Understanding Our Design Process
New? This section is for you.
As a new customer this section is more about you. As a returning guest you already know the basics in working with GrafXQuest; but maybe you would like some more detailed info. Regardless this is a great place to start in building a satisfying working relationship with us and we want you to understand how we work with guts out honesty; so read on.
If you have not had the pleasure to work with us yet we are excited to get started. As you may have read on the main page we don't have customers, we create guests. Why? Because like a great resort where you had the best vacation ever, you probably plan to visit it again. We here at GrafXQuest want you to walk away feeling like the process was a breath of fresh air and a vacation away from your troubles. We want you to visit again and bring your friends along like you would to your favorite vacation spot.
Upfront we will be very clear on what your job process will involve as well as a weekly job update on long term projects all through Pay Pal invoicing. It is very important to us that as our guest you should not only trust us, but understand that we know what we are doing and that we want the best for you and your business. We believe in in-depth communication throughout the project through email, calls, notes and possible recordings. This is to ensure that we have your best interest in mind.
If you have not had the pleasure to work with us yet we are excited to get started. As you may have read on the main page we don't have customers, we create guests. Why? Because like a great resort where you had the best vacation ever, you probably plan to visit it again. We here at GrafXQuest want you to walk away feeling like the process was a breath of fresh air and a vacation away from your troubles. We want you to visit again and bring your friends along like you would to your favorite vacation spot.
Upfront we will be very clear on what your job process will involve as well as a weekly job update on long term projects all through Pay Pal invoicing. It is very important to us that as our guest you should not only trust us, but understand that we know what we are doing and that we want the best for you and your business. We believe in in-depth communication throughout the project through email, calls, notes and possible recordings. This is to ensure that we have your best interest in mind.
The Design Process and changing the initial mind set.
Besides the updates and keeping you posted on your job, its' important to keep in mind the following. Most everyone has been in this position: faced with paying for a service that we don’t feel was done correctly. Maybe it was bad service in a restaurant where your order is all wrong or possibly you just had the internet installed only to find that after the service men left, the connection is faulty. The point is, not wanting to pay because you don’t feel as though you are getting what you paid for is a normal reaction that most people experience at least a few times in their lives.
The problem is, judging creative work on that spectrum is fairly subjective. If my Air-Conditioning breaks down, I call for a technician. It is very easy for me to decide if he did his job or not. If the house is cool when I turn on the air-conditioning the repair man fixed it. He deserves a fair payment. However creative work is not like fixing the air. There is no standard way to measure whether the work is done or not.
Sometimes upon receiving a final product a guest may not like what they see. Some will think you just “didn’t get them” and will be disappointed in your work. Others may have expected something else entirely. Revisions and iterations are a natural part of the design process. We go back to our desk and make changes based upon the number of previously agreed revisions, until our guest is happy. We are not trying to set a negative tone but it is important to set broad expectations for our guests to understand that this can be part of the design process.
Perhaps you might not be used to working with creative people. Up until now, you have only dealt with very cut and dry exchanges of money. You pay for a pair of shoes and you get a pair of shoes. You were able to physically see them and match them to your outfit. Done! The air-conditioning repair man fixed your air. Done! So it would make sense that you would feel justified in not paying your creative bill if you felt you didn’t get the final product you thought you were paying for to begin with.
This is where our expertise comes in. It is our job to walk you through what to expect from the very beginning. You pay for our time and creativity. There is no guarantee for liking our creative work. But we want to be honest that we will do our best, and will absolutely offer revisions up to a point, but remember you chose us because you liked our portfolio and our style. That is what you are paying for. We can do the work based on your desires, but there are no guarantees we will be able to exactly match your vision. After all if we were both told to paint the side of a barn and neither of us got to see the others side until it was done I can guarantee they will not look the same. The colors will be different and movement of paint will not match because we both envisioned something different in our minds when we were given the job; but the job was completed.
The problem is, judging creative work on that spectrum is fairly subjective. If my Air-Conditioning breaks down, I call for a technician. It is very easy for me to decide if he did his job or not. If the house is cool when I turn on the air-conditioning the repair man fixed it. He deserves a fair payment. However creative work is not like fixing the air. There is no standard way to measure whether the work is done or not.
Sometimes upon receiving a final product a guest may not like what they see. Some will think you just “didn’t get them” and will be disappointed in your work. Others may have expected something else entirely. Revisions and iterations are a natural part of the design process. We go back to our desk and make changes based upon the number of previously agreed revisions, until our guest is happy. We are not trying to set a negative tone but it is important to set broad expectations for our guests to understand that this can be part of the design process.
Perhaps you might not be used to working with creative people. Up until now, you have only dealt with very cut and dry exchanges of money. You pay for a pair of shoes and you get a pair of shoes. You were able to physically see them and match them to your outfit. Done! The air-conditioning repair man fixed your air. Done! So it would make sense that you would feel justified in not paying your creative bill if you felt you didn’t get the final product you thought you were paying for to begin with.
This is where our expertise comes in. It is our job to walk you through what to expect from the very beginning. You pay for our time and creativity. There is no guarantee for liking our creative work. But we want to be honest that we will do our best, and will absolutely offer revisions up to a point, but remember you chose us because you liked our portfolio and our style. That is what you are paying for. We can do the work based on your desires, but there are no guarantees we will be able to exactly match your vision. After all if we were both told to paint the side of a barn and neither of us got to see the others side until it was done I can guarantee they will not look the same. The colors will be different and movement of paint will not match because we both envisioned something different in our minds when we were given the job; but the job was completed.
The end result.
Regardless of how you feel about the end product, you are paying for our time, research and creativity. So why should you trust us? We know what we are doing. We have well over 30+ years in the graphics field. We want the best for you and your business which is why we have taken the time to cover the design process. If you feel you cant trust us and the hundreds of 5 star reviews we have received over the years then please don't contract with us. Its just that simple!
Speaking of contracts.
Do we use them? Yes. This is to protect us both.
Do we give free estimates?
Yes. But all estimates are exactly that. The job can sometimes run over the time/costs figures due to added projects, additional research, changing direction etc. If extra time is needed or extra costs are involved they will be relayed to you ahead of time and will be billed out at the agreed on hourly basis against a retainer. If your retainer needs to be added to we will inform you in advance.
What is a retainer?
The retainer will be 75% of the estimated job paid up front; added to a paypal account that will be drawn against each week based on the work done in your weekly update. The additional 25% will be due upon job day completion. Any canceled jobs will be billed for hourly and product cost against the retainer and any additional monies if any will be reverted back to you. (More info in contract)
Why do you take a retainer, I can be trusted?
We trust that anyone willing to put partial monies down on their job is very serious about getting a job done through completion. We are too! We focus time and energy into getting your job done with 100% satisfaction and on time. After every job we stand back and ask ourselves if we are happy with the work we did for you? Did we do a professional job? Were we happy with our communication? Would we show the work we did for you in our portfolio? At the very least, it needs to be as good as we promised our guest it would be. So we have to be able to say YES to these questions and so should YOU!
What are your expectations of us (The Guest)?
We Expect you to be available for communication in a timely manner through phone or email. We expect communication around the first proof within 24 hours. We expect you to review your weekly update and keep your retainers up to date and we expect final payment upon job completion. When checking out of your hotel it is expected the room and all amenities are paid for. We expect that too. This keeps our time tables open for your return visit and other guests without book-keeping interference. Our intention is to keep our five star rating by keeping 5 star guests. If this means we have to ask a guest not to return due to non payment or being a “difficult” guest we feel comfortable doing that because it means 100% satisfaction and more time for you. We are serious about our guests. If you don't think you stand up to our 5 Star guest qualifications above , then you may be right please don't contact for contract. If it sounds like we are picky with whom we work with you are right. Giving 5 star quality work to a 5 star guest ensures the job is done right and on time, every time.
