When We Start
Before we even begin work on a project, Visual People designers want to understand your business and what makes it unique. What are you selling and how can you promote it in a way that puts you head and shoulders above others? 
That’s the key to getting effective marketing materials – blending design and functionality with your key message to communicate to customers.
The first step we take in working together is to meet for a 30-minute strategy session. Free to our clients and potential clients, this meeting helps us understand your needs and prepare an effective proposal for the work that needs to be done. During this time, we’ll ask you questions that explore what your preferences are, how your past marketing has worked for you, and what information you want your customers to know about your company’s products and services. For local clients, this often takes place at your office or another convenient location; we can also set up a phone meeting to talk about your project.
Also, in this meeting, we’ll get an idea of what your work style is like. Some of our clients prefer to be more hands-on with their marketing, while others ask us to take their rough ideas and use our expertise to come up with the best marketing solutions. Either way is fine, but it’s important for us to understand how you like to work.
We’ll follow up with a written analysis of the marketing needs you’ve presented and a step-by-step plan to achieve your goals. Whether it’s a brochure that introduces people to your business, a web site that makes it easy for customers to evaluate your products or a newsletter that explains how customers can use your services in new ways, Visual People can show you how to get it done. We’ll include a proposed schedule for the project and an estimate of the costs involved.
Once you decide to hire us, we’ll send a letter of agreement that spells out the schedule for the project, what materials and time we’ll need with you, and the final cost. Returning a signed letter to us means you’re ready to get started.
Our design process begins as we come up with options for you to evaluate. Once we’ve collaborated to find the perfect look for your project, we’ll get moving finalizing the design, text and graphics. You’ll have regular opportunities to review depending on the length of the project, and we’ll ask as questions arise. This regular communication ensures you’ll be pleased with the final product and won’t have any unpleasant surprises.
Typical design projects take between one and three weeks to complete, based on your schedule. Got a trade show or business event coming up? We’ll work quickly to make it happen for you. Not in a big hurry? That’s okay too; we’ll move as fast or slow as your needs dictate.
Our clients especially like our weekly email updates. Every Monday, we send out a “Visual People Project Update” email that outlines what we’ve completed during the past week and what we need from you. It makes it easy to see where the project stands. And we’re always available by phone if you’d like to talk about how a project is progressing.
When we finish our work, you’re asked to make a final review and give approval before we send to print, publish to the web or otherwise complete your materials. We’ll continue to be available as you have questions and will follow up to make sure you’re happy with our work.