Frequently Asked Questions
your questions, answered
General
I’m a professionally trained designer and former photographer and I use this expertise to create purposeful, timeless brands for my clients that allow them to raise their prices, book more dream clients, and take a confident step into the luxury market.
Before we start thinking about visuals, I’ll send you in-depth worksheets that help you identify your mission, your why, your vision and goals for your business, your ideal client, and more. I then take this important info to help us determine a design direction that will present you as the expert you are while connecting with the clients you want to work with most.
I utilize the One Concept Method. I may explore a few different concepts initially but I only pursue the most effective and strongest option to finalize and present to you. This allows me to put all of my energy and expertise into the concept I feel is the absolute best option for your business.
It saves you from decision fatigue and we can tweak and polish your concept as needed.
I offer two revisions for each step of the process - logo designs, collateral designs, etc. So much research and planning goes into each concept that revisions are often minimal and two is typically plenty.
Along with a primary logo, I typically design 3-5 additional secondary logos, submarks, and icons. I like to provide a cohesive logo suite that can be used in a variety of ways.
It is your responsibility to purchase web fonts once we’re done with your project and I’ll provide you the information on where to find them.
Brand Intensives
After you complete your inquiry, we’ll talk and decide if your needs are a good fit for the Intensive! After you book, I’ll send you a questionnaire to help dial in everything we need to know about your Intensive’s particular focus (like a mini brand identity or a website upgrade). You’ll submit all of your materials to me a week before the Intensive begins, and then we get into the design!
Your Brand Intensive takes place during a 5-day, Monday-Friday workweek, and it’s my #1 my priority that week! To keep your project moving along, you should plan to be available at least once a day to share feedback on the previous day’s work.
If you’re a return client, absolutely! If I didn’t design your brand, though, a Brand Intensive won’t be the right fit. Because my design process is rooted in from-scratch brand strategy, I don’t create websites or collateral for existing brands.
The specifics depend on the project we’re working on, but you’ll need all of the content ready a week before we get started. (For example, if we’re working on a website or branded collateral, you’ll need your copy and images ready to go.) If we’re working on a mini brand identity, your pre-project questionnaire should cover all of the information we need.
The Brand Intensive is meant for newer businesses to establish themselves in their industry, and can be an especially good fit for businesses that are ready to leave DIY behind but don’t yet have the resources or the need for a lengthy, highly-custom branding process. Custom branding strategy and design work is better suited to more experienced businesses ready to elevate their position in their industry and make a very long-term investment.
But rest assured – both services are high-quality and delivered with care! They simply serve different purposes.
Custom Branding
The key to good design is simplicity, and the key to a good design process is time – but just the perfect amount of it! Projects typically take between 2 and 4 weeks, which gives us plenty of room for your feedback at every stage while keeping us energized and moving forward.
The more information and inspiration you can share about your business, the better, but you don’t need to prepare anything in advance. Our brand strategy process is designed to dig deep, getting clear on (and excited about!) your business’s vision, values, goals, ideal clients, and so much more. Once you book, we’ll get started exploring all of the above through your questionnaire and a custom Pinterest board.
Your branding process is collaborative! I ask you lots of questions to get a good sense of your vision, and I always aim to bring the complexities of branding down to earth. While I honor your preferences, I also know that you’re counting on me to create a strategic brand that connects with your ideal clients and will truly go the distance – so your open-mindedness is also key to where the process takes us!
At every step of the process, you have a chance to weigh in on moodboards, colors and fonts, patterns, illustrations, and logo concepts in use, so your feedback plus my design eye will help create a final product you’ll love.
I know that building a fresh brand is a big decision! My clients often tell me that they’re motivated by a gut feeling, an obstacle in their business, or both.
Maybe you feel embarrassed or reluctant to send people to your website and social media, or you’re stressed and unsure in your constant DIY cycle.
Maybe you lack actual materials (like welcome guides, business cards, or other brand touchpoints) that hold you back from creating more connection in your client experience, or you’re ready to raise prices, break into a luxury market, and finally stand out.
All of those can be good signs that you’re ready for this next step!
Web Design
Showit offers us the most creative freedom in terms of customization, so your website can look and function exactly how you’ve always imagined it! For that reason, I only design on Showit.
I don’t offer copywriting but I have worked with copywriters. I highly recommend hiring a copywriter for your website because writing to convert is a difficult thing to achieve on your own. Copy and Brand design are equally important to ensure the success of your website. I can suggest a copywriter if you need one - reach out and ask!
Additionally, copywriting is needed before any web service so keep that in mind when booking.
Basic SEO is included in your website design. Showit is fantastic for SEO. If you require more in depth SEO services I can recommend a qualified professional.
A Lyra Studios template is included in your template customization service (see them here). If you would like to use a different template, you are welcome to purchase one but I recommend asking first, as not every website template is created equal.