What to check
Four things you can verify before signing.
- A portfolio of real, complete projects. Not beautiful concepts that never launched. Ask to see the brand in use, not only on a mockup.
- A process explained in stages. You need to know what happens, when you see results and when you decide. A vague process means delays.
- Deliverables written in practiceely. Not "brand identity", but exactly which files, in which formats, with which rules.
- The rights and the source files. They have to stay yours. Ask directly, before, not after.
Questions
to ask
Evasive answers to these questions say more than any presentation.
- Who actually works on the project, and who do I talk to along the way?
- Ce se întâmplă dacă nu îmi place nicio direcție?
- How many rounds of feedback are included, and what happens beyond them?
- Do I get the source files and the rights in full?
- What happens after launch, if I need a change?
Warning
signs
Things that, in our experience, predict trouble.
A price far below the market usually means a skipped process, most often the research. The result looks good in the presentation and does not work in reality.
Likewise, an agency that starts straight with logo proposals, before asking what the company does and who for, is selling drawing, not branding. And if the rights or the source files are not clearly included, you stay dependent on them for every new material.
Frequently asked questions
A good freelancer handles one piece very well, a logo for example. A studio makes sense when you need several things connected to each other: identity, website, video, content. The real difference is not size, it is whether the whole chain is done by the same people or outsourced.
The price is built to measure, for each client separately. We do not work with fixed packages, because brands are not alike either. After the first call you get a clear quote with everything it includes and no hidden costs.
Ask for links to launched projects and ask exactly what the agency did on each one. A studio that took the project all the way can explain the decisions, not just show the images.