A Simple Process
Here are the 4 stages of every project
Introduction
Our introduction will be a great opportunity to share our visions and expectations. I understand its not always feasible to arrange face to face meetings so I make myself conveniently available by email, text and phone.
Illustration
Now it's time for me to get to work. I will take what we discussed and begin making it come to life. I thoroughly enjoy working with my clients and you're always welcome to share a last minute idea.
Draft
At this point your logo has been designed. This is our opportunity to review the artwork and make any necessary changes. Here we will discuss the finer, intricate details that may require some tweaking.
Finalizing
The look and the details of your design are now complete. Here is where we make sure all the information is accurate and free of error. Once I have your stamp of approval, your design is ready to go!
Understanding My Rates
The Struggle Is Real
One of the biggest hurtles graphic designers face is deciding what exactly to charge for their services. Most people don't understand what's involved in developing a successful graphic designer; and why would they? Like anything, If you're not one, it's difficult to know what it is to be one. Let me help shed some light.
Successful graphic designers invest thousands upon thousands of hours and hard earned dollars building their skill sets, knowledge, tools and experience to be effective in their field."Well.. my cousin, Jimmy, has photoshop. I'll have him design the logo". I hear this kind of thing a lot, and quite frankly, I'm 100% ok with it! Really! I'd much rather know early on that they value the cheapest possible option, over the consult of an experienced professional. It's all yours, Jimmy! My goal in this business is to use my knowledge of the industry, use digital media best practices with my creative experience and leverage these things to make your business relevant to your target market. I design for so much more than just a clever shape, or a cool graphic. Everything from colour, to geometry, to understanding why a logo works and why it doesn't, plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of your imagery. My clients and I, alike, understand the necessity and relevancy of intentional design and we find great success in it.
Then there are the very tangible factors that play into the rates used for a design business.
Time
Design is subjective and so it's very difficult to quantify the exact time estimated for a design request. Many designers promise a 24hr turn around time for things like logos. Take note.. this is code for "I actually don't really care about the effectiveness of what i'm designing to represent your company". It simply takes time to be methodical and intentional about conceptualizing great design. I'm willing to bet that an extra few days or weeks on your logo will not collapse your business. If it does, your logo is free (don't quote me on that). If graphic designers actually got paid by the hour we'd almost be better off flipping burgers, but a good graphic designer is passionate about your brand and will value your happiness! However, there does come a point where the time invested becomes unprofitable. With a mutual understanding of estimated time allotted to a project and calibre of design services represented by a portfolio, designers and clients can properly set the right expectations.
Like every business, time is money. I don't know how many times I've spent days on a design and willingly undersold myself to get the job done well within the customers budget, only to have the client decide to abort the project because the family friend was marginally cheaper. Every designer has been there, and its very frustrating. If there ever was a colossal waste of time and money lost.. this is it. So in order for my business to be worth while, I need to value my time and what I bring to the table.
Overhead
Depending on the outfit, a designers overhead will vary. As freelance graphic artists, this usually means no store front or employees, so we can afford to be a little bit more competitive. However, it also means we don't have nearly as much lead generation and horsepower on hand.
These days a lot of software is provided via cloud services. This often means monthly or annual subscriptions in order to avoid the downtime of dealing with old, outdated, unsupported software. So you need have the right tool for the job! Then there's the hardware. Arguably, one of the best tools a designer can have is an up to date, RAM packed, Mac workstation with a good video card, processor and an SSD. Don't forget quality monitors, colour calibration tools, data backup, servers blah blah blah. It adds up quickly! Will other platforms suffice? Ya, it's possible to do the work in twice the amount of time with lots of headaches, but nobody wants that! The right software coupled with quality hardware is simply the only good option. But you pay for it!
Profit
Like anybody, I may love what I do, but at the end of the day, I need to make a profit. Simply put, It pays my bills, helps me invest in my business and generally just allows me to get ahead in life.
I hope this has been informative enough to give you an understanding of just what goes into creating your design. If you take away nothing else, consider exactly who it is you're trusting with your business and decide if you value investing in a professional. Doing this early in your pursuit of design will best prepare both you and your designer for maximum value!
What To Expect
As a customer, whether experienced or inexperienced in creative design, sometimes a vision manifest into a tangible product doesn't quite play out how it does in the mind. Kind of like that orange accent wall you painted in your living room. You had good intentions, but something needs tweaking. For this reason I like to Include 2 free revisions in the draft phase. This gives you an opportunity to make some changes without paying for extra time. Basic changes like colour, for example, are simple enough that would not be considered a "revision". Extra amendments are charged at an hourly rate.
Logos
The process of designing a logo can, at times, require a significant investment of time to get done right. Because of this, I require a 50% deposit before starting the illustration phase. Once the designs have been finalized and the balance of the invoice is paid in full, you will receive your high resolution design files in .jpg, .pdf, .png or other necessary rasterized formats.
Websites
Websites are a dynamic marketing tool and effective websites will need regular maintenance and updating as your products or information changes. Especially if you're a startup company still testing the waters. I will design and layout your website so you can easily maintain the content yourself! If you would prefer not to have to deal with this tech side of things, I do offer a monthly subscription for content maintenance.
A 50% deposit is required before starting a website. All website drafts will be presented with the home page for the design concept. All subsequent pages will be designed using this concept and will be presented in full before finalizing. Once the website has been completed and approved by you, the balance is paid in full and the website will be published.
Rates
Most projects are unique or involve multiple components and don't follow a cookie cutter pricing schedule. Whether it's a business card, website, or a corporate re-branding designed, please contact me for a complete estimate on your project. I would be happy to connect with you and find a solution!
Please note: Web domain & hosting rates may vary depending on circumstances. Please contact me for inquiries and to confirm specific pricing.
If you already have a domain, please let me know and arrangements can be made for transfer to your new website.