What is the best approach to designing a kitchen when you have a clear vision of what you want? Should we purchase software and design ourselves?

Should we hire a cabinetmaker to do the design with us and build our cabinets?

Should we hire a professional kitchen designer and pay the upfront cost associated with?

We have already tried the kitchen cabinet store who sent a designer to our house and that was not good, they were just giving us a cookie cutter design and didn't listen to our hopes and dreams for the space and attempted to sell us very overpriced mid range quality cabinetry (ie: 60K in just cabinetry). Any suggestions appreciated :) We have a strong vision for the space so I am wondering if designing ourselves would be best with a cabinetmaker to build and cut out the middle man. TIA