WEB DEVELOPMENT

I have ten years experience in coding for the web, but much more in design. From a very early age I was creating houses, rooms, and primitive print with anything available to me - legos, cardboard, silly putty, you name it. With my first computer in the early nineties I used any program I could get my hands (and sometimes wrote my own programs if none were available) to create music, graphics, simple games, and even radio shows (though these were only "broadcast" to other wired sound systems in my very patient parents' house). In 1996 I taught myself html and discovered a new avenue for expression: the internet. People soon found out I knew how to "code websites" and before long I was designing for family and friends. This was right on the cusp of the first .com bubble; fortunately for me I didn't get caught up in it as I was too busy learning the tricks and ins and outs of using better tools to create better websites. To this day I still use web graphics as an avenue of expression and creativity, drawing inspiration from everything from a cloud to a song to my favorite pair of shoes.


BRAND DEVELOPMENT

I'll freely admit I don't have a degree in commercial design. How then can I charge for brand development? I charge as a consultant who knows the tools and takes the guesswork out of it on your behalf. I have experience in brand and identity development on a worldwide level.

There's more to development than slapping a generic logo over your business name in a standard font. Research is involved, and intuition. Intuition drawing on years of intense observation and study of psychological effects and impacts of the combining of shapes and colors into a powerful statement. Color theory, typography, even linguistics to turn an otherwise mundane turn of phrase into a work of art are at your disposal. Let me create for you and open the door for you to convert potential into wild success.


TERMS

Websites are conditional on the project. I'd be happy to sit down with you (either in person, or via chat, conference call, etc) and discuss your needs

Once the terms have been settled 1/3 of the cost is required as a non-refundable deposit. When the prototype (a static image of what your finished website will look like) is finished you are free to reject it or ask for revisions, which will be re-negotiated if appropriate. Once the project is complete and you are satisfied with the website, the remaining amount due is to be paid immediately. When payment has been received the entire project will be released to you on a CD. I create and sell a product; once you've paid for it, it belongs to you to do with as you wish.


RATES

Websites:
I bill at $45/hour with a $450 minimum. That minimum rate typically gets a client three to five finished (coded) webpages with basic graphic content.

As an example, I kept track of the hours I put into creating Actionplant.com. If I had billed myself for this website including all seven pages, custom graphics and custom and adapted scripts I would have charged $540 for the twelve hours invested.

If you provide your own graphics (requiring a minimum amount of graphics work from me to make them web-ready and appropriate for the site as discussed) your overall rates could stay quite low. However, having more custom graphics work done will require more billable time.

Brand identity:
I will consult with you to help you achieve a solution for your company's identity crisis. The first meeting will be free of charge and is used for the benefit of both parties; for me to get a feel for your company and an idea of the scope of the project, and for you to guage my qualifications. Once we've agreed to work together we will discuss the terms of your project. Typical projects in brand development start at $800 which includes spending five hours consulting with you and another five working on your company's new identity over a course of time negotiated in our initial terms, preparing your new logo for use in a wide variety of media from web to print. I will also work with you to help you determine the best market to target for your company's success. For larger projects that go beyond ten hours I bill hourly at a rate negotiated at the onset of the project.

I also offer a discounted package for clients who contract Actionplant for both brand development and web design, starting at $985.


If you are interested in working with me to develop your brand and/or website, please contact me for a quote.