Welcome To ThisIsWork Studios!

Looking for a premium Brand Identity Designer to get your business off the ground? Then look no further than THISISWORK.

ThisIsWork is the online

design portfolio of Paul Crouthers

Got a project on your mind that

you wish to discuss? Talk To Me

FAQs about hiring me


  1. 1: How much does identity design cost?
  2. 2: What does the cost include?
  3. 3: Such and such charges less than you. Can you match them?
  4. 4: How long will the project take to complete?
  5. 5: Can you start right away?
  6. 6: What’s involved in the design process?
  7. 7: I’ve never worked with a graphic designer before. Can you tell me what I should expect?
  8. 8: What exactly do I receive when you send initial design ideas?
  9. 9: What filetypes do you provide?
  10. 10: Do you create style guides for your brand identities?
  11. 11: How much of your project research is based upon client competition and their identity designs?


How much does identity design cost?



An obviously important question, but one that can’t be answered without specific details about the project. Every business is different, so it makes sense to tailor quotes to individual needs. Pricing varies depending upon a large number of factors. Take the size of the company as an example.

A small-sized enterprise might have just one person responsible for identity usage, whereas a large company might require an exhaustive documentation analyzing the competition, exploring a wide range of strategic variations, and arriving at a set of branding guidelines.



Comparing the design profession to any other is by no means exact, but the, “How much for a logo?” question is kind of like asking an estate agent, “How much for a house?”

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What does the cost include?


The cost includes a significant amount of time, which spans over weeks or months, depending on the complexity of the job. For more details about exactly what happens behind the scenes, read my design process. The client receives full ownership of the completed artwork, along with original files suitable for use across a wide range of media.

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Others charge less than you can you match them?


Design is not a commodity. Just as a client chooses a designer, the designer should choose the client. It’s up to the designer to work with those who value the service provided.

 

A commodity is anything for which there is demand, but which is supplied without qualitative differentiation across a market. In other words, copper is copper. Rice is rice. Stereos, on the other hand, have many levels of quality. And, the better a stereo is, the more it will cost. The price of copper is universal, and fluctuates daily based on global supply and demand.

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How long will the project take to complete?


Time frames vary from three weeks to upwards of six months, depending on specifics and deliverables, with the “average” project duration lasting four or five weeks. As each project is different, I learn individual client needs before providing a deadline.

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Can you start right away?


It’s possible, but not likely. I need to pay close attention to my current clients and their ongoing projects. Taking on too much work at once will adversely affect the outcome.

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What is involved in your design process?


You can read in more depth about the steps I take doing a project here my design process.

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I’ve never worked with a graphic designer before. Can you tell me what I should expect from the working relationship?


Here’s a page on the matter as it gives the key elements of what you can expect: What you can expect from me.

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What exactly do I receive when you send initial design ideas?


I will normally send clients a PDF file with logos shown over a number of pages. I display the designs in a variety of formats, such as in 100% black, a softer gray, reversed on a dark background, and possibly using a distinctive colour scheme (although colour is often left until the latter stages, once the idea has been finalised).

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What filetypes do you provide?



Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) are the main filetypes provided. The brandmark will be in vector format, which means it can be scaled to any size necessary without loss of quality. From either of these files, and with the proper software, the client will be able to create any other filetype necessary (.jpg, .png, .gif, etc.). I’m more than happy to help with specific file requests, and will answer questions if clients are in any way unsure.

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Do you create style guides for your brand identities?



Providing a style guide is certainly an option, and is dependent upon individual client needs. If only one person is responsible for using the design, a style guide is much less important than if the client is a 500 person strong organisation. Guides are supplied as a PDF file, and can be from a single page in length to upwards of 10 pages. They contain usage instructions, such as colour codes, minimum reproduction size, correct page positioning and isolation areas.

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How much of your project research is based upon client competition and their identity designs?



A great deal. Evaluating the competition is a necessary part of the process, and should be expected from any graphic designer. Even though I research client competitors for every project, some clients choose not to have this stage documented and supplied, thus saving money.

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