Working with Me

At heart, I’m a visual storyteller. For each design project, I strive to create layouts and bindings that say more about my clients and their tastes than they say about me. Or, to put it another way, I create a visual vocabulary that complements each story. Some of my favorite projects allow for playful and somewhat less traditional treatments of words and images on the page. I love to reinforce, clarify, and enhance the meaning of written stories through well-crafted design and illustration. On the other hand, I also have a deep appreciation for more traditional, elegant design. You can see examples of my work in the Portfolio.

As a writer, I work with clients on personal narratives for life stories, and occasionally for their web sites or other promotional materials. For this type of writing, I believe that the most important thing is to let the narrator’s voice shine through.

 

Getting Started

Please contact me to set up a time to discuss your project in detail. This initial one-hour meeting or consultation can take place on the phone or in person, and is free of charge. During that time, I will ask you the questions listed below, and we can determine whether or not we want to work together. Don’t worry if you don’t have answers to all the questions! I’m happy to help you define and clarify your project.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a people person, and I’m in this business because I love listening to people’s stories and helping them to capture and share those stories. Whether you want to hire me to make you the best sketchbook or journal you’ll ever use, print your business cards, design your wedding invitations, or create an heirloom family history book, we’re going to be telling some part of your story together. So I’d like to learn something about what makes you tick before we get started.

Can you describe the nature and scope of your project?
I’m interested to know what your vision is for a final product, and if any work or planning has been done already.

What do you need my help with?
I provide a broad range of services, so I’ll need to know what you’d like me to do, what you’re planning to do yourself, and if you’ve hired or are planning to hire anyone else to assist you with this project.

What’s your timeline?
I’ll need to know if you have a deadline in mind, and for larger projects, when you’ll be available for planning, collaborating, and content and design review.

What’s your budget?
Please don’t be scared away by this! I’ve worked successfully with clients whose budgets ranged from zero to tens of thousands of dollars. I ask about budget because I don’t want to pitch you a $10,000 solution with custom binding and printing if you have $100 to spend and would just like an hour or two of consulting. I will treat you and your project with the same amount of care and professionalism whatever the budget.

What makes you think you’d like to work with me?
If I know what drew you to my company or my work, I can get a better idea of what you’re looking for.