Frequently asked questions

There are no long-term contracts. We do require a minimum 3-month commitment for new clients to ensure a proper onboarding and working rhythm with your designer. After that, you’re free to cancel anytime with 30-days’ notice — no hidden terms or lock-ins.

Yes. You’ll work with the same senior designer on all your projects. It’s not a rotating cast — you build a working rhythm with one consistent designer who becomes fluent in your brand. This leads to smoother communication, faster turnaround, and stronger creative alignment over time.

All of our designers are senior, full-time team members based in Canada, working across North American time zones. We don’t outsource or use freelancers, so you can count on consistent quality and reliable availability every day.

It’s rare, but if the fit isn’t right, we’ll assign you a new one. Because we only hire top senior-level talent, most clients are happy with their first match — but if not, we’ll make sure you’re paired with a designer you feel confident in.

Your dedicated designer typically spends 10–15 hours per week on your brand, which works out to about 40–60 hours of focused production time each month. Unlike an in-house hire who loses hours to meetings and admin, every Darkroast hour is dedicated purely to creative output, giving you the perfect middle ground between freelancers and full-time staff.

Your designer dedicates time every day to your projects, so small tasks and revisions can often be completed the same day or by the next. Larger projects naturally take longer, as creative work needs time to be done right. Even though your designer is available daily, they’re not dedicated for the entire day — they have limited capacity each day, so urgent requests may require re-prioritizing or pushing other items to make room.

If you have the budget and more than 30+ hours of creative work every week, then you probably should hire in-house. But most CPG brands don’t operate at that level. Darkroast is the perfect middle ground — you get the in-house experience (senior talent, embedded with your team, daily availability, consistent output) without the overhead of a full-time hire.

This happens often, especially during busy seasons or right after a rebrand. That’s why our fractional model is modular and scalable — if you need more output, you can simply add another dedicated designer to your team. Each additional designer adds another 10–15 hours per week of capacity, effectively doubling or tripling your creative bandwidth without the hassle of hiring in-house.

For many brands, this is a far better alternative to a full-time hire. Even an in-house designer typically produces only 20–30 hours of true creative output per week after time lost to meetings and admin. With Darkroast, you get the same output — or more — but without the headaches of recruiting, vetting, and managing senior-level talent. Plus, every Darkroast designer is supported by our Design Ops Managers and Creative Directors, ensuring oversight, consistency, and quality that you don’t have to manage yourself.

If you can describe it, we can design it. Most requests are the day-to-day creative CPG brands need: sell sheets, packaging updates, retail displays, Amazon images, Instacart banners, digital ads, and more. Your designer is there to support the ongoing work that drives growth, not just one-off projects.

Yes. Source files are always available upon request once a project is complete. We believe in full transparency and want you to have access to all the design work we produce for your brand.

No. We work directly with CPG and DTC brands. Each subscription is tailored to one brand’s needs, which ensures focus and quality. We’re not structured for agency white-label services, and that’s by design.

Yes. Motion, video, 3D, email, and web design are available through our specialist team at $80/hour. Your dedicated designer will manage the process and collaborate with our specialists so everything stays consistent with your brand.

We offer a 7-day free trial so you can test the fit with your designer. You’ll get to experience how we work together on a couple of small projects. If it’s not the right fit, you walk away with no cost, no commitment, and no credit card required.