What We Need to Know!

The first thing we need to know is what kind of project you have in mind. This is what is called the scope of the project and is it is very important from the outset to establish exactly what it is you require.

Understanding Our Workflow

Over the years we have come to recognise that many clients are a little unsure about the various ways in which we think about time and how designing effectively is reliant on thorough planning and the realistic allocation of resources. No matter what kind of work you would like us to do for you - whether it is helping with the launch of a new company, ongoing website maintenance or updating a tired corporate identity - we like to get a good perspective on budgets and time scales. It may help you to think about the following things:

• Planning Ahead - Expecting everything to be done in one fell swoop is often a mistake - most of the time creative thinking requires a gestation period and the process of trial and error is integral to good results. Some clients expect instant results, some expect us to continually rework and deliver without understanding that this takes time and unfortunately some are not very interested in participating in the creative process at all! Think about how much time - and money - you have available to invest in your project - this way you will be much more satisfied with the end results!


• The Consultation - Depending on the size of you project it is a good idea to understand the ways in which we split up the various stages. We will will always conduct an initial consultation - no matter how small the project is. We do not charge for the first hour or two so you will always be free to consult other companies and make the decision that is best for your business. We have one provision - if we are required to travel long distances we may make charges to cover expenses - obviously if you simply require a stationary suite this can be done via email and telephone (but be aware that we will charge up front before we undertake any such work)


• The Creative Phase(s) - After you have decided that you would like us to undertake the work for you we begin the design process. Most projects require us to take a little time to think and come up with a number of ideas and roughs - again - depending on the size of the project this can take anything from a couple of days to a number of weeks. We use this time to do research where required and to develop concepts, decide which technologies are most appropriate and create initial layouts and graphics. When working on larger projects we will consult with you or a designated staff member or department. We will set up an agreed schedule for meetings where you will be asked to approve the work completed and where necessary we will require you to sign off work (especially important for printing projects) so that we can move forward to the next stage of development.


• Implementation - When we are dealing with larger projects the implementation of the design work in a wide variety of media may be critical for your marketing strategy - we strongly recommend that you let us know about all your plans and schedules. Where applicable let us have the contact details of any third parties so we can let them know about our design work, so that we can ensure that deadlines and delivery dates can be met. We will always try to meet our deadlines but we will charge the client for any failure of third parties, over which we have no control, to deliver services or content on time, where we either have to provide these services or outsource the work.


• Maintenance - If you are commissioning us to create a web site for you there is one major issue that a surprising number of people and businesses neglect right from the outset - and it is becoming a major issue for everyone who has an online presence. Maintenance covers a wide number of issues but please consider the following:
  
  
  • each year the minimal costs for running your website - domain name registration and server costs
  • the cost of keeping up to date with the latest technologies ie. browsers get updated, new versions of code are implemented etc.
  • security - backing up your website, making sure it cannot be hacked and the emergency measures required to reinstate your site and who is responsible for this.
  • content and updates - have you made a provision in your budget for the ongoing cost of providing new content and decided who will be responsible for keeping the web site up to date
  • marketing your web site - if it is important that your website is number one on the top search engines or is listed on a variety of portals - have you budgeted for the cost of advertising and search engine optimisation?
  
  
  Please be aware that there is NO magic red button hidden on the back of the computer that can magically solve any of these problems for you. If you require advice and support make sure that you let us know at the consultation stage!


• Developing a Good Working Relationship - Establishing a good working relationship with our clients right from the outset is essential to our line of business. We will not pull our punches if we think a client is making the wrong decisions when it comes to design. If you are not familiar with the ins and outs of commissioning design and are unaware of the complexities of the many technologies that we use on a day to day basis please take our advice! Design is a skill that requires knowledge in many specialist fields and if we feel that the clients choice of typeface, logo or colour palette is inappropriate, and possibly disastrous, we do it from a firm basis of practice - not malice. Having said that we emphatically encourage our clients to contribute as much creative input as possible during the development of what is, after all, an essential part of their business.