Smart Design: Creating Value for Clients

We believe our experience on the client side gives us a distinct advantage over other design firms. We bring a high degree of creativity to our work, but it is always accompanied by a strong focus on strategy and performance. As business managers, we know that the bottom line is producing results, whether influencing buying decisions, informing thought leaders or inspiring donors.

Of course, the challenge is working with finite resources. That's where we can help. We have a strong track record of leveraging budgets to achieve more with less. Our experience in planning budgets and our in-depth knowledge of production design allows us to think outside the box and deliver unique solutions.

We have been told our work looks expensive to produce, but that's not the case. Please let us tell you how we do it. In the meantime, here are principles that we suggest our clients follow:

1. Think about marketing as a capital investment. 

Marketing is an investment, not an expense. Experience shows that cutting corners can weaken a program to the point where it has no impact. If an initiative is worth pursuing, it is worth investing in. Successful marketers have proven this. 

2. Select the media best suited to your customers.

Despite the popularity of social and web-based communications, it's critical that businesses and institutions targeting the boomer and x generations include print in their media mix. We are adept at creating design solutions that can bridge electronic, print and advertising media seamlessly and cost effectively.  

3. Create efficiencies through planning

We happily work on individual projects, but as clients work with us, they find that we can help them reduce costs and increase impact by planning the design in concert with other materials. The synergies from combined messaging and coordinated production runs can be significant. Ask us to tell you more.

4. Don't be hesitant to stand out 

Too often, non-profit managers try to avoid looking too professional or "high-end" with their communication materials, fearing it sends the wrong signal to donors. Yet our experience tells us that donors and other investors rely on the quality of communications to assess the viability of an organization. The design must always be appropriate to the mission and audience, but dumbing down the presentation can compromise its effectiveness.