A new partner.
Getting yourself into any new business situation can present questions that often go unasked and unanswered. We believe that an open and honest relationship with our clients produces better work and a better working environment.
(And really, it just makes us happier people.)
How we work:
A little bit about our process
before, during and after your project...
1
I've never worked with designers before. How do I start?
First, we’ll have a discussion about what you’re looking for and we’ll let you know if we’re right for the job. Really. If we think somebody else can do it better, we’ll let you know. We have a bunch of friends in the creative industries, and we value their expertise. If we think your specific needs would be better served by them, we’ll put you in touch—they’d do the same for us. If it sounds like we might be a good fit for each other, then we’ll need to know a little more for our first project together...
2
Discussing your project specifics
Every project is different. We don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions, so we'll need to know a little more about you and your needs. We'll talk in greater depth about project specifics, your business, your industry, your competition—everything we'll need to know to make an accurate estimate for your project. Then we'll provide you with a preliminary estimate for the work you need. Our estimates are itemized with descriptions so you clearly understand what goes into each project. We keep the jargon out and explain everything in terms that are relevant to your business and your specific area of expertise.
3
Working within your budget
Our estimates provide you with different options so we can craft the project around your budget. For example, a website estimate may include line items for custom photography, copywriting, custom interactive features, SEO options or content management system (CMS) features. If you decide to do the writing yourself, or if you already have photos to work with, we'll simply take those items out of the proposal. You let us know what you want to move forward with, and you can always add or subtract items down the road.
4
Finalizing the work proposal
If the estimate sounds good to you we'll move forward and formalize it with a proposal and revised estimate for only the work you decide upon. Remember, we think every project deserves a unique approach. So from here, the process might be pretty different between you and your projects. This will all be detailed for you in the proposal so you'll know what to expect every step of the way.
5
Our “Creative Process”
For some reason, a bunch of people are surprised how involved in the process you will be. We believe in asking you questions, gathering your insights and prototyping early on in the process. We can quickly adapt to project changes if we have a constant dialogue with you, and we understand that you want to be involved. Even if it's just a quick email to update you on our status, we'll make sure you feel comfortable sharing your ideas with us. After all, you know your own business better than anyone else. But to give you an idea of the creative process for most design projects, we'll start with a “discovery” phase, then we'll provide you with some different creative options—or “comps”—for you to review. Once we get an idea of your personal style, we'll move forward from there.
6
We aim to make your day better.
That's our aim. We know you might not get to be involved in the creative process frequently, and we know a lot of people are excited by it. Our interactions are friendly and we hope you can enjoy taking ownership of your own process.
7
Status Reports
We'll update you along the way, so you can reasonably estimate project milestones, and keep track of your budget—on your terms.
8
Support & Followup
We're there for you, even after it looks like we're done on paper.
9
A lasting partnership
We like to forge relationships that are long term. It's just better that way.
So, are you ready to build a new partnership?
We hope you are. And if you're still looking for a further conversation to help you sort it all out—we'd love to have the conversation.
You can email us,
call us at 617-942-1258,
or visit our contact page to fill out our "getting started" form.