frequently asked questions
Do you charge a fixed price job or an hourly rate?
An estimate is based on a number of criteria – if there's a budget, that lets me know the scope of the work and the expectation. If there's no budget then I try and estimate how long the job will take me and estimate a price at £48/hour. A standard price for a logo is set at £650 and payment is taken in stages, deposit, half remainder, other half before 'hand over'. This price is based on about 4 stages of amendments and between 1– 3 ideations – it's more of a solution from a discussion so the ideas are generally displayed after determining the direction you want to take your business.
What information is needed from the client up front?
Ordinarily a client will have some idea on what they want produced. It's my job to tease out more information to determine if what is being requested is the most suitable solution and what the goal is with the design needed. I want you to get your moneys worth, if you ask for a flyer but a brochure will have more impact then we'll have a conversation and agree upon the best possible solution for attracting customers and growing your business through branding and promotion.
Once you've completed the job what files do you send over to me?
This depends on the nature of the work –
For a logo, you will receive a variety of file formats to enable your logo to be reproduced at a high quality whatever your requirements: .jpg .ai .eps .pdf .png (and if you require an animated logo .gif)
If your job is a printed item, I'll arrange the printing for you and get it delivered to an address of your choosing. You'll also receive a print-ready PDF and any other files that you think you'll need. We tend to discuss final requirements quite early on in the job so that I don't waste time finalising the incorrect format.
If your job is a website, then you'll receive a Wix website along with a few zoom calls to ensure that you're happy with making changes to your site and getting the most out of your website by getting a tour of a bunch of tools that can help promote your brand within your website.
What research do you undertake to support your client?
The Discovery Phase –
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When approached by a customer, assuming this is a logo design job, I like to see what you already have with regards to branding so I a look at your web presence – Linkedin, FB, Instagram, website, google then I try to find out more about your industry before chatting to you and getting to know you on a more personal level.
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Then I'll research who I think your competitors are (this will most likely be a set of respected brands, not necessarily in your field but a brand you can align to. If you know your direct competitors then I'll research them so we can identify your unique selling point.
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All this info gets collated into a document that will form part of your brand identity and you receive a copy upon completion of the work.
How many drafts would be included for a quote?
If the first proof is completely wrong then we revisit the brief, there's clearly been a miscommunication – proofs should really be small tweaks to an agreed upon strategy so up to 5 proofs is more than enough based on this way of working. It's more about presenting a set of ideas based on discovering more about the business and the trajectory of growth rather than a shot in the dark creatively.
Who has copyright to the finished work for my business?
The copyright remains mine until final payment is received – then the copyright automatically reverts to you. I also send out a Copyright Release form stating that the design is no longer mine and I'll need permission from you in order to display it online or in marketing publications to promote my business. Any designs that are created during the process and don't form part of the final work are still copyrighted to me, if you want to block them from being used elsewhere you are welcome to request that, there is a small fee charged.
What exercises do you use to pin down a customer brand?
I have a worksheet with a bunch of adjectives to describe –
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How you tackle planning for growth within your business
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How you interact with your customers
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The unwavering ideals and motives that form part of your personality, your business will undoubtedly take on your strongest personality traits
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Where you see your brand within a market.
This is how we pin down your Brand Personality.
Do I need any technology / software to access the work you would do for me?
Nope, the responsibility lies solely with the designer, me! It's my job to ensure that I know what the best solution is for you depending on your software that you have and also supplying you with file formats for a high quality reproduction further on down the line so that you have everything you require and aren't reliant upon me to do the work for you should you want to work with another designer. I hope that you choose me to work with you on future projects but I would never tie you into it.