Beautifully Branded Graphics

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. We do a whole lot of brand packages where the client will start with a brand identity (logo, mission statement, color palette, etc.) that defines the business and then carry that identity through their entire marketing over time; from web design and development to business stationary and e-marketing.
We also do a lot of single item projects that are small, where a client just needs a logo upgrade or an additional icon piece that matches their existing brand for a unique element of their marketing.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Get multiple bids, know exactly what you are getting and get it in writing. If you need a website, sit down with those you are interested in working with and have an in-depth conversation about your needs. This should not only help with the preciseness of your bid but whether you feel comfortable working with this person.
Also, make sure to state your budget from the beginning and be honest about it. It will help to avoid nasty surprises in the final bill later on.
Finally, if you don't understand about a portion of the process or, especially, something technical... don't be afraid to ask. A good provider will be patient and explain what you don't understand in a language that you *do* understand.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. What makes the difference between hiring just a web developer and a web designer? And the answer... having that perfect balance between developers who know the technology, and designers who know how to make that technology work seamlessly and look great for the viewer is key.
It's always good if clients can either ask about certain key terms that they should know about (like the difference between image file formats like .jpeg, .png and .tiff), or doing a bit of research before they go into their first meeting with a provider. It will help both their confidence in what they are trying to achieve and give them more of an even playing field for bidding on the work to be done.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. It's always best if clients can come to us with a general idea of what they need or are looking to do for their business, in terms of design and/or marketing.
Need a new website? Well, do you need a shopping cart, and what kind of things are you selling? Do you have lots of information to present to your viewers and do you have an idea of how that information should be organized?
Having a general outline of your needs, with the addition of clear questions of the things you don't quit know yet, is the best way to get what you need in a well organized, "as painless as possible" process.
Just like doing a large renovation on your house, there are a lot of details to be worked out, and a well organized plan will help get the work done right... the first time. Having an outline of your needs is the best, first step to getting to your goal.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. With a creative director that's coming from a background in interior design and architecture, as well as our highly skilled developers who have Masters degrees in computer science and fine arts, we are able to specialize in very high quality, well-developed brand-focused designs for our clients. We understand the balance between form and function, the importance of color & texture, and the necessity for intelligent, user-friendly experiences in all of our web technologies.
This isn't your average set of graphics, here. This is outstanding, "eye-catching" design that's smart, efficient and socially conscious.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. As head of ChromaKi, I love inspiring my audience with creative, collaborative brainstorming sessions that really bring the best ideas out. The next best thing to that, is refining those ideas into well-developed brands that inspire their audiences to go to them, instead of somewhere else.
I also love the general collaboration within our team, and with our clients. We know how to be efficient with our processes and how to convey the technical side of our business to the non-technical.
From working well together with our marketing team and web developers, to our clients and the general public, we love bringing ideas together to create something amazing.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. How much will it cost?
We never have a flat answer for that but, we will always have a detailed one that fits your needs and your budget.
We always strive to be fair, affordable and honest with your project and your money. Your business is important to our business and we want to make sure that our clients understand how important they are to us.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. In a previous life (about five years ago), i was a junior interior and architectural designer that specialized in 2D and 3D presentation graphics.
Well, when the economy sort of petered out and many of us lost our jobs, I decided to go into full graphic design with a focus on web graphics. My husband, who is both my senior technical officer and partner, helped me with the web development side of things. I started working independently with Quark, Inc. (makers of the Quark Xpress publishing software suite) for roughly nine months and fell in love.
After that, I began taking on a lot of other individual graphic and web design projects. I built up my business and recently re-branded to ChromaKi.
The rest is history, and the future of our design studio.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Study, practice, learn continuously and get into the game by networking your heart out. We are *always* learning new things here. New design styles, trends, techs, color palettes, social media... you name it.
If you're just starting out, do projects just for the fun of it, or do pro-bono work for the first two to four projects. The learning curve is steep in both directions and the more you do, the better your skills and portfolio will be.