Frequently Asked Questions

I think you’re too expensive.

Repeat after me: You have to spend money to make money!

Remember that good graphic design is an investment in the health of your business. You’re making your business look professional and trustworthy, and attracting the right people to you for headache-free work. The money isn’t going away, it’s simply being put to good use to draw in more money later. We also can discuss a payment plan, but if you truly think I’m too expensive for you, I recommend looking for an alternative designer.

I think you’re too cheap.

My prices are what I’m comfortable with based on my regular clients and my expenses, but I’m happy to negotiate a higher rate if you’d like to pay me more to book out a custom project. It’s especially important for my corporate or government clients to consider this in the context of urgent or intensive work. The long and the short is, the less I’m paid, the more clients I need to have to make money. That means less focus on each individual client and less quality outcomes. There’s no point if nobody’s happy.

Feeling Unsure

I don’t know if we’re right for each other.

No service is for everyone!

You’re right for me if…

You’re ambitious, creative, willing to invest money in your dreams, and good at communicating – OR, a government organisation or not-for-profit needing custom work from an individual.

I’m right for you if…

You want quality, a personal touch to your design, and a well-thought out solution that takes a few weeks and drafts to truly nail.

We’re not right for each other if…

You’re after a quick fix, a very cheap solution, or a designer you don’t need to talk to clearly. We’re also not right for each other if:

• You need to closely monitor your designer and their work – space and trust is incredibly important to me to be able to work properly and creatively, so after our initial consultations and strategy sessions, I will e-mail you when drafts are ready for feedback and should otherwise be left to get my work done. Also, I’m a multi tertiary-qualified specialist, so you need to be trusting my choices.
• Your deadlines are so rigid that the possibility of 1-2 weeks breathing room, or a hold on the job, in the case of an unexpected event or emergency is not possible.
• You feel you should be the exception to the rule: for example, you don’t stick to the conditions of the brief you agreed to, or you expect your job to be prioritised over my other clients when you haven’t paid the express rate. This includes expecting unpaid travel or other stipulations which would normally be considered unreasonable.

Origami Graphics is a friendly space for everyone. If you are disrespectful to me or others, discriminatory based on gender, weight or LGBTQI status, or engaging in illegal activity, your project will be cancelled and you may be reported. I don’t enjoy having to do this, but it has been done before.

I’m scared this is going to be wrong for me after I commit, and I won’t be able to back out.

I accept cancellations anytime during your booked timeslot with a 15% cancellation fee to cover the lost booking, as long as you pay for any work I’ve done which wasn’t already covered by the amount of your deposit. If you have extenuating circumstances that have caused your cancellation, I may even decide to waive some or all of your fees. Just communicate with me and let me know what’s going on! You can find more info in my Terms and Conditions.

I’m worried I’m not going to be taken care of properly and I’ll be wasting my money and go broke.

I really want you to trust me here – I got into graphic design to help people’s dreams come true and use my exceptional creative skills to inject flair and excitement into the world. I also take care of my clients like my friends because they’re helping me live my own dreams. You may discover that we’re not the right mix, and that’s fine, you can move on to someone else next time – but one thing you shouldn’t be worried about is being taken care of.

Logos

I don’t think I need a logo.

I can’t think of a business that doesn’t have a logo. Can you? It’s how you set yourself apart and communicate your brand values to your client. It’s the first step in your customer’s process of recognising and trusting you. One day, your logo might be as well-known and sought-after as Nike’s. I really implore that you don’t skip this branding step.

Do I have to get the whole logo package? I don’t think I need the branding sheet or mockups.

You can get “”just the logo” in my Basic package for $399, but this is aimed at very small businesses who are just starting out and are super limited by their budget. You’re going to disadvantage yourself by not building a full brand for your business, because that’s how you’re going to properly connect to your audience and start making some serious money. Tone of voice, colour palette, use of shape, and font choice are so important to nail down to get your business recognised and respected.

Websites

I can just make a website myself somewhere like Wix or Shopify. Why would I hire a designer to do this?

Go for it – if you need help, I can help you out with tweaks and changes for $85 per hour.

Websites are a super niche job and it’s generally just easier to employ someone who knows what they’re doing so that you don’t have to spend time learning it. Fun fact – it took me 3 years learning on and off before I was finally confident using WordPress, and I’m a designer with university web design experience.

It’s not the right time to get a professional website – money is too tight.

When deciding if you want to invest money in a designer, there are a couple of things to consider. The first is whether it will earn you more money in the future – and the result is usually a resounding yes.

The second is if you can actually afford it right now. If you truly cannot afford to hire me at the moment, I recommend jumping on my e-mail list so you stay in touch for future opportunities. We can also discuss a payment plan so that you can pay in smaller instalments. Or – hey – I’ve got other colleagues who might be more suitable for you and am always happy to refer.

Books and Reports

I don’t need a professional designer to design and set up my book up for me – I can do it myself.

You always have the right to do things yourself, and that’s a valid choice.

But – before you make this decision, ensure you read up (haha) about book design theory.

Seemingly small factors like line spacing, font style, and the space between the text and the edge of the pages can make a huge difference to the reading experience. For example: did you know that the inside margins generally have to be bigger than the outside ones to make sure no content is sucked into the spine during binding? Plus, the outside margins have to be wide enough for a reader to put their thumb while holding the book, without covering any text!

Also, when designing a book, I recommend using Adobe InDesign rather than something like Notes or Word, as it will give you a much more professional look and it’s way easier to export for eReaders like the Kindle.

Why are your books and reports so expensive?

A couple of reasons:

1. Printed publications with lots of pages take an incredible amount of time to design professionally. Don’t underestimate this.
2. The more money you spend to make sure your book or report looks really good and is easy to read, the more likely you are to see a financial return from it.
3. In the case of annual reports, these documents directly influence shareholder perception of your company – so you need to be spending several thousands of dollars because it could secure you way more than that in funding and/or support next financial year.

If you’ve got any other questions, just send me an e-mail and let’s have a chat!