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What is VisualPharm?
VisualPharm is a creative studio that produces custom 2D and 3D animation, interactive animation, illustrations, and icons for websites, apps, and marketing. It describes itself as an in-house, salaried team rather than a marketplace of freelancers, and it has worked with software and consumer brands since 2002; the site names clients including Motorola, Qualcomm, P&G, HP, Verisign, Kaspersky Lab, Parallels, Squarespace, and Europol.
How the work is delivered
The studio organizes projects into sprints instead of long, open-ended engagements. A 1-week sprint represents 35 hours of creative work; a 2-week sprint represents 70 hours. The next sprint can begin immediately after the previous one, and during a sprint clients get daily updates and can send feedback at any time. Final files are handed over in the formats needed, such as SVG, PNG, GIF, MP4, or Lottie.
Choosing a sprint length
| Option | Creative work | Typical scope | Stated price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-week sprint | 35 hours | 2D illustrations, icons, animations (no 3D) | $4,500 |
| 2-week sprint | 70 hours | 2D and 3D illustrations or animations | $8,500 |
| Ongoing sprints | Embedded team, scope-based | Priority queue access and monthly strategy calls | Custom pricing |
The practical difference is not just volume: 3D work requires the 2-week option, so a project that mixes flat illustration with 3D elements should be planned around that.
Who it suits
This model fits product and marketing teams that need a defined batch of assets on a short deadline — for example, an app onboarding illustration set plus a Lottie animation for a launch, or an icon library refresh ahead of a redesign. The sprint structure gives a fixed time box and a clear deliverable list, which is easier to budget than hourly work. It is less suited to very small one-off requests, since the entry point is a full week of studio time, or to projects whose direction changes constantly, where a longer embedded arrangement may make more sense.
A useful next step is to write a one-page brief listing the exact assets, formats, and deadline, then ask whether it fits a 1-week or 2-week sprint. Comparing against other studios with published sprint or subscription models, such as Superside or ManyPixels, can help you judge whether the hours and price match your volume.
How does VisualPharm's sprint-based pricing compare to hiring freelancers for a custom animation project?
VisualPharm sells animation in fixed time blocks rather than per project or per freelancer. A 1-week sprint gives 35 hours of creative work for 2D illustrations or animations, while a 2-week sprint gives 70 hours and adds 3D. Ongoing sprints for an embedded team are priced by scope. The practical difference from hiring freelancers is not just the rate; it is what the sprint includes and how predictable the schedule is.
Where the sprint model helps
- Scope is time-bounded. You buy 35 or 70 hours, so the main variable is how much creative work fits, not an open-ended quote that can drift.
- The team is in-house and salaried. VisualPharm presents itself as a full creative team rather than overstretched freelancers, with the same team focused on your project each sprint.
- Feedback is continuous. During the sprint you get daily updates and can send feedback at any time, which suits teams that want to steer animation style early.
- Handover is production-ready. Final files come in formats such as SVG, PNG, GIF, MP4, or Lottie, ready to drop into a website, app, or campaign.
- Momentum is built in. The next sprint can start right after the current one, so a multi-part animation system can continue without a new procurement cycle.
Where freelancers can still win
A freelancer is often the better fit when the job is small, highly specialized, or defined enough to quote as a fixed deliverable. You may pay only for the finished piece, communicate with one person, and avoid buying a block of hours you do not fully use. The trade-off is less redundancy: if that freelancer is unavailable, ill, or slow, the schedule moves with them. VisualPharm's model reduces that risk by keeping a salaried team, but it also means you are buying capacity for a defined sprint rather than a single finished animation at a fixed price.
A practical way to decide
Use a sprint when you need a steady stream of related assets—say, a product launch with several 2D explainer scenes, icons, and social cuts—and you want regular feedback rather than one handoff. Use a freelancer when you have one tightly specified animation, a clear reference style, and no need for ongoing iteration.
For a concrete example: a software company preparing a feature launch might book a 2-week sprint to cover a 3D product demo plus supporting 2D icons and an animated walkthrough. A smaller startup that only needs one 30-second 2D explainer may find a freelancer more economical. The decision criterion is whether you are buying hours of adaptable creative capacity or a single defined deliverable. If you are unsure which sprint length fits, ask VisualPharm to map your asset list to 35 or 70 hours before committing, and compare that against one or two freelancer quotes for the same list.
What specific deliverables and file formats can I expect at the end of a one-week or two-week sprint?
At the end of a sprint, VisualPharm hands over final files in the formats you need — the studio names SVG, PNG, GIF, MP4, and Lottie as examples. The deliverable type depends on the sprint length: a 1-week sprint covers 2D illustrations, icons, and animations, while a 2-week sprint adds 3D. So a one-week sprint will not produce 3D assets, but either sprint can yield the file formats above, matched to where the work will live.
Matching format to use
- SVG — scalable vector illustrations and icons for websites and apps; stays sharp at any size.
- PNG — raster illustrations or icon exports where vector isn't supported.
- GIF — short looping animations for email, chat, or simple web placements.
- MP4 — video animation for marketing, social, or product pages.
- Lottie — lightweight interactive animation for apps and web interfaces, tied to the interactive animation service.
Practical next step
Before the sprint starts, list every destination for the asset (site, app, deck, ad platform) and the format each one accepts. If 3D is on your list, book a 2-week sprint rather than a 1-week one. If you need app-friendly animated icons, say so up front so the team can plan Lottie output from the start. VisualPharm's site notes daily updates during the sprint and feedback at any time, so format questions can be settled before the final handover rather than after.
For context on the studio, see VisualPharm.
Can VisualPharm handle both 2D and 3D animation projects, and what are the differences in cost and scope?
Yes. VisualPharm is set up to handle both 2D and 3D work, but the two are separated by sprint length and price rather than offered as interchangeable options on every project.
What each sprint covers
| 1-week sprint | 2-week sprint | |
|---|---|---|
| Creative hours | 35 | 70 |
| Formats | 2D illustrations, icons, animations | 2D and 3D illustrations and animations |
| Price | $4,500 | $8,500 |
| Cadence | Next sprint can start immediately | Same, with more volume per cycle |
The practical difference is that 3D only enters the picture at the two-week tier. If your project is purely 2D — icon sets, flat illustrations, Lottie animations, explainer-style motion — a one-week sprint is the cheaper entry point. If you need modelled 3D assets or 3D animation, budget for the two-week sprint.
A third option, ongoing sprints, is priced by scope and framed as an embedded team arrangement with priority queue access and monthly strategy calls. That suits teams with a continuous design backlog rather than a single deliverable.
What this means for a real project
Say you are launching an app and need a 40-icon set plus a 30-second 2D animated explainer. That is roughly a one-week sprint of dedicated work, delivered as SVG, PNG, GIF, MP4 or Lottie files ready to drop into a build. Add a 3D product turntable for the marketing site and you are realistically in two-week territory, because 3D modelling and rendering consume hours faster than flat illustration.
Two things worth weighing before you commit:
- Sprint length is a scope cap, not a deadline. A one-week sprint buys 35 hours of work. If your brief needs more, you buy another sprint — the studio says the next one can start right after.
- Delivery is file-based handover with daily updates during the sprint. Feedback can go in at any time, so the working rhythm suits teams who can review quickly rather than those who need long approval cycles.
How to decide
Choose the one-week sprint if your deliverables are flat and finite: icons, UI illustrations, 2D motion. Choose the two-week sprint if 3D geometry, lighting or rendering is involved, or if you have enough 2D volume to fill 70 hours. Ask about ongoing sprints only if you expect repeat work month after month.
A useful next step is to write your brief as a list of deliverables with counts — "12 icons, 1 hero illustration, 1 20-second 2D animation" — and ask which sprint tier covers it. That converts a vague creative request into an hours question, which is the unit this studio actually prices in. For context on how other studios structure similar work, Behance portfolios are a reasonable place to compare illustration and motion styles before briefing anyone.
How do I start a project with VisualPharm, and what is the process for providing feedback during a sprint?
Start by contacting the studio to scope a sprint, then use the sprint itself as the feedback loop: VisualPharm says you get daily updates during a sprint and can send feedback at any time.
Starting a project
The site's stated entry point is a direct conversation — it lists an email address and social links (Behance, Instagram) rather than a self-serve signup. In practice, expect that first exchange to cover what you need made (2D or 3D animation, interactive animation, illustrations, or icons), the formats you'll need at handover, and whether a one-week or two-week sprint fits the volume.
How the sprint model shapes feedback
Because work is delivered in one- or two-week cycles rather than a long open-ended engagement, feedback is meant to land inside the current sprint, not after a big reveal at the end.
| Sprint | Stated creative hours | Stated scope |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | 35 hours | 2D illustrations or animations |
| 2 weeks | 70 hours | 2D/3D illustrations or animations |
| Ongoing | Priced by scope | Embedded team, priority queue, monthly strategy calls |
The trade-off is cadence versus depth: a one-week sprint keeps feedback tight and cheap to act on, but leaves little room for 3D, which the studio places in the two-week tier. If your feedback tends to arrive in bursts after seeing near-final work, the sprint rhythm will feel fast; if you can review daily, it suits you well. Note that the next sprint can start immediately, so unresolved notes can either be folded into the following cycle or stall progress if you're slow to respond.
A practical way to run it
Before the sprint begins, agree on what "done" looks like for that cycle and who on your side gives the binding sign-off — daily updates are only useful if one person can consolidate notes rather than three stakeholders sending conflicting directions. Ask at kickoff which formats you'll receive (the studio mentions SVG, PNG, GIF, MP4, and Lottie) so the handover doesn't add a conversion step.
For comparison, other studios that publish clear process and pricing include Superside for subscription-style design capacity and ManyPixels for unlimited-request plans; both differ from VisualPharm's fixed-hour sprint in how feedback queues work.
Which companies have trusted VisualPharm for custom illustrations and icons, and what types of projects have they completed?
VisualPharm's public client list covers large technology, consumer and security brands, alongside smaller software companies. Named clients include Motorola, Qualcomm, P&G, HP, Verisign, Kaspersky Lab, Parallels, Squarespace, Europol, Camfrog, Kofax and Dionex, plus Docucorp (now part of Oracle).
What kind of work those projects involved
The studio describes its output as custom 2D and 3D animation, interactive animation, illustrations, and icons for websites, apps and marketing. Its own history points to icon and interface work for software companies going back to 2002: in 2003 alone it reports roughly 170 orders and more than 1,000 icons for clients in the USA, EU and Australia. Kofax and Dionex are each credited with more than 200 icons.
That mix suggests two common engagement shapes:
- Icon and interface sets for software products, where consistency across a large library matters more than a single hero image.
- Illustration and animation assets for apps and marketing, including 2D, 3D and interactive formats.
How to judge fit
If you need a defined batch of icons or a short animation with a fixed deadline, the sprint model is the relevant detail: a 1-week sprint is quoted at $4,500 for 35 hours of 2D illustration, icon and animation work, and a 2-week sprint at $8,500 for 70 hours including 3D. Files are handed over in formats such as SVG, PNG, GIF, MP4 or Lottie.
A practical next step is to check whether your project resembles the icon-heavy software work or the broader animation work, then ask for samples in that category. If your need is a large, coherent icon system, the Kofax and Dionex examples are the closest reference points; if it is a marketing animation, ask to see motion work rather than static icon sets.
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