A design subscription service differs from project-based outsourcing by offering regular design services on a subscription basis. It eliminates the need for companies to hire in-house designers, providing the convenience of monthly design support. However, it’s not always the case that clients receive the exact design services they need in the desired quantity or quality.
Director Kwon Tae-in
Alpha Brothers, offering a design subscription service, has analyzed the common challenges of design subscriptions and found a way to satisfy both the companies using the service and the designers creating the work. Companies can communicate as much as needed to request design tasks, while designers can deliver satisfactory results without being overwhelmed by excessive workloads.
Using this approach, Alpha Brothers has partnered with over 50 companies within just three months of launching its design subscription service. The service ensures high-quality outputs while offering diverse design solutions at reasonable costs. For the price of hiring one designer, companies gain access to a specialized team of up to 10 designers, supporting everything from design work to brand building.
Founded in 2018, Alpha Brothers is a company-builder accelerator specializing in discovering and nurturing early-stage startups. The company operates through its consulting, design, marketing, data development, and management support divisions, offering services such as business planning, design, marketing, development, and advisory support in HR, finance, and legal matters.
In recognition of its exceptional design capabilities, Alpha Brothers was selected as one of the top 10 promising companies in the "Outstanding Design Specialist Companies" category last year. Out of its 80 employees, 40 are professional designers.
Director Kwon Tae-in, an original founding member of Alpha Brothers, leads the design division. His experience in running a design agency inspired the current business model. We spoke with Director Kwon to learn more about Alpha Brothers' unique design subscription service.
Q. What types of design work do you provide?
We handle all types of design work except 3D design, including graphic design, UX/UI design, photography, and video production.
BX Design Portfolio
SNS Design Portfolio
Q. What is the biggest difference between traditional outsourced design and a subscription service?
The biggest difference is that there are no additional costs for requesting revisions or more drafts. The concept is to handle tasks externally as if we were in-house designers. Many companies hesitate to request additional work due to the extra costs involved, but with our subscription model, this issue is eliminated.
Q. What sets your design subscription service apart from others?
The key differentiator is "fast communication." In most subscription services, it’s difficult for one designer to handle a single company exclusively due to resource constraints. Many services outsource work to freelancers, which can lower costs but often results in poor communication. With our large in-house design team, we provide swift communication, functioning as if the client has hired an in-house designer. Urgent tasks can be processed immediately. For example, we respond to company inquiries within 10 minutes and address issues on the spot.
Another notable difference is our ability to handle photography and video editing. With an in-house studio, photographers, and video directors, we provide not only design services but also photo and video production, offering a more comprehensive solution.
Q. Are there any additional services you provide?
Yes, we also assist with consulting. Many businesses are unaware of government support programs and grants available to them. We guide them on what resources are accessible and help them navigate the process, which has been met with high satisfaction. We also invest in companies.
Additionally, we are a government-certified supplier for various voucher programs, including export vouchers, manufacturing vouchers, tourism vouchers, non-face-to-face vouchers, data vouchers, and traditional culture innovation vouchers. Clients receiving government support can use Alpha Brothers’ services under these programs. This not only ensures high design quality but also provides cost advantages.
Detailed Page Design Portfolio
Package & Label Design Portfolio
Photography Portfolio
Q. What is your company’s motto?
Our motto is "Designs that boost sales." Design preferences can vary based on personal taste, but ultimately, we are a commercial design company. We believe our clients’ sales growth directly translates to Alpha Brothers’ growth. Internally, we aim to cultivate designers who share this vision of focusing on the keyword "sales growth."
Q. How do you approach your work?
Each month, project managers (PMs) meet with clients. These meetings not only address design requests but also discuss how the client’s business is currently evolving. Based on this understanding, we offer suggestions for brand building and advanced design strategies.
Q. How satisfied are your designers with their work?
Our designers feel a strong sense of pride in their growth trajectory. Design growth typically follows three stages: junior, senior, and artist. Juniors often have limited experience with diverse tasks. In traditional design agencies or brand companies, they usually work on one or two design categories, which makes it difficult to advance to senior roles. Seniors develop their expertise by working on a variety of projects, broadening their perspectives.
At Alpha Brothers, designers are exposed to tasks across multiple industries and categories, allowing them to feel they are growing. Over time, as they develop their unique style, they transition from senior designers to artists. At this stage, they can work as freelancers or even run their own companies. This clear growth direction instills pride and motivation in our designers.
Alpha Brothers efficiently manages its work through monthly design roadmaps and weekly detailed design schedules.
Q. What happens if there are too many requests? How do you manage them?
This is one of the main reasons we hold monthly meetings. Once a month, we discuss the client’s business progress, including how their projects are advancing and what they need. Based on these discussions, we create a schedule for the month. We also allocate time for urgent tasks that may arise, so the scope of work doesn’t suddenly expand.
Through weekly and monthly reports, we share updates on tasks in progress, planned tasks, and completed work, ensuring full transparency. This allows clients to confirm what’s being done and what benefits they’re receiving.
Clients often tell us that this approach is more efficient than managing in-house designers. The coordination tools we developed to make things easier for our designers have also proven highly effective for managing client relationships.
Interior View of Alpha Brothers Headquarters
Q. What are your goals?
Our short-term goal is to hire 100 designers by next year. The long-term goal is to create a system where companies no longer need to hire their own designers. Instead, all their design needs can be fulfilled by our team. This is feasible because our service costs less than hiring in-house designers.
Another goal is to build a mutually beneficial structure with our clients. By delivering high-quality designs, we aim to help businesses enhance their services, boost sales, and continue using our design services. We hope to grow together with our clients, establishing partnerships that feel like we’re building something great together.
Interviewer: Seok-won Jung, Editor-in-Chief (jsw@jungle.co.kr)
Editor: Yoo-jin Choi, Managing Editor (yjchoi@jungle.co.kr)
Photos Courtesy of Alpha Brothers
Source: Design Jungle (https://www.jungle.co.kr/)
A design subscription service differs from project-based outsourcing by offering regular design services on a subscription basis. It eliminates the need for companies to hire in-house designers, providing the convenience of monthly design support. However, it’s not always the case that clients receive the exact design services they need in the desired quantity or quality.
Director Kwon Tae-in
Alpha Brothers, offering a design subscription service, has analyzed the common challenges of design subscriptions and found a way to satisfy both the companies using the service and the designers creating the work. Companies can communicate as much as needed to request design tasks, while designers can deliver satisfactory results without being overwhelmed by excessive workloads.
Using this approach, Alpha Brothers has partnered with over 50 companies within just three months of launching its design subscription service. The service ensures high-quality outputs while offering diverse design solutions at reasonable costs. For the price of hiring one designer, companies gain access to a specialized team of up to 10 designers, supporting everything from design work to brand building.
Founded in 2018, Alpha Brothers is a company-builder accelerator specializing in discovering and nurturing early-stage startups. The company operates through its consulting, design, marketing, data development, and management support divisions, offering services such as business planning, design, marketing, development, and advisory support in HR, finance, and legal matters.
In recognition of its exceptional design capabilities, Alpha Brothers was selected as one of the top 10 promising companies in the "Outstanding Design Specialist Companies" category last year. Out of its 80 employees, 40 are professional designers.
Director Kwon Tae-in, an original founding member of Alpha Brothers, leads the design division. His experience in running a design agency inspired the current business model. We spoke with Director Kwon to learn more about Alpha Brothers' unique design subscription service.
Q. What types of design work do you provide?
We handle all types of design work except 3D design, including graphic design, UX/UI design, photography, and video production.
BX Design Portfolio
Q. What is the biggest difference between traditional outsourced design and a subscription service?
The biggest difference is that there are no additional costs for requesting revisions or more drafts. The concept is to handle tasks externally as if we were in-house designers. Many companies hesitate to request additional work due to the extra costs involved, but with our subscription model, this issue is eliminated.
Q. What sets your design subscription service apart from others?
The key differentiator is "fast communication." In most subscription services, it’s difficult for one designer to handle a single company exclusively due to resource constraints. Many services outsource work to freelancers, which can lower costs but often results in poor communication. With our large in-house design team, we provide swift communication, functioning as if the client has hired an in-house designer. Urgent tasks can be processed immediately. For example, we respond to company inquiries within 10 minutes and address issues on the spot.
Another notable difference is our ability to handle photography and video editing. With an in-house studio, photographers, and video directors, we provide not only design services but also photo and video production, offering a more comprehensive solution.
Q. Are there any additional services you provide?
Yes, we also assist with consulting. Many businesses are unaware of government support programs and grants available to them. We guide them on what resources are accessible and help them navigate the process, which has been met with high satisfaction. We also invest in companies.
Additionally, we are a government-certified supplier for various voucher programs, including export vouchers, manufacturing vouchers, tourism vouchers, non-face-to-face vouchers, data vouchers, and traditional culture innovation vouchers. Clients receiving government support can use Alpha Brothers’ services under these programs. This not only ensures high design quality but also provides cost advantages.
Detailed Page Design Portfolio
Package & Label Design Portfolio
Q. What is your company’s motto?
Our motto is "Designs that boost sales." Design preferences can vary based on personal taste, but ultimately, we are a commercial design company. We believe our clients’ sales growth directly translates to Alpha Brothers’ growth. Internally, we aim to cultivate designers who share this vision of focusing on the keyword "sales growth."
Q. How do you approach your work?
Each month, project managers (PMs) meet with clients. These meetings not only address design requests but also discuss how the client’s business is currently evolving. Based on this understanding, we offer suggestions for brand building and advanced design strategies.
Q. How satisfied are your designers with their work?
Our designers feel a strong sense of pride in their growth trajectory. Design growth typically follows three stages: junior, senior, and artist. Juniors often have limited experience with diverse tasks. In traditional design agencies or brand companies, they usually work on one or two design categories, which makes it difficult to advance to senior roles. Seniors develop their expertise by working on a variety of projects, broadening their perspectives.
At Alpha Brothers, designers are exposed to tasks across multiple industries and categories, allowing them to feel they are growing. Over time, as they develop their unique style, they transition from senior designers to artists. At this stage, they can work as freelancers or even run their own companies. This clear growth direction instills pride and motivation in our designers.
Alpha Brothers efficiently manages its work through monthly design roadmaps and weekly detailed design schedules.
Q. What happens if there are too many requests? How do you manage them?
This is one of the main reasons we hold monthly meetings. Once a month, we discuss the client’s business progress, including how their projects are advancing and what they need. Based on these discussions, we create a schedule for the month. We also allocate time for urgent tasks that may arise, so the scope of work doesn’t suddenly expand.
Through weekly and monthly reports, we share updates on tasks in progress, planned tasks, and completed work, ensuring full transparency. This allows clients to confirm what’s being done and what benefits they’re receiving.
Clients often tell us that this approach is more efficient than managing in-house designers. The coordination tools we developed to make things easier for our designers have also proven highly effective for managing client relationships.
Interior View of Alpha Brothers Headquarters
Q. What are your goals?
Our short-term goal is to hire 100 designers by next year. The long-term goal is to create a system where companies no longer need to hire their own designers. Instead, all their design needs can be fulfilled by our team. This is feasible because our service costs less than hiring in-house designers.
Another goal is to build a mutually beneficial structure with our clients. By delivering high-quality designs, we aim to help businesses enhance their services, boost sales, and continue using our design services. We hope to grow together with our clients, establishing partnerships that feel like we’re building something great together.
Interviewer: Seok-won Jung, Editor-in-Chief (jsw@jungle.co.kr)
Editor: Yoo-jin Choi, Managing Editor (yjchoi@jungle.co.kr)
Photos Courtesy of Alpha Brothers
Source: Design Jungle (https://www.jungle.co.kr/)