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 ChickGeek.

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.

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 or email the client and verbally tell or email 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.  Deposits are usually structured ast 50% down - 25% - 25%.  If changes are made, not included in the original project scope/agreement, then an additional deposit and hours may be required.

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.  This Estimation/Quotation has been sent via email.  Please check your specific Estimation/Quotation for related time lines and estimations. 

(New and Existing Websites)

Our code used is usually HTML, CSS utilizing px for fonts and layout design, PHP, with mySQL on a Unix server.  That does not mean that we do not program for other platforms but our basic estimation is based on this for E-commerce and websites.  Unless you have a different setup that requires other programming languages. (.NET platform, Microsoft hosting and so on)  However, CSS designs will be in px and we try to not use tables unless absolutely necessary.  CSS, using em in the design, for fonts and layouts are no longer necessary for the visually impaired due to IE7 now allowing browswer viewing to be displayed magnified or zoomed.  It used to be the case the before IE7 changed.  Unless CSS specifications and other programming language specifications, are stated in the initial design and estimate phase, we will utilize our normal design/development practices.  If you wish to change your layout, coding or programming language after the design has already been agreed upon:

1.  The initial project will be completed

2.  All payments must be made

3.  A new contract must be started and the project deposit must be paid

If the above conditions are not met than you will not be allowed to use or display the design or program on your website or via other means.

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, our client task manager, or phone.  Please note that phone calls are charged $95.00 hourly after the first initial free 2 hours of consult time.  Excessive emails will be billed at $95.00 hourly after the first two hours of free consult time.  This is to ensure that all of our clients get fair time scheduled on their project and our time is not being used in a non-efficient manner.  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 emailed 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.  Cross browswer and cross platform testing is not included unless specified in your contract.

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, not relating to changing code or agreed design due to the client now wanting to use something else, can be fixed at no charge to the client.  If changes have been made by the client or someone hired by the client; they will be responsible for all fixes.

However if additional content is required to be added, a fee of $95 per hour with a minimum of one (1) hour will be charged. 

If you were given a discounted rate, for additional maintenance/development, that rate will be quoted either by email, invoice or prior to deposit checkout.





 •• 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 $95, with a minimum of one (1) hour charged. 

If you were given a discounted rate, for additional maintenance/development, that rate will be quoted either by email, invoice or prior to deposit checkout.






 •• 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.