WELCOME!
You’re All Booked In
I’m so excited to work with you.
LET’S CREATE SOMETHING YOU’LL LOVE
I work closely with each and every one of my clients to not only establish a trustworthy relationship but to help transform their lives for the better. With a refined design process rooted in passion and service, I help my clients create timeless, holistic design that survives any season of any year and effectively communicates what they do and why. Towards the end of our experience together, my clients leave knowing they will always be supported in all stages of their journey and have someone to guide them through that journey.
ON THIS PAGE, YOU’LL FIND
1A. PAYMENT POLICY
- A non-refundable 25% deposit is due to book your spot in my schedule.
- 25% is due the day before we start your project and after pre-work is completed.
- 50% is due when the project is complete but before I hand over your final files.
As outlined in my contract, if your first 25% payment is late, I can put your project on hold. We can restart the project at a later date depending on my availability.
For late payments: I understand things come up and life gets in the way. Any of my clients have a 48-hour grace period after the due date (for the first two deposits) to pay any deposit, free of charge. Failure to pay the first two deposits 48 hours after the due date will result in the termination of the project reservation. I will retain all copyright to the created work and any licensing rights will be voided, except for assets the client initially provided.
Your final payment is due 7 days after receipt. If payment has not been made by the 7th day, a 5% interest will be added every day until your payment has been completed, starting on the 15th day.
Invoices will be sent through Wave.
1B. THE DESIGN PROCESS
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A. Discovery
- Free 30-minute consultation
- Create custom proposal
- Sign contract and approve proposal
- Pay 25% non-refundable deposit
B. Strategy
- Fill out Brand Development Questionaire
- 1st 60-minute one-on-one strategy call
- Fill out the logo questionnaire
- Create Pinterest board for inspiration
- 2nd 60-minute one-on-one strategy call
- Upload company content to Google Drive (if applicable)
- Pay the remaining 25% deposit
- Start design process!
C. Design
Brand Strategy + Identity
- Create mood board
- Conceptualize 3 logos*
- Create brand styling guide*
- Two drafts of social media branding*
- Two drafts of 1st collateral design*
- Two drafts of 2nd collateral design*
- One draft of 5 social media launch graphics*
+ Website
- Decide on Squarespace, Shopify, or ShowIt template together
- Create and send website wireframes*
- Mockup of website homepage*
- Set up four other pages in similar style*
- Set up or transfer domain
*Has two revision rounds via email or call (established in strategy phase)
D. Takeoff + Support
- 60-minute recorded website training (if website done)
- Make final 50% deposit
- Deliver final files
- 3rd 60-minute one-on-one branding strategy call to go over branding procedure & next steps
- Write killer testimonial about experience
- Plan launch day and logistics
- Launch your brand and announce it on social media!
2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Now that you’re booked in my schedule, one of my top priorities is to help make this process as smooth as possible. On my end, I will be managing our project on my favorite client relationship management (CRM) tool: Notion. There is nothing that needs to be done on your part other than keeping in touch through emails.
Have you ever worked with someone and you ended up with a 16-reply email with every single file missing and bunches of text you can’t remember? I have, and it’s totally not fun! That’s why I try my hardest to refrain from this type of management as best as I can.
Emails will be our best friend, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or unorganized! I will be sending multiple emails throughout the process, each corresponding to every pre-work and design task.
Here is how my emails are set up:
[STAGE]: Topic/task (DUE: MM/DD/YYYY)
Example: [PRE-WORK]: Branding Strategy Questionnaire and Pinterest Board (DUE: 01/05/2020)
In order to keep emails and tasks organized, please submit revisions and homework under that email only. Each task will receive its own email to keep replies to a minimum.
3. WHAT I NEED TO GET STARTED
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1. Create a Pinterest board
On Pinterest, create and fill a public board with inspiration for your project. If you get stuck, feel free to pin from these boards for logo design, color palettes, or textures/patterns.
I kindly ask that you include the following in your Pinterest board. This allows me to have a better understanding of your desired brand or design:
* 3-5 logos, 3-5 patterns and colors, 3-5 images (photos that remind you of your brand/design), 3-5 sample designs
If you’re having trouble, here is a sample board I made. Send me the link to your board through a reply under the email task when you’re done so I can see it! (You can delete the board once your project is complete).
If Pinterest isn’t your thing, don’t worry. You can search Google for images that resonate with the way you want your project to feel, compile them in a folder, compress the folder into a .zip file, and send it over through email!
2. Complete your questionnaires
Here’s the link to your questionnaires. Please remember to take your time on this. Pour yourself your favorite cup of coffee or glass of wine and sit back, relax, and focus!
Keep answers concise but detail-oriented to ensure the best results. You may either type directly on this PDF, write answers in a separate Word document, or hand-write your answers!
Remember, it’s okay to take breaks and come back to this when you are ready. You have a week to complete this, so take your time to think about your answers. Looking to get into the mood? Listen to our design process playlist on Spotify!
3. Upload your company content
In order to stick to time frames and deadlines set, I will need all the content for your website before I start the project, if applicable.
You will need to provide the text for all pages and supply your logo (if I’m not doing your branding!) and any particular photos you want to be used on the site. A dedicated, shared Google Drive folder will be set up to upload all the project content so we both have access to it.
Helpful documents to add:
- Brand strategy document
- Brand identity document
- Logos (PDF, AI, or EPS preferred)
- Company photography and/or stock images
4. COMMUNICATIONS & BOUNDARIES
OFFICE HOURS
I believe you deserve to run a business or live a life where you are not robbed of precious moments or memories. I keep my office hours separate, so I can spend time with friends and family and work at my day job. Please be mindful that we may be in different time zones.
I generally work Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM PST.
My meeting and strategy call days are generally Tuesday & Thursday from 5PM-7PM PST and Saturday from 9AM-1PM.
With this being said, please expect me to respond to emails and anything else you need within this time frame. I kindly ask you to understand when I do not reply outside of these hours.
COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS
To help keep your project on track to finish on time, please provide all feedback within 48 hours of hearing from me.
I appreciate your effort to provide files and feedback on time and to communicate within the times and days above. Timeliness from both of us will help us get your project done on (or even before!) the deadline so you can move on to the next exciting task on your to-do list.
5. FEEDBACK GUIDELINES
At different stages throughout the design process, you will be asked to provide feedback on design concepts, colors, fonts, etc. Although providing feedback can be hard, it’s important to make it constructive to ensure that the process goes smoothly and end up with a product you love!
I really appreciate simple, yet straightforward feedback. It helps me clearly understand your thoughts and make the right changes to your project.
Here are a few tips on providing awesome feedback:
- Try and use bullet points to break up your feedback.
- Use headers to organize your feedback.
- Read over your feedback to make sure it’s clear and check that you’ve answered any questions I may have asked.
- Post your feedback as a reply to the designated task email. It is important to post the feedback on that particular task in the same email, so replies stay to a minimum.
- If you have team members that would like to add their feedback, I kindly ask that you gather the feedback into one message. This stops everyone from getting confused and keeps the project organized.
6. TOOLS WE WILL USE
Notion & Gmail
Notion is the main project management tool I will use for your project. While there is no need for you to learn this program, it is a client relationship management tool I use to keep track of timelines, deadlines, and tasks!
Email is where all of the magic will happen, and I will send you pre-work and design tasks. It is also the main point of contact where we will be doing revisions.
Zoom
We will use Zoom for all our consultation and training calls. Zoom is great because it allows us to see each other, and I can share my screen to take you through presentations for easy live feedback. Additionally, I can record our calls on Zoom, so you can look back at them anytime!
Wave
Wave is my go-to client invoice system. Here, you will find your invoices and receipts for the project. Wave is great because it allows us both to keep track of deposits and helps me keep a record of all my clients’ project purchases.
Google Drive & Dropbox
We will use Google Drive to store all project assets. You may also access important documents such as signed contracts, proposals, and questionnaires.
Additionally, I use Dropbox to store all project files. At the end of the project, I’ll send you a link to download your files and store them in a safe place. This link is only available for 30 days after the project ends, so make sure to save everything to your own personal hard drive!
7. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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How long does the process take?
Each design process is different and can have a lot of factors involved such as communication, time, and complexity of the project. Below are approximate time frames on how long each package takes. Again, there are several factors that play into the length of a project, and the length of the project can be determined during the consultation call.
Branding Strategy + Design: 6-8 weeks
Branding Strategy, Design + Web Design: 10-12 weeks
A La Carte Graphic Design: 1-2 weeks
Do you accept payment plans or does the project have to be paid in full?
Yes, I accept payment plans! When we go through the onboarding process, a 25% deposit must be made to book a spot in my schedule. The remaining 25% must be paid to start the project. The remaining 50% must be paid to receive the final files.
However, if this system does not work for you, I will be happy to set up a payment plan determined in the consultation call.
Am I allowed to cancel the project?
Yes, you may. At any time during the process, if you feel like the process is not for you or you change your mind, you are welcome to cancel the project. The percentage amount of the invoice will be reimbursed, minus the 25% non-refundable deposit. Keep in mind, I do charge a percentage in relation to how much work I complete.
For example, if 75% of the project is done prior to the cancellation, 75% of the total price must be paid. Percentage completion of work is outlined in the contract.
Additionally, if at any time I feel the need to cancel the project for any reason, I have the right to do so. The same system above applies to this situation.
Lastly, if you would like to cancel, you must reimburse me for any materials acquired during the process (i.e. fonts, domains, images, etc.).
Will you show me how to update the site myself?
Absolutely! At the end of your project, I offer a 60-minute Zoom website training call to help you learn how to manage and update your own website. This will also be recorded so you may reference it in the future.
And as always, I am an email away for support!
Will you send me the fonts you used?
I use Adobe fonts or licensed for all of my projects. I will include the font choices in each design brief, so you may download them if you have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. If it is a licensed font, you must purchase your own licensing under copyright laws.
Additionally, if you would like me to include a free, alternative Google Font, I can do so for an additional charge.
Will you send me the editable design files?
These files are not included in the project. But if you do want them, let me know and I’ll create a separate invoice for the cost of these files. The cost depends on how many editable design files you may need, but generally speaking, it is $50 per file.
Editable design files will include files completely set up in your Adobe program of choice and instructions.
Can you do revisions after the project ends?
Yes, I can! If it is a minor revision such as changing a file format, sending an all-white or all-black version of the design, and minor text changes, I can usually do it at no additional cost.
However, if it is a major revision or new design, we can either initiate a new design process or I will charge $100/hour for the service.
8. Next Steps
After you’ve completed everything on your pre-project checklist, we’re all set to begin your project!
I’ll contact you before your official project start date to set up a 60-minute call where we will go over the questionnaires and you can ask any last-minute questions you may have. I look forward to working with you!
With gratitude,
Christine Almendras
Want to get in the mood?
Listen to our design process playlist on Spotify
This curated playlist is a look into what our design process is like with a collection of our favorite EDM songs. The playlist is divided into four sections: Discovery, Strategy, Design, and Takeoff/Support.
Disclaimer: Design process only relates to song titles and not song lyrics.
