b2B COMPANIES
Case Study - FiscalNote
FiscalNote had a non-stop flow of projects needing design. They brought on DesignBolt to keep work moving.
FiscalNote is a leading AI-driven technology provider of policy and regulatory intelligence
560 employees · Annual revenue: ~$100M · B2B Tech / GovTech - software, data, media
The Situation
FiscalNote's marketing team had recently lost a junior graphic designer.
They needed to replace the workload immediately — without a gap in output, without a lengthy hiring process, and without bringing on an agency that would charge per project and slow everything down.
Monica Michaan, Head of Brand, Creative, and Corporate Marketing, needed a solution that could handle a wide range and high volume of work across multiple sub-brands, at a senior level, and fit the way her team already operated.
They needed to replace the workload immediately — without a gap in output, without a lengthy hiring process, and without bringing on an agency that would charge per project and slow everything down.
Monica Michaan, Head of Brand, Creative, and Corporate Marketing, needed a solution that could handle a wide range and high volume of work across multiple sub-brands, at a senior level, and fit the way her team already operated.
Infographics / Congressional calendar
What they were
unsure about
unsure about
"Before signing onto DesignBolt, we were concerned that the service would not be sufficient to replace a full-time employee's time. We thought we would still need to hire additional resources."
Monica Michaan
Head of Brand, Creative & Corporate Marketing, FiscalNote
Monica Michaan
Head of Brand, Creative & Corporate Marketing, FiscalNote
This is one of the most common concerns for marketing leaders considering a design subscription: can one outside resource really handle the volume and variety a full-time hire would?
PolicyNote branded shirts.
What WE DID
DesignBolt became FiscalNote's dedicated design resource.
FiscalNote's team sent in requests, and DesignBolt worked through them one at a time for a flat monthly rate. Over 18 months, that added up to 50 projects across six brands.
This included decks, white papers, reports, brochures, infographics, social templates, trade show materials, print ads, merch and logos.
FiscalNote's team sent in requests, and DesignBolt worked through them one at a time for a flat monthly rate. Over 18 months, that added up to 50 projects across six brands.
This included decks, white papers, reports, brochures, infographics, social templates, trade show materials, print ads, merch and logos.
"If I have a complex design project, I now don't have to worry about how it's going to get accomplished because I know I can trust Josh at DesignBolt to deliver outstanding work in a short amount of time."
Slides from FiscalNote and PolicyNote decks. Decks made up 14 of the 50 projects.
What made the difference
A flat rate. The price doesn't change with the size of the request, so there's no reason to scale an idea down to save money.
"With design agencies or contractors, I often have to sacrifice the quality of the work because I'm mindful of the bill at the end of the project. The DesignBolt business model means I can push our creative limits until we land where we need to."
Annual Report - design, layout, infographics using report data
Fast turnaround. Work came back quickly enough that the team could ship more projects.
"The turnaround time for certain projects has been surprisingly fast, so we're able to accomplish more in less time. Our internal teams have been amazed at the quality of our work recently — and it's in huge part to the creative infusion DesignBolt has brought to us."
Ad campaign - print and digital design and layout
One PolicyNote layout in four color systems, from a rebrand exploration.
Senior-level taste, not just execution. FiscalNote's work was done by Josh Shayne, DesignBolt's founder, a designer with 20 years of experience. The work didn't just get done — it pushed the brand forward.
Staying on brand. DesignBolt built social templates in Canva that other teams at FiscalNote use to make on-brand posts themselves. It also did polish passes on sales decks and other materials to bring them in line with the brand.
"Josh is able to push our brand to be more bold and more modern without going off script. It's really refreshing to work with such a talented designer."
PolicyNote social templates, built in Canva for FiscalNote's team to use.
The result
Over 18 months, FiscalNote:
• replaced a departed designer without hiring
• maintained output across a wide range of project types
• implemented consistent brand guidelines across materials
• built design infrastructure that their team continues to use independently.
• replaced a departed designer without hiring
• maintained output across a wide range of project types
• implemented consistent brand guidelines across materials
• built design infrastructure that their team continues to use independently.
"Literally everything has gotten easier. It's worth every penny."
Monica Michaan
Head of Brand, Creative, and Corporate Marketing
Head of Brand, Creative, and Corporate Marketing
Ready to ship more work?
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Twenty minutes, nothing to prepare: tell me what's backed up and I'll tell you what I'd take off your plate first.
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