Working with us
Do you really know what you want?
This comes up quite often, a client won’t have any idea of what they want and have no idea of the budget to do it with. What do you want the end result to look like? A project has to have specifics - we need your help too. A good brief from you lays the foundation for a successful project and helps us quote more accurately.
Maybe give us a rough mockup of what you’re thinking? Do you have all the relevant images and logos?
If you need help collating everything, talk to us and we’ll get you on your way!
Do you actually have the time for your project?
There will always be some homework for you, even if it’s just proofing, don’t skimp — you are responsible if incorrect content gets printed! Take the time beforehand to collate all your materials, text, thoughts, plans, ideas, samples and production requirements.
We love it when you have all the content or text proofed and spell checked before it gets to us! If you don’t make the time for your project, its going to be difficult for us to do our job well.
You know your business better than we do — help us help you. If you give us your time in this regard, you will have a job that you will be happy with and on budget.
Will you trust us to take care of all things design?
Clients can sometimes judge by their taste or their daily mood and not by what their business may actually need. We find these clients come back to us, asking us to redesign everything back to our draft 1 presentation! In these cases, if we identify this type of client we will try and talk through the options and potential ramifications.
When properly briefed and you ask us to do a job, please give us the freedom and trust to see the job meets the requirements and expectation. If asked, we will always have a reason of why we did something. Relationship is very important to us, obviously we will change anything that just doesn’t work or you just don’t like!
We are a passionate lot who will go out of their way to give you their best. Our designers are qualified and experienced and will think of some things that you may not have considered. No one can know everything, but a good designer will always be looking for creative ways to meet your objectives.
How much will it cost me?
The better the information you supply us — give us a good brief and all the information up front — then life is easy! When we know what we are doing, we can give you an educated estimate based on your brief and production needs.
Design Process
Brief
A brief can come a few ways depending on the size of the job. If it is a new and complex job, it is preferred that you come in and meet with us to give us all the relevant information, define milestones, deadlines and outline production requirements. Sometimes more that one meeting is needed. A good brief outlines the foundation for the project, gives background, defines target audience, identifies competitors, sets strategy and goals, production requirements and so on. This allows for accurate quoting and sets a charter of expectation.
During this stage we can identify any potential obstacles and allow for workarounds.
For us to get started, you will document your side of the deal with all the instructions, content, images and other relevant material into simple and concise digital files for handover to us.
For the smaller jobs for repeat clients usually a phone call to chat through the job, followed up by an email with any specifics along with permission to start your job – simple!
Design
- Based on the brief and or instructions, we will come up with a creative response which consists of research, concept development, design refinement and drafting processes, approval and delivery.
- As design and creativity is highly subjective, and on occasions, even with a brief it can be difficult to “read your mind”. Draft 1 may not be what you were thinking. In this case, please persist and communicate with us. Often we have tried other creative alternatives that were not presented or we can create a more tailored response based on your feedback – no matter how harsh!
- Drafts will go back and forth until approval is given - this is chargable, so try and give good specific feedback.
- Once you agree and sign off on a draft, we create production version. YOU must proof your job BEFORE we send it to production, we do our best to make sure spelling etc is right, but once the final content has gone to print there is no turning back!
- Also be sure to confirm with us any final production specifications, such as; quantities, type of stock, folding and delivery details etc.
- Once a production is underway your job is invoiced.
Process Outline -Web based jobs
- Initial briefing and design process as above. This will include scoping of ideal features, content and site map. We have documents to help you with this.
- You need to write the all the basic content based on the sitemap you create.
- Once a scope is quoted on and agreed upon, with your content received, we will then begin the creative process and present you with a jpg image mockup of the website look and feel.
- Once “look and feel” is agreed on, an actual working prototype website is built for development, testing and review.
- After review, you may request any revision to content or structure. Any major changes to the structure or design are best made at this stage. Some changes or requests may go be beyond the scope of the estimate and may occur extra charges that will require a new quote or estimate.
- Agreed final changes are made and the web site is made “live” on the web.
- Once the site is live and your domain name points your new site, an invoice will be generated for full payment.