FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost for brand or identity design?

Every project is unique, and this is established once we sit down and talk to you the client, tease out a brief and find out what your needs are. That said we are highly experienced at keeping to budgets and timeframes. Each company or product is different to the next, and therefore will have a different set of objectives and deliverables. The costs will also vary depending on the scale of the rollout and scope of usage of the proposed corporate or product identity. Usually one of the biggest factors is the size and market reach of the company involved. Here larger companies tend to require a lot of research, brand strategy and positioning, coupled with a large complex implementation – where a smaller company would have much more streamlined needs, and a simplified rollout.

What is included in this cost?

The bulk of our costs are directly associated with our time, which can span days, weeks (or months!) depending on the nature and scope of your brief. Normally we will issue a detailed quotation with full breakdown in advance of the project starting and we will endeavor to keep to this price. If unforeseen changes or new requirements arise during the project we will advise on any impact on costs.

How do you accept payment?

Usually with identity design projects, we look for a 40% deposit on the agreed price in advance of starting any work. This can be paid in a number of ways of your choice; Bank Transfer, PayPal, or by posting us a Cheque or Bank Draft in Euro. All details are included in your quotation or initial invoice, and the balance is then to be paid on completion/approval of the project, prior to supply of final logo, artwork of launch of the website.

Will I own this work afterwards?

After invoicing and full payment, you (the client) will assume full ownership of the completed artwork and designs, including a set of ‘master’ artwork files suitable for all printed and digital media. We will reserve the right afterward, to showcase any or all of this work for future promotion of Crilly & Wardell Consultants, and for entry to design awardes (hopefully!).

Another designer charges less than you. Why is your price dearer?

With design it is impossible to make direct comparisons between designers. Why is one car dearer than another? They serve different functions, and have different levels of quality. The same applies to designers and this is why you must choose your designer wisely and carefully.

If I’m miles away, or in another country, can we still work together?

Absolutely. With changes in work practices (notably post Covid-19), advances in digital proofing and communications the bulk of our dealings with clients is by telephone, email and video conferencing (Zoom or Teams). While we always welcome the opportunity to sit down and chat through projects with clients, where this is not possible we can make it work! All clients receive a mobile phone number as well as our landline and email contacts, and as principle creatives there will always be either Adrian or Jane available to talk with you. Office hours are 9.00am – 5.30pm, Monday – Friday.

How long will the project take until completion?

After briefing stage, and before starting a new project we will give you, the client, a timeframe and schedule for the individual phases or modules of the project. For smaller projects this may be verbal or by email – for larger ones a detailed schedule document will be drawn up with mutual input. Even though our projects are broken down and invoiced as hours the actual project will of course take longer than the sum of these hours. This extra time is used to think, to brainstorm, to reflect on concepts – in fact this is where the real magic happens and the more of this time we have the better. On average most identity/branding projects will take from a few week to a few months depending on scale. Don’t worry though, as the client you will be kept in the loop, as we encourage a design process with a high degree of client involvement.

Can you start work on our project immediately?

This is not always possible as we will have other projects underway. However in instances where there is a specific deadline we will make every effort to meet that, and where necessary commit extra creative resources to the project. The exception here is if doing this would endanger the creative quality of the project – which would be in nobody’s interest.

What is your design process?

You can read about this in detail in Our Design Process. 

How do we see the concepts and design progress?

For the initial concept presentation we usually prepare presentation boards for review which the client would usually take away for further inspection and review. We will send all initial concepts through to you as PDFs by email. If you have another method you prefer we can arrange that. Usually we will show the logo at different sizes, and as the design progresses we will show different usage (ie positive and reverse versions), and different colour options, and really import we demonstrate the new brand in real-worls application. It is quite common where practical to submit further hardcopy proofs, presentation boards or mock-ups in the later stages of the project.

What file formats do you provide the finished artwork in?

Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) are the principle print file formats for identity mastermarks that we provide. The logo will normally be a resolution independent file, which means it can be reproduced at any size without loss in quality. For online, multimedia or inhouse use we usually provide a set of bitmap files (.jpg or .tif). Other file formats can be supplied by arrangement. Delivery is usually by FTP or by email. We also offer a full ‘asset management’ service whereby we can securely store all design assets and make them available as they are required by third parties during the brand roll-out and beyond.

Do you design identity usage guidelines?

Absolutely. We can where required produce a set of identity usage guidelines tailored to your needs. Depending on the size and scope of the project these can be anything from a few to twenty pages plus. Usage guidelines can be supplied electronically in PDF format or as actual printed guidelines.

Can you offer help with implementation of our identity?

Yes. Have a look around at the other work we do. As a full service design agency, and in conjunction with our creative associates and strategic partners we have huge experience dealing with all required aspects of a successful launch, roll-out and brand implementation (Stationery, Website build, vehicle graphics, signage, uniforms etc._

Areas of expertise…

Brand Design / Identity Design / Logo design / Packaging Design / Brand Strategy & Positioning / Market Analysis / Brand Architecture / Research / Photography & Styling / Illustration / Naming & Taglines / Brand Voice & Language / Brand Culture / Copy for Packaging / Packaging Structure / Packaging Materials / Concepts and Innovation / 3D Modelling / Mock Ups / Exhibitions / Print Management / Photoshop / Vehicle Livery Design / Website Design / Internal Branding / Literature Design / Environmental Design