How we work: from a free consultation and brief to source files with full rights
Every project follows the same rhythm: a call, a brief, a quote with a schedule, a 50% deposit and then five stages of work. Below we describe what happens at each stage and what we need from you.
Before we start
- 01
Free consultation
A call online or a meeting at your office. You tell us what you want to achieve, we ask about the audience, timeline and budget. You sign nothing.
- 02
Brief
A short document answering about a dozen questions: brand, competitors, inspiration, where it will be used, budget and deadline. You can fill it in online.
- 03
Quote and schedule
Within a few days you get the scope with a list of files, the price and milestones. If anything is unclear, we fix the quote before you pay anything.
- 04
50% deposit
Once you accept the quote, you pay half of the project value and we book the time. The second half is paid at the end, before the source files are handed over.
Five project stages
- 1at the start
Research and moodboard
We look at competitors and the places the design will appear, and show style directions on a moodboard. You pick a direction before the first version of the design.
- 2the longest stage
Concept
Creative direction works out the concept, and the designer turns it into vectors, layouts or renders. We show the concept on real applications straight away.
- 3about 15% of the time
Revisions
You collect feedback in one batch and we apply it. Revision time grows with the size of the project instead of a fixed number of rounds.
- 4before delivery
Finalisation
Polishing details, preparing versions, checking contrast, bleed and formats, and for print a proof from the printer.
- 5at the end
File handover
Files in tidy folders, documentation and a transfer of economic rights once paid in full.
How we count revisions
We do not split revisions into rounds. We reserve about 15% of the project time for changes, so the amount grows with the size of the project.
For example, if a project takes 100 hours of work, about 15 hours are set aside for your feedback. In a small project that is a few hours, in a big one several days.
Feedback is best collected in one batch, pointing to specific places in the design. One list instead of several messages shortens the time it takes to apply changes.
A change of direction after a concept is approved is a new scope. We quote it before starting work, so you never learn about a cost after the fact.
Communication during the project
One point of contact
You talk to the person leading creative direction. They prepared the concept, so they understand every decision in the project.
Online or on site
Meetings by video call, and if you prefer to talk face to face, we come to your office.
Polish and English
We can run the project in either language, including with a team that only speaks English.
Reply within 24 hours
We answer emails and form messages within a day on business days.
How long typical projects take
| Project | Typical timeline | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Logo | 7-21 business days | Number of concepts and how fast decisions are made |
| Brand identity | 3-8 weeks | Package, brand book size, number of materials |
| Website design | from 3 weeks | Number of pages and unique templates |
| Print materials | 2 days to 6 weeks | From a business card to a catalogue: format, pages, content |
| Reel edit | 2-3 business days | Length and amount of footage, captions, graphics |
| 3D visuals | 1-4 weeks | Model complexity, number of shots and variants |
Working together, from the inside
Agreements in writing
After every call we send a short summary: what we agreed, what we do next and what we are waiting for from you. That way, a week later, nobody has to remember who said what, and a new person on your side quickly knows where the project stands.
We keep all important decisions in one email thread or in comments in the design, not scattered across messaging apps. To approve a concept or files, a reply in the same thread is enough, so the history of the project is always in one place.
Stage approvals
A project has several points where we ask for approval: the direction after research, the concept, the revised version and the full set of files. Approval does not have to be formal; a confirming email is enough, but it needs to be unambiguous.
Each approval closes a stage. Changes to an approved stage are possible, but we treat them as a change of scope and quote them first. That protects both sides: you know what a change of mind costs, and we can plan our work.
Feedback that speeds the project up
Specific feedback collected together is fastest to work with. Instead of saying something feels off, describe what exactly bothers you and why: the colour reminds you of a competitor, the text is too small on a phone, the photo does not suit your customers.
One person on your side collects the feedback and sends it in one message, ideally as comments directly in the design. Contradictory comments from several people use up revision time without getting closer to the goal.
File handover
At the end you get a pack of files organised into folders and named so it is clear what each is for: print, web, source files. For larger projects we add a short guide or recording on using the templates.
Source files and full economic rights are handed over once everything is paid. It is worth saving the pack straight away somewhere more than one person in the company can access.
After the project
If a printer or developer reports a problem with a file we prepared, we fix it. If you later need more materials in the same style, we quote them as a new, usually smaller job, because the brand rules are already in place.
For ongoing needs, such as monthly social media graphics, we can agree a fixed scope of work. Then you do not have to go through a quote and schedule every time.
When something goes wrong
Projects sometimes drag on: content is missing, a decision changes within the company, a new idea appears. We say so openly as soon as we see the risk and suggest a solution: a new date, a smaller scope or splitting the project into stages.
If a concept completely misses, we go back to the brief and check what was misunderstood before we start drawing again. We would rather have one extra conversation than three concepts in the wrong direction.
A project with a hard deadline
A trade fair, a product launch or a venue opening has a date that cannot move. For such projects we build the schedule backwards: first the print or production deadline at the supplier, then file delivery, revisions, the concept and the start.
With a hard deadline, quick decisions on your side matter most. That is why at the start we agree who approves each stage and how quickly they respond, so no stage waits days for one person.
How to prepare your team for the project
Before we start, agree within the company who makes decisions about the project and who collects feedback from the others. If the project involves several departments, such as sales and marketing, both sides should have their say at the brief stage, not at the concept.
Also tell the people who will use the results: the team that will get the templates or the printer you work with. The sooner we know their needs, the better the files will fit them.
Presenting the concept
We present the concept on a video call or in a recorded presentation, not as a bare file in an email. We explain where the idea came from, how it answers the brief and how it looks on the key applications, and then give you time to think it over.
Feedback is best sent a day or two after the presentation, once the first impression settles. A first reaction is often a reaction to novelty rather than to the design itself.
When the project is finished
A project ends when you approve the final version, receive the full set of files and pay the invoice. From then on the economic rights are yours, and you can pass the files to a printer, developer or another supplier. If they later report a problem with one of our files, we will fix it.
Questions about the process
Not sure which package fits?
Describe the project in a few sentences. We reply within 24 hours with a proposed scope and price, and if you prefer to talk, we book a free consultation online or at your office.