Design,
Production and Delivery Process Flow
We follow a structured approach to all design Estimations/Quotations, production, delivery and maintenance of
commissioned projects. We go to every effort to ensure our policies
and processes are stipulated
clearly and succinctly for our valued clients.
The wrong way to approach any graphic designer with your project is
to be unprepared. You will ultimately save yourself time and money
if you provide us with detailed information assisted by the guidelines
presented below.
The Estimation/Quotation process follows the same flow for ALL
design projects undertaken by Next Plateau.
We have explicitly detailed our Website process flow as we have
found this to be an area where clients benefit from an overall view
of what information we require and what is required by the client in
return.
Our Graphic Design section is not as detailed in the
process flow, as information and requirements to and from the client
vary to a greater
extent depending on the project brief (see our Graphic Design page
for full details).
Web and Graphic Design Estimation/Quotation
Acceptance Process
We are initially approached via our email Estimation/Quotation Form
or by phone conversation. If approached by phone we will need to extract
the same information as requested on our email Estimation/Quotation
Form. At this point we do not need to meet our clients, unless specifically
requested by the client.
Once an Estimation/Quotation request has been received we will evaluate
the information supplied and if need be call our client to extract
more information about the proposed project. With all the information
gathered we are than able to give an accurate estimation.
In the first instance we will call the client and verbally tell them
the estimated cost of the project and how we can assist in the design
and production for them, along with sending them a copy of our terms
and conditions. The client is then given the option to request a written
quotation if required.
If a written quotation is requested one will be prepared outlining
what we understand to be the client's project requirements, our interpretation
of this and payment details. This information is emailed to the client
in a Word Document for their appraisal. Estimation/Quotations are valid
for thirty (30) days from date of email.
When verbal or written confirmation is received by the client to go
ahead with the project we will arrange a meeting (if required) to
advance further discussions and have our terms and conditions formally
accepted.
We do not provide any layouts until you are ready to go ahead with
commissioning us with your project.
Sorry, but unless you're ready
to pay for our time we cannot take you seriously.
NEW WEBSITES
•• Preliminary
Design
Once the deposit payment has been received
we will commence work on registering a domain name (if required), hosting
(if required) and
the upload of a splash page (announcing details of website coming soon)
usually within 72 hours.
Most of our clients are first time website owners and require a complete
package of website design and website hosting.
Our preliminary design is based on all the information given to us
by the client. This preliminary design will be submitted to our client
in accordance with agreed timelines as outlined in the initial Estimation/Quotation
process.
The client will be sent a link address via email to our online server,
allowing them to view and appraise the design.
Feedback and changes
can be made by the client via email or phone. Any changes or re-designs
will be done at this time and re-submitted via the above process until
client approval is received.
Once the preliminary design has been approved, all text and images
supplied by the client will need to be email or mailed to us on CD.
We only accept text in the rich text format (RTF) which is a “save
as” option in all text editing software i.e. Microsoft Word,
Notepad, Simple Text etc. (If you require further clarification please
contact us for instructions).
We do not accept hand written or typed
text notes unless there has been a prior arrangement to do so at the
initial consultation stage.
•• Website
Development Stage
With the preliminary design phase completed and approved and
all content and images collated, the full development process of building
the site
now commences.
The client will have their new site setup on our web servers. This
is where we will carry out the development phase including upload of
imagery and text inclusion.
Once the site has been built we will thoroughly go through the site
testing for any errors or mistakes in grammar and function. After this,
the client will be informed and given the address of their site on
our servers.
The client will be asked to go through the site, noting
pages and looking for further corrections and changes, which they will
then pass back to us via email.
Once all corrections and changes requested by the client have been
received they will be affected on the site and the client asked to
make a second confirmation and sweep of the changes made.
If the client and we both agree that the site is looking and working
exactly as the client requests then we will accept acknowledgment that
the site is complete.
•• Website
Sign off Stage
Once the site is complete we will setup email accounts, any forwarders
required to the client's email programs and automatic message responders
as required by the client.
In some projects we may go to the client's
place of business and setup the email software personally, ensuring
that any email sent from the site is received by the client.
When the hosting and email accounts have been setup and are complete
a final invoice is made out for payment.
On receipt of the final payment,
the website will be transferred to our live server and DNS activation
will be completed and the site will go live!
•• Website
Maintenance after Signing Off Stage
We provide our clients with thirty (30) days of free
website maintenance after the website has been signed off. In this
period corrections and mistakes
can be fixed at no charge to the client.
However if additional content
is required to be added, a fee of $75 per hour with
a minimum
of one (1) hour will be charged.
•• Continuing
Website Maintenance
At the time of receiving an Estimation/Quotation from us, we
would have communicated to the client our on-going web site maintenance
fees
and schedules.
A flat fee for regular maintenance is usually negotiated
and agreed upon at this time.
If the client only wants spasmodic, minimal
updates we charge an hourly rate of $75,
with a minimum of one (1) hour charged.
•• Existing
Website Re-Design (Additions | Updates)
In some cases required changes to an existing website may be so great
that we will actually need to re-build the site from the ground up.
In these cases, the same process as for New Websites will
be followed.
If minimal re-design work only involving any additions or updates to
the site is required once the deposit payment has been received we
will commence work on the required project.
Our re-design is based on all the information given to us by the client.
This re-design will be submitted to our client in accordance with agreed
timelines as outlined in the initial Estimation/Quotation process.
Once all changes and additions requested by the client have been affected
we will upload these to the live/online site and ask the client to
go through the site, noting pages and looking for further corrections
and changes, which they will then pass back to us via email.
If there are further changes to be made they will be affected and the
above process may occur a second time for the client to be satisfied
all updates are correct.
Then if the client and we both agree that the site is looking and working
exactly as the client requests we will accept acknowledgment that the
site re-design is complete.
•• Sign-off
Once sign-off has been received from the client an invoice is made
out for the final payment.
Upon receipt of the final payment, the website
will be transferred to our live server and DNS activation will be completed
and the site re-design will go live!
GRAPHIC DESIGN
The Estimation/Quotation process follows the same flow as above for ALL design projects.
When verbal or written confirmation is received by the client to go
ahead with the project we will arrange a meeting (if required) to advance
further discussions and have our terms and conditions formally accepted.
We usually always like to meet with our clients who have more
than one requirement of our services or have a project that requires us
retrieving more information than is possible on the Estimation/Quotation
form.
Once the deposit payment has been received we will commence work on
your required project.
Please refer to our graphic
design page for
detailed development and delivery details per requirement.
|
|
