The Design Process

Designing a website or logo is a process that involves input and feedback from both the client and the designer. It all takes time, but we've found that the most time consuming part of the whole process is often gathering materials and content to just get started. In order to expedite your project and arrive prepared, we recommend going through this checklist before our first project meeting:

1. Domain Name: Have you selected a domain name for your site and checked to see if it is available? bluErth reccommends GoDaddy.com for domain registrations. Save your customer# and password, as we will need that information later. If you need assistance with this part of the process, we will be happy to help.


2. Hosting: If you have not already purchased hosting for your website, you will need to do so at some point. We are happy to assist you with this, and we recommend our affiliate hosting company. You can find all of our affliliate companies listed on our partners page. We also recommend purchasing a security certificate (SSL) for your website to protect against site hacking. This is available through any hosting company for a nominal yearly fee (about $3 a year). For more aggressive security, we recommend a Premium security package from Sucuri.net, where your site will be fully protected from hackers and spammers for $89 a year.


3. Aesthetic: Do you already have something in mind for the look of your logo/site/marketing materials? Do you have a magazine, napkin, product ad, greeting card, etc. that has a color scheme, pattern or graphic style that you like and want to emulate? Any input you provide in this regard will help us to discern your aesthetic style.


4. Examples: It is always helpful to look at other websites to see what you like or don't like, and seeing solid examples of both is a great way for us to hone in on your personal style and the overall image that will best suit your company.
   
   
5. Content: Writing content for your website, brochure, or ad space can be a challenging task and usually takes far more time and effort than most people plan for. bluErth can help you arrange and optimize your content, however we recommend engaging the services of a professional copywriter if you need assistance for large amounts of content production. We can provide a copywriter to you for an additional fee.
   
   
6. Photos: For many websites, photographs represent a majority of the overall visual impact. Finding the right photo for each application is important. We will work with the photos you provide, search stock libraries to find the perfect photos for you, or, if we can't find what we need out there, our photographer will capture the shot that we need.
   
   
7. Printing: Printing costs are not typically included in any of our design fees, however we do offer printing services through an affiliate company that practices sustainable business practices. We always recommend printing on recycled paper and can create an estimate for your print project, whether it is business cards, postcards, stickers or wedding invitations.