Starter
Lite Retainer
From $1,500
per month
40hours / month
Solo founders and early-stage startups with steady but lighter monthly needs.
- Turnaround
- 2 to 3 business days
- Review calls
- 1 per week, or as needed
From $1,500 per month.Senior design support, from $1,500 per month. First call is free.
Book a Free Call
Monthly Design Retainer
Senior design support for software, product, marketing, and ecommerce teams that need consistent monthly output without the cost of an in-house designer or the overhead of an agency.
Book a free intro call
View Portfolio20 minutes · No commitment
I am Gul e Lala Khan,
a Top Rated Plus designer (top 3% on Upwork)
10+ years
experience
$100K+
delivered
200+
projects shipped
who am I?
$100K+
Earned on
UpworkEarned on Upwork
200+
Successful
projectsSuccessful projects
4,112
Hours billed
Top Rated Plus
(top 3% on Upwork)
Don’t believe me?
Brands I’ve designed for
monthly retainer plans
Three levels of ongoing design support. Pick by how much output you need each month.
Three levels of ongoing design support. Pick by how much output you need each month.
Most teams start here
Part-Time Retainer
Priced on a call
80hours / monthGrowing brands running campaigns across social, email and web at once.
- Turnaround
- 24 to 48 hours
- Review calls
- 1 to 2 per week
- Also
- Priority task planning and a weekly progress summary
Premium
Full-Time Retainer
Priced on a call
160hours / monthAgencies and ecommerce teams who need an in-house designer without the headcount.
- Turnaround
- Same day on urgent requests
- Review calls
- Weekly, plus check-ins as needed
- Also
- High-priority scheduling and ongoing design management
Every plan includes
- Direct communication with me, not an account manager
- Time tracking with screenshots and full work visibility
- Hours spent across any design task, by your priority
- Organised workflow and request management
- Print-ready and editable files where applicable
- Consistent quality control on everything delivered
Minimum 3-month commitment.
This allows enough time to build momentum, establish consistency, and deliver meaningful results.
What you can use the retainer hours for
Your monthly hours can be used across any of these design services:
Packaging & Product Design
- Custom packaging design
- Labels and dielines
- Print-ready production files
UX/UI & Web Design
- Website and SaaS design
- Mobile app UX/UI
- Dashboards and design systems
Marketing & Social Design
- Social media creatives
- Posters and flyers
- Digital ads (Meta, Google, LinkedIn)
Branding & Visual Systems
- Logo and brand identity work
- Brand guidelines and updates
- Marketing assets and templates
Pitch Decks & Presentations
- Investor pitch decks
- Sales decks and proposals
- Internal strategy presentations
Email & Conversion Design
- Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot templates
- Welcome flows and abandoned cart sequences
- Landing pages and conversion campaigns
Amazon Content Design
- A+ Content and Premium pages
- Listing images and infographics
- Storefront and Brand Story modules
- Spec'd for US, UK, CA, AU marketplaces
- Book a Free Intro Call
Something else?
If it's design work, the hours cover it. Tell me what you're running and I'll tell you how I'd use them.
The focus can shift month to month depending on your business priorities.
portfolio
Real projects across UX/UI, brand identity, packaging, pitch decks, and Amazon content. Each case study includes the brief, the constraints, my role, the tools used, and the outcome.
Mogaji SEO Agency Landing Page
A conversion-focused landing page for Mogaji, an SEO agency in Vienna, built to present its services, process and results and to turn visitors into booked consultations.
View Project
Spicy Moon Dan Dan Noodle Kit Packaging
Vibrant packaging for Spicy Moon's Dan Dan Noodle Kit: Chinese-inspired visual cues, playful illustration, and bold typography on a pink-and-red box, through to the print-ready structural dieline.
View Project
RFD Legacy Advisors Brand Identity
Logo and brand identity for RFD Legacy Advisors, a financial advisory firm, built around a dynamic geometric mark and delivered with a full brand guidelines document.
View Project
Intellectual Medicine Gift Card Campaign
A seasonal gift card campaign for Intellectual Medicine, a health and wellness brand, built as a set of promotional posters that make each limited-time offer immediately readable.
View Project
ScamRocket Investor Pitch Deck
A 25-page investor pitch deck for ScamRocket, turning a complex fraud-detection and identity-verification product into a clear, investor-ready story.
View Project
Hydro Car Care Email Campaigns
A bold, product-focused email campaign system for Hydro car care, covering product launches, promotions and offers across a consistent visual language.
View Project
Staze Joint Holder Amazon Listing Images
Six Amazon listing images for the Staze Joint Holder, a compact pre-roll storage accessory, turning the product's features into clear buying reasons in a structured visual sequence for client Christian Pace.
View Project
the process is simple
I work with a limited number of long-term partners at a time so I can stay closely involved and maintain a high standard across everything delivered.
- 01
Choose the right package
Select the level of monthly support that matches your workload.
- 02
Kickoff and onboarding
We begin with a short intro call to understand your business, priorities, and workflow.
- 03
Submit requests
Design tasks come through whichever tool your team prefers, whether that's Asana, ClickUp, Notion, Trello, Slack, Discord, email, or WhatsApp. I work in your existing system, not mine.
- 04
Review and refine
You receive the work, share feedback, and revisions are handled within the scope of the retainer.
- 05
Continue with consistent support
Each month, we build momentum, improve efficiency, and keep your design output aligned.
progress tracking
Every retainer includes time tracking so you can clearly see the work being done. This helps keep the process transparent, accountable, and easy to follow.
- Time spent on tasks
- Screenshots of work in progress
- Ongoing progress across the month
All work is reviewed before delivery to ensure it is clear, polished, and production-ready.
real talk
Verified Upwork reviews, LinkedIn recommendations and video testimonials from real clients. Click any card to see the full review.
Gul E. was a great designer and completed tasks with her design skills, quality and on time. She designed many product labels and making some documents look better and also landing page design. She is a multifaceted designer that is a pleasure to work with and will continue once I have more work.
Jennifer Fausner
Product Label, Packaging & Landing Page Design | CBDMD
Gene Wright
Print Media & Newsletter Design / UX/UI & Web Development | Planet Friendly Pest Control
Hi, my name's Gene Wright. I'm the president of Planet Friendly Pest Control, and we have been using Gul for our graphic art for several years now. Very, very happy. We highly recommend her. She has been designing everything from brochures, newsletters, postcards, flyers. She interacts directly with our chief marketing officer, with the mail house distribution companies, provides any type of file structure you need. She's very responsive to edits. Wonderful experience all
Working with Gul was a great experience. They listened carefully to my ideas, brought creative solutions to the table, and delivered designs that were both professional and unique. I’d happily recommend them to anyone looking for thoughtful, high-quality design work.
Daren Dien
Packaging, Brand Identity & Logo Design | California Beef Jerky
I'm a year late in writing this. I've hired Gul on a number of graphic design projects and not only is she an exccellent designer, she's also transparent, communicative, and accurately actions revisions. So for anyone who consistently needs graphics, Gul is someone who not only has skills, but gives you peace of mind knowing the job will be done, and done well.
Julien Ross
Ongoing Graphic Design | Guide by PersonifAI
Gul spent so much time with me making edits and making sure my project for creating a brand box was absolutely perfect. Gul is without a doubt the best designer I have ever worked with in the ecommerce field in my life and I have been in this field for about 2 years now.
Ibrahem Abourahma
Ecommerce Packaging & Amazon Listing Image Design | Dentradental
Alex Wright
Newsletter & Direct Mail Print Design | 855 Treeman
Been using Gul now for a few years. We do postcards like this. She's very familiar with what the post office needs. We do a monthly newsletter, always on time. It's 12-page newsletter. Goes out every month. So, I highly recommend, she can definitely take care of you for graphic art.
Incredible work - took time to go into the detail I needed, was reliable and replied quickly to any messages and alterations that were needed. Ive worked with a lot of designers and Gul is definitely one of the best ive worked with.
Babar Raja
Website UX/UI Design | Spartan Labs
Salam Alaikum. Gul is an A1 Team member & Deisgner! Will help when team members ask and takes initiative to deliver prompt work with passion. Very team friendly kind and manages her time effectively. Will look forward to working more with you!
Mohammad Bayyari
Print & Digital Media Design
Solid work. Turned our proprietary data into a clean, cohesive PDF that fits our brand. Her UX background shows in how cleanly she structures information on the page. Strong aesthetic sense, highly receptive to feedback, and applies it effectively. Professional and reliable.
Francesco Castronovo
UX/UI & Brand Asset Design / Editorial PDF Layout | PB Services
Working with Gul has been an absolute pleasure. She goes above and beyond to truly understand the requirements, and she even created multiple versions of the brochure so I could explore different directions before choosing the final one. I'm a very detail-oriented and picky person, yet Gul was consistently patient, kind, and open to every refinement I requested. Not once did I feel she was frustrated or rushed, she was always supportive and committed to delivering the best outcome. The final brochure is beautiful, professional, and exactly what I envisioned. I highly recommend Gul to anyone looking for a talented, thoughtful, and passionate designer who genuinely cares about the quality of her work. Wishing you all the success ahead; your talent and kindness will take you far.
Sana Ennafati
Bilingual Brochure & Print Design | Pure & Bold Beauty
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding Designer – Highly Recommend! Gul did an amazing job creating menu boards for my restaurant. From the very start, she was professional, responsive, and genuinely invested in understanding my vision. She delivered beautifully designed menus that were both eye-catching and easy to read, perfectly reflecting the style of my business. Her communication was excellent throughout the project, and she was always open to feedback and quick to make any adjustments I requested. The final result exceeded my expectations. If you’re looking for a talented, reliable designer who really cares about delivering quality work, I highly recommend Gul. I will definitely be working with her again!
Ammar Badawi
Print & Digital Media Design | Pitaziki
Gene Wright
Print Media & Newsletter Design / UX/UI & Web Development | Planet Friendly Pest Control
Hi, my name's Gene Wright. I'm the president of Planet Friendly Pest Control, and we have been using Gul for our graphic art for several years now. Very, very happy. We highly recommend her. She has been designing everything from brochures, newsletters, postcards, flyers. She interacts directly with our chief marketing officer, with the mail house distribution companies, provides any type of file structure you need. She's very responsive to edits. Wonderful experience all
Gul E. was a great designer and completed tasks with her design skills, quality and on time. She designed many product labels and making some documents look better and also landing page design. She is a multifaceted designer that is a pleasure to work with and will continue once I have more work.
Jennifer Fausner
Product Label, Packaging & Landing Page Design | CBDMD
Gul spent so much time with me making edits and making sure my project for creating a brand box was absolutely perfect. Gul is without a doubt the best designer I have ever worked with in the ecommerce field in my life and I have been in this field for about 2 years now.
Ibrahem Abourahma
Ecommerce Packaging & Amazon Listing Image Design | Dentradental
Solid work. Turned our proprietary data into a clean, cohesive PDF that fits our brand. Her UX background shows in how cleanly she structures information on the page. Strong aesthetic sense, highly receptive to feedback, and applies it effectively. Professional and reliable.
Francesco Castronovo
UX/UI & Brand Asset Design / Editorial PDF Layout | PB Services
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding Designer – Highly Recommend! Gul did an amazing job creating menu boards for my restaurant. From the very start, she was professional, responsive, and genuinely invested in understanding my vision. She delivered beautifully designed menus that were both eye-catching and easy to read, perfectly reflecting the style of my business. Her communication was excellent throughout the project, and she was always open to feedback and quick to make any adjustments I requested. The final result exceeded my expectations. If you’re looking for a talented, reliable designer who really cares about delivering quality work, I highly recommend Gul. I will definitely be working with her again!
Ammar Badawi
Print & Digital Media Design | Pitaziki
I'm a year late in writing this. I've hired Gul on a number of graphic design projects and not only is she an exccellent designer, she's also transparent, communicative, and accurately actions revisions. So for anyone who consistently needs graphics, Gul is someone who not only has skills, but gives you peace of mind knowing the job will be done, and done well.
Julien Ross
Ongoing Graphic Design | Guide by PersonifAI
Alex Wright
Newsletter & Direct Mail Print Design | 855 Treeman
Been using Gul now for a few years. We do postcards like this. She's very familiar with what the post office needs. We do a monthly newsletter, always on time. It's 12-page newsletter. Goes out every month. So, I highly recommend, she can definitely take care of you for graphic art.
Working with Gul was a great experience. They listened carefully to my ideas, brought creative solutions to the table, and delivered designs that were both professional and unique. I’d happily recommend them to anyone looking for thoughtful, high-quality design work.
Daren Dien
Packaging, Brand Identity & Logo Design | California Beef Jerky
Incredible work - took time to go into the detail I needed, was reliable and replied quickly to any messages and alterations that were needed. Ive worked with a lot of designers and Gul is definitely one of the best ive worked with.
Babar Raja
Website UX/UI Design | Spartan Labs
Working with Gul has been an absolute pleasure. She goes above and beyond to truly understand the requirements, and she even created multiple versions of the brochure so I could explore different directions before choosing the final one. I'm a very detail-oriented and picky person, yet Gul was consistently patient, kind, and open to every refinement I requested. Not once did I feel she was frustrated or rushed, she was always supportive and committed to delivering the best outcome. The final brochure is beautiful, professional, and exactly what I envisioned. I highly recommend Gul to anyone looking for a talented, thoughtful, and passionate designer who genuinely cares about the quality of her work. Wishing you all the success ahead; your talent and kindness will take you far.
Sana Ennafati
Bilingual Brochure & Print Design | Pure & Bold Beauty
Salam Alaikum. Gul is an A1 Team member & Deisgner! Will help when team members ask and takes initiative to deliver prompt work with passion. Very team friendly kind and manages her time effectively. Will look forward to working more with you!
Mohammad Bayyari
Print & Digital Media Design
frequently asked questions
- Yes, every design retainer begins with a 3-month minimum. That is how long it takes to build momentum, learn your brand, and show compounding results. After the first 3 months you can pause, scale up or down, or cancel with 30 days' notice.
- Retainers start at $1,500 per month for the Lite plan (40 hours). Part Time (80 hours) and Full Time (160 hours) levels sit above that, and exact pricing is confirmed on a free 20 minute intro call based on your workload. Every plan includes direct communication with me, transparent time tracking, and quality control on all work.
- Yes. Your hours work across every service I offer: UX/UI, brand identity, packaging, pitch decks, Amazon A+ content, email design, social and ad creatives, and illustration. The mix can change month to month based on your priorities, one month heavy on packaging, the next on your website.
- Most standard tasks are delivered within 24 to 48 hours on the Part Time and Full Time plans, and within 2 to 3 business days on Lite. Larger deliverables like full web pages or complete decks get a scoped timeline before I start, so you always know the delivery date.
- Yes. Every retainer includes time tracking with screenshots, so you can see exactly what was worked on and for how long. You also get weekly review calls, and day to day communication happens in whatever tool your team already uses: Asana, ClickUp, Notion, Trello, Slack, Discord, email, or WhatsApp.
- Yes. Revisions come out of your monthly hours like any other work, so you can refine until it is right. A full change of direction after an approved concept counts as a new task rather than a revision, and I will always flag that before spending your hours.
- Up to 25% of your monthly hours carry over to the next month (10 hours on Lite, 20 on Part Time, 40 on Full Time), so a slow month is not money wasted. Carried hours never stack beyond that cap. In our weekly calls I help you plan the month so your hours go to the work that matters most.
- No, retainer hours are design only. For projects that need both design and development, my studio CodexQuill handles the build side, so your design and code can still live under one roof. Mention it on our call and I will scope it separately.
- Me, directly. Every task is designed by me personally. There are no juniors, no outsourcing, and no account managers in between. That is the point of this retainer: senior level work from one person who knows your brand deeply.
- Yes. All client work is confidential by default, and I sign NDAs on request before any work starts. Nothing you commission is shown in my portfolio or case studies without your written permission.
Let's See If It's the Right Fit
One free 20-minute call is enough to know whether a retainer fits your business.
We'll review your needs, workload, and the right plan.
If it's not a fit, I'll tell you honestly.
Tell me about the work.
I'll reply within 24 hours. The more specific the brief, the faster I can scope it.
Contact@gulelalakhan.com