Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What design agencies and designers do members recommend for rebranding and packaging projects?
Members recommend several designers and agencies with direct experience in drinks rebranding and packaging: - **WeLaunch** (Stuart Lang) — recommended for rebrand and packaging work; members note they're also happy to provide introductions - **Aitch Creates** (harry@aitchcreates.com, https://aitchcreates.com/portfolio/) — designer recommended by members - **Buddy Creative** (mark@buddycreative.com, https://buddycreative.com) — noted as "worth a shout" - **Max Agace** (http://www.maxagace.com) — highly rated ("👌🏼") For relabelling services on existing stock (e.g. cans), members also mention **Codex Solutions** — described as "very flexible" for ad hoc duty-paid relabelling work, and **WeLaunch** can facilitate introductions to relabelling suppliers. No detailed pricing or lead-time information was shared in the discussion.
Which illustrators or design agencies would members recommend for brand illustration and design work?
Members have had good experiences with a small number of suppliers. **Bowimi** is used by at least one member and described as 'really good'; note that they have a tenacious sales team. For illustrated book work, members can facilitate introductions to a kids' book illustrator. **Anspach and Hobday** are known to work directly with illustrators rather than going through agencies—members recommend speaking to them about their approach and contacts. One member has a close connection at Bowimi (Ian Arands) who may be a useful point of contact. The group prefers direct relationships with illustrators over agency intermediaries where possible.
Who do members recommend for freelance pitch deck design, and what are typical pricing expectations?
Members recommend **Jimmy Hunter at Noisy Design** (Creative Director, wearenoisy.co.uk, +44 (0) 7912 517 074) as a reliable freelance designer for pitch deck work. He is described as "reasonably priced" compared to other market quotes members have received. The community notes that mentioning a referral from an existing client may help with negotiations.
Who are good graphic designers for table-top and point-of-sale design work?
Members recommend **Marguerite Boyle** (margueritecboyle@gmail.com) for table-top design work. She has been praised by community members for the quality of her work on this type of project.
Where can you find freelance designers who understand the drinks industry?
Finding drinks-industry-experienced designers is valuable enough that members are reluctant to share their best contacts. However, one recommendation emerged from the community: - **United Creatives** — Chris at UC comes highly recommended for drinks expertise and extensive industry experience (chris@unitedcreatives.com, https://www.unitedcreatives.com) Members note that discovering designers who genuinely understand drinks-specific challenges (packaging constraints, regulatory requirements, shelf impact) is rare enough to be considered "gold dust," so when you find someone good, it's worth building a strong relationship.