Our Work Policies
This Is How We Roll...
If you are considering working with us, we would encourage you to read through our work policies below for an understanding of our process and so that you can better determine if we’ll be a good fit. We value having a healthy working relationship with every client and want you to feel the same.
Consultations By Appointment Only
All initial phone consultations are by appointment only and often require 30 minutes to an hour to go over everything you’re needing for your design project. Just send us an email or give us a call and we’ll be happy to schedule that with you. This longer conversation is also how we can determine what your project will cost and so that we can provide a fair and proper quote.
From Consultation To Quote
Our initial consultation by phone will be to go over your design needs and goals and to let the bigger picture take shape of what the scope of the project will require. From there, we can sometimes provide a quote immediately or for more complicated projects, we may require 1 to 2 days to write a quote proposal.
Our Cost and Rates
We do not post pricing on our website because we’ve learned from experience that very few design projects are a one-size-fits-all for time and cost. We want our rates to be as fair as possible so for larger projects, we quote the cost by estimating the total time required to complete the project. For small projects, we estimate cost by the hour.
We find that most clients feel much more comfortable knowing up front what the total cost will be for a large design project and we do as well. It removes the anxiety of an hourly rate possibly going over budget and a project being abandoned as a result.
Project Quote Versus Hourly Rate Estimate
Our project quotes are a set-in-stone cost so that you’ll immediately know if it fits in your budget. These are usually for larger design projects such as website design, logo design, hefty print designs, or bulk branding projects.
Our hourly rate can only be quoted as an ‘estimate’ of total cost. However, we can set goals for any budget that requires a limit. Hourly rates are more often for photo editing, onsite SEO, or other odds and ends tasks you may hire us for.
Deposit Required To Begin Work
All design projects require a 50% deposit of the total quote or estimate to put you into our work timeline. If the estimated total will be $50 or less, we may require full payment up front – depending on the type of job. Final files and rights to the creations are not released until the final balance is paid.
Meetings At Your Location
If an initial consultation meeting is required at your location in order to go over everything with your staff or board members, or for us to have a more intimate sense of a product or environment, or to take photos, we are always happy to do that.
If additional meetings at your location are required throughout the project, those will require an additional charge at an hourly rate, including for travel time.
Third Party Interactions
We include in our design agreement that we do not work with third parties such as ‘Art Directors’, ‘SEO Consultants’ or additional Staff members from your organization unless this was discussed and agreed upon before you were quoted.
We will of course work with third parties when necessary but only when this has been discussed ahead of your quote.
We’ve seen projects become abandoned entirely when there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it does happen even with the best of intentions. We’ve experienced this particularly with business owners who continuously consult with their staff for their opinions and ideas, CC them in on all of the emails and soon, it leads to lots of conflicting visions that will quickly overwhelm and cripple what could have been an awesome outcome.
You are hiring BubbleHouse Designs to create a custom design but we also assume the position of art director, consultant, and directing the overall outcome as experienced design professionals.
Being A Good Fit For Working Together
Taking on a design project is often a commitment that requires two parties to work together for weeks and sometimes months. As a result, it’s always ideal to have a sense ahead of time that we’ll work well together.
If any of the statements below resonate with you, then chances are that we may not be an ideal fit.
- Cost is always more important than quality.
- Content is king and everything else is unimportant.
- I lack trust in professionals because I’m always getting ripped off.
- I’m a DIY type and feel the need to manage the process closely. Even the plumber.
- I’m very indecisive and change gears often.
- I need to ask everyone around me for a second opinion.
- I used to do design and just want someone to follow my instruction.
- I’m terrible at replying to emails or being a good communicator.
- I’m a bit rude sometimes but you’ll deal with it if you want my business.
- I tend to blurt out something hateful about others who are different. It’s who I am.
After many years in this industry, we have had just about every type of client and know which clients work well and which kind do not. People come in all shades of personality and some don’t even realize when they’re being difficult to work with. We’re not looking to cancel anyone or to control every situation. But we do treat all of our clients with kindness, respect, and professionalism and work best with those who do the same.
Our Mission As A Whole
Our mission is to make sure that your experience with us is easy and stress-free. That you feel confident with what we’re providing and you’re excited to see the results. If we were just selling widgets on the side of the road, very little about ‘who we work with’ would matter. However, some projects require working together for months at a time and this is why we feel the need to weed out any potential unpleasantries.
After many years of chasing the tough jobs and accepting the clients who are unpleasant and don’t value your time or worth, we have thankfully earned a more established spot as a design service that is mostly word of mouth and with longtime clients who we have built trust and relationships with through the years. And we are deeply grateful!
