ~5% to over 13% by acting fast.
Quality Over Quantity:
Top agencies sent 15–25 targeted proposals per week, keeping reply quality high. Topto, for instance, improved its LRR by over 40% while maintaining consistent proposal volume.
Business-Driven Messaging:
Proposals that tied design work to results like “visual storytelling to increase investor interest” or “packaging that drives sales” earned more replies. ProCrea and BN Digital saw reply rates double with this approach.
Smart Client Targeting:
Rather than chasing every job, winning agencies focused on repeat clients like startups and marketing teams, landing higher-budget and long-term contracts.
Insight: Agencies that positioned design as a business tool, not just visuals, grew LRR up to 3x in a few months.
Pro Tip: Including past results, visual examples, or ROI stats in proposals boosted replies by 20–30% on average.
Trends to Watch in 2025: Graphic Design on Upwork
What clients want now:
Brand-first creative strategy:
Clients aren’t just looking for one-off designs, they want cohesive visual identities that align with brand values and business goals. Agencies offering full-service brand systems (logo, typography, color, brand guides) are gaining a clear edge, especially among startups and product launches.
Niche-focused design:
Demand is rising in specialized areas like pitch decks, product packaging, YouTube thumbnails, and eCommerce storefront graphics. Agencies with portfolios in these niches are winning more targeted, high-fit projects.
Marketing-aligned visuals:
Design is expected to drive outcomes, whether that’s engagement, conversion, or clicks. Clients now prioritize agencies who understand how design supports marketing goals and can deliver performance-based visuals (e.g., ads that convert, decks that close deals).
Motion & interactive design:
More clients want animated graphics, interactive PDFs, and motion-based assets for social media and web. Agencies that offer services in motion design or microinteractions using tools like After Effects or Figma prototypes are standing out.
Reliable long-term partnerships:
Businesses increasingly look for design partners they can return to, whether for seasonal campaigns, new product launches, or evolving brand needs. Agencies that offer ongoing creative support, flexible pricing, and fast turnaround are winning repeat clients and larger retainers.
Final Thoughts: GigRadar as a Growth Lever for Graphic Design Agencies
From high-volume studios like BN Digital to precision-driven creatives like GrafixGrove, GigRadar has become a proven growth engine for Graphic Design agencies on Upwork. The standout performers weren’t just the most artistic, they were the most strategic. They used GigRadar to filter smarter, act faster, and consistently pitch to the right clients at the right time.
If you’re still chasing every job post or sending the same generic proposals, you’re already a step behind. These agencies built scanners around their niche strengths, personalized every pitch, and won better projects without burning out on volume.
Agencies using GigRadar consistently saw stronger view and reply rates.
Focused targeting outperformed mass outreach.
Speed and relevance became competitive advantages.
Ready to grow smarter? Join the growing network of Graphic Design agencies using GigRadar to land premium clients, grow revenue, and stay ahead on Upwork.
