The College Center for Library Automation hired Studio NineTwenty, Inc. to design their 40-page annual report for the 2006-2007 academic year. The report will be published in January and used to encourage continued participation and financial support from the Florida Legislature and Florida Colleges.

Established in 1989 by the Florida Legislature, CCLA operates Florida's Library Information Network for Community Colleges (LINCC) and the Web-based library information portal, LINCCWeb, from its headquarters in Tallahassee, Florida. Visit them on the web at: www.cclaflorida.org.

You Asked, We Answered

Q. How do you charge?
A. We're an integrated marketing company, which means that we stand by our results and prefer to execute programs with measurable goals. To offer you the most complete program at the best possible price, we recommend clients buy 12 months of plan management. Your plan management program includes: basic research, planning, strategy, account service, prodcution management and "the big ideas". Tactical projects recommended as part of the plan are billed seperately. Our plans start at just $1,000 per month. You can also buy a design program, which is essentially a block of hours at the discounted, blended agency rate. We also welcome project work and are happy to deliver a custom estimate based on the size, scope and specifications of your project within 24 hours of request.

Q. Do you have experience in my industry?
A. Good planning, strategy and design transcends industries. Although we may not have specific experience in your industry, our intense research programs enable us to approach your business with an educated but fresh perspective, which is often extremely beneficial.

Q. How big is your staff and with whom will we work with?
A. Were not a top-heavy agency. We don't believe you need an account manager to manage an account manager, nor do we believe in meeting to meet. Our staff is kept intentionally small - at just four plus an intern - so you're project receives our principals' attention, and you are assured exceptional customer service.

Q. What is a markup?
A. A markup is a fee added to invoices for outside services purchased for a specific project. Nearly all design firms charge them, but we don't charge them for our plan management clients. This is an added value passed on to you. The average markup is 15.75%

Q. How do I budget for marketing and creative?
A. Some clients come to Studio NineTwenty with prepared budgets. Some just have a ballpark figure. But hardly any budget is based on the management’s consideration of what they think they can afford. And for good reason; they often don’t know. At Studio NineTwenty we have estimating specialists that can provide budget direction to firms that don’t know what marketing design services typically run. Our package pricing eliminates any unforeseen charges, and our marketing recommendations are based on client objectives, not our desire to win sexy but ultimately useless design awards. Here are two links to pricing guidelines.

Advertising age at www.adage.com
Graphic Artists Guild www.gag.com

Q. Do you do comp work or spec work?
A. Studio NineTwenty sells its ideas and their execution. There are multiple ways of solving communications and graphics problems. The creative process is about arriving at those solutions within the budget and time restrictions provided. Being creative is hard work. Just like you wouldn’t take a Gucci handbag home for a few days to try it out before you decided to buy it, you can’t have access to our best ideas until you’re a contracted client. Our portfolio is online for you to decide if the quality of our work is in line with your objectives.

Q. What will we own/what will you own?
A. Regardless of our desire to cooperate with clients, we can’t provide the following because it may make us a party to copyright infringement: Type fonts and applications programs; Non-royalty free Photos and illustrations; Layered files. You will own your logo and any other artwork or program-specific collateral we design for you as it appears in its final format. We will work with you to provide your artwork in a format that’s useable to you.