What types of clients do you work with? We work with organizations of all sizes and sectors. Most of the time we’re involved with creating a new brand identity (or refining an existing one) but we’re also open to working with an existing brand identity.
How does your design process typically work? There is a lot that goes into a well-executed design process, but we can provide some basic insight. Once we have an agreement in place, the project will start with a discovery phase. In the discovery phase we invest a lot of time learning about the client, their goals, and their competitive landscape. From our research we’ll work with the client to create a design brief that aligns expectations and creates some measurable goals.
After the discovery phase we’ll begin our first design round. Sometimes we’ll discuss concepts with the client before we execute the design, but most of the time our discovery phase lays a pretty clear path for us. We’ll create a presentation for the client that breaks down what we’ve created, justifies our decisions, and shows how the design functions in various settings and applications.
Sometimes we’ll hit the nail on the head and move straight to preparing the artwork for usage, but usually we’ll gather feedback from the client after the first round. We’ll discuss with the client how the design fits within our design strategy and which directions it needs to be pushed. If all parties communicate effectively throughout the process, the second round should be the final one, and if anything needs to be tweaked beyond that it’s usually pretty minor.
How big is your staff and how does that affect the client and your results? Our staff is pretty small and we don’t see ourselves ever going into double digits. For us, our small size helps our work stay clear and cohesive, and makes for easier communication throughout the project. Staying small also aligns with our focus on quality and attention to detail (as opposed to quantity and speed). We’re still able take on some pretty big projects—often by just carefully managing our schedule. On the occasions when we do need help, we have a pretty good network of talent in the area to collaborate with.
Do you handle print production for your clients? Given the opportunity, we always prefer to coordinate and oversee the production of our print projects. It allows us to make sure that the finished product meets our standards (the level of quality in the world of print production varies greatly). This includes our assistance with deciding on production methods, contacting printers, getting quotes, choosing materials, creating press-ready files, and checking proofs. We typically account for this time in our proposals and, as a result, we do not charge a markup on the production cost.
Who owns the copyright? Who owns the copyright to your project will be outlined in the Terms of Work agreement. So although we’re not copyright attorneys, in most instances, we believe and agree that, upon final payment by you (the client) of the final invoice, you (the client) own the copyright to the final, selected concept (work product). We (the designers) own the copyright to all the presented concepts that were not selected, Unless negotiated otherwise. We (the designers) retain the right to show the final, selected concept (work product) as an example of our work in our portfolio.
