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.
Should pitch decks be created in-house or with external design help?
Most members take a hybrid approach depending on the deck's purpose and how frequently it needs updating. **In-house creation** works well for sales decks that change often, giving you full control and flexibility. **External design support** is worth considering for investment pitches (SEIS/EIS), where visual polish matters to investors. Members recommend: - **Beautiful AI** — praised for making decks look polished - **Canva** — members noted it's a great option for creating professional-looking slides - **Freelance designers** — several members worked with external designers to handle the visual design while keeping core content control **Albatrans** was mentioned as helpful for template work. The consensus: write the core content yourself (you understand the narrative best), but consider bringing in a designer for investor-facing decks where presentation quality directly affects credibility.
What's the best way to get 3D renders of bottle designs for online retail?
Members recommend using freelance platforms for 3D bottle renders. **Fiverr** was specifically praised as a quick and cost-effective option for creating 3D visualizations of bottle designs for e-commerce presentation. The platform makes it straightforward to brief designers on your bottle specifications and receive renders suitable for online retail use.
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.
What designers or agencies can create effective Facebook and Instagram ad creative at reasonable cost?
Members recommend a mix of approaches depending on budget and timeline. **Canva** — suggested as a DIY option where you design ads yourself and redirect savings into ad spend rather than paying an agency. **Alfie Millar** (https://www.alfiemillar.com) — recommended by a member who works with him at Wednesday's Domaine; described as quick to work with and reasonably priced. Members willing to introduce Alfie can facilitate introductions. The trade-off is between investing in a designer's time upfront versus building in-house capability with design tools and allocating more budget to actual ad spend.
Which email marketing platforms offer better design flexibility than Mailchimp for drinks brands?
Members looking to move beyond Mailchimp's design constraints recommend **Klaviyo** as the primary alternative. **Klaviyo** is noted as more flexible for customisation and design work, though members acknowledge it comes at a higher cost than Mailchimp. It appears to be the consensus choice among the community for brands seeking greater creative control over email campaigns.
Which designers can create investor pitch decks that are clean, professional and affordable?
Members recommend a small number of trusted designers who specialise in investor decks and offer good value: - **Tim Davies** — praised for designing investor decks across multiple members' projects. Gets the brief, produces clean work, and is noted as affordable. - **Jimmy at We are Noisy** — recommended as another option for pitch deck design. Members emphasise clarifying the scope upfront (investor deck specifically, rather than broader branding or label work) to get accurate quotes and timelines.
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.