Frequently Asked Questions
Clarify Designs makes it possible for you to have it all: unique, inspired designs that make you stand out; sustainable solutions for your bottom line and for serving eco-conscious consumers; and takes care of all the details so can focus on your business. Learn more about our process for serving your design needs and why, what, how's of green design.
How We Take Care of You: The Design Process
- How can Clarify Designs give me the best of both worlds: the perfect design for me and the ability to go sustainable effortlessly so I can focus on my business?
- How will the design process go from start to finish?
Sustainable Solutions: Going Forward Going Green
- What is sustainable graphic design?
- What does sustainability have to do with my business?
- Are consumers really interested in choosing eco-conscious organizations over others?
- Is the quality of my design going to be compromised?
- Will this increase costs for my organization?
- Does this mean you are experts in sustainability?
How We Take Care of You: The Design Process
Q:1 How can Clarify Designs give me the best of both worlds: the perfect design for me and the ability to go sustainable effortlessly so I can focus on my business?
It's all in the "sauce." What we mean is that our understanding, experience, and passion for what we do tranlates to very little effort from you, except to provide initial direction and reap the benefits of an excellent and sustainable design outcome. It's who we are, and you won't find it anywhere else. We care and it shows.
Q:2 How will the design process go from start to finish?
Step 1: Create a Design Brief - We meet at an initial consultation to define and discuss your needs; at which time we create a design brief consisting of your answers to key design questions. After analyzing your design brief and all pertinent materials that you supply, we draw up a proposal with an estimate for the time and cost for your project (the price will be based on our package rates or on a customized plan determined by the initial consultation). Upon acceptance of the proposal, we request a deposit of half the total amount to schedule and begin your project.
Step 2: Research and Development - We dig in to your design brief and current materials, we research your competitors and target market. Based on our research and your goals, we supply a selection of concepts for your review.
Step 3: Implementation - We collaborate with you to refine the concept of your choice into the final product, and prepare the files to be produced.
Step 4: Production - If you desire, we manage the Production and printing of your piece as the final step in the creative process. Printing is where your sustainable approach really comes through. The bill should be lower, and the pieces should come out beautifully.
Sustainable Solutions: Going Forward Going Green
Q:1 What is sustainable graphic design?
Sustainable design considers the environmental impacts of graphic design products (such as packaging, printed materials, publications, etc.) throughout a life cycle that includes: raw material; transformation; manufacturing; transportation; use; and disposal.
Q:2 What does sustainability have to do with my business?
As well as minimizing environmental impact, sustainable design also involves optimizing performance and well-being. It can also aid business competitiveness which has led some to the notion of a 'triple bottom line'. The triple bottom line seeks to expand the conventional economic or financial focus of the 'bottom line' to include social and environmental calculations. This reflect the three key pillars of sustainability which are: Social - people, Environmental - planet, Economic - profit. Sometimes a more catchy term is used - 'people, planet, profit'. Satisfying the demands of this trinity is a bit of a balancing act, but at its best sustainable design should help companies design things which have less impact on the environment, reducing energy, material use, waste and related costs. http://www.designcouncil.org.uk
Brands will not be able to opt out of this. Companies which do not live by a green protocol will be financially damaged because consumers will punish them. In the longer term, I do not think they will survive."Lee Daley, chairman and chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi UK Source: Financial Times, Feb 12, 2007
Q:3 Are consumers really interested in choosing eco-conscious organizations over others?
If you were given the choice between purchasing something of excellent quality vs. purchasing something of equally excellent quality but had the added benefit of being sustainable, which would you choose? Truth be told, the average consumer knows about global warming and considers it an important issue, but the average consumer doesn't necessarily consider him or herself to be living a "green" lifestyle, meaning they don't go out of their way to buy green. If it is available and does not cause extra output of effort, of course one will go green. It would be rare to find someone anti-sustainable, or choosing to buy excessively and wastefully for spite. With Clarify Designs, you needn't make any extra efforts in becoming more sustainable, however, you may just gain a marketing edge over the other guy who doesn't go green (effortlessly with Clarify Designs) by letting your customers know that you value the earth. You're forward thinking, and it shows when you display recycled paper emblems or put out information on your green choices in your marketing materials (we can help with this).
Q:4 Is the quality of my design going to be compromised?
No, it's just a different way of looking at the projects we work together on. Sustainable thinking doesn't demand that we become monks. It just asks us to work smarter and think about our impact more carefully. We will be more targeted in our efforts and focus on your goals more expressly. We have to think strategically instead of traditionally. The days of mass junk mailing are waning. Consumers aren't responding to such outdated methods anymore. More thoughtful, personal and targeted marketing is becoming the standard and that goes hand in hand with sustainability, because you're being efficient and smart.
Q:5 Will this increase costs for my organization?
It certainly shouldn't. Sustainable materials are often comparable in costs to traditional materials. Additionally, this effort is about limiting unnecessary waste, not making more of something that would increase costs. We may even save you money. Going green is about efficiency, which inherently saves money.
Q:6 Does this mean you are experts in sustainability?
We are designers with a passion for making beautiful and effective design, as well as protecting our environment. We are always learning about new methods in green design. Does this make us experts? Not necessarily. The concept of sustainability is only recently becoming mainstream. We all have much to learn, and will continue to practice what we preach.