Behind the scenes: Our design process and what you can expect
Trish is the owner and Creative Director of our studio. You’ll work with her on most projects, including larger branding projects and campaigns.
We use monday.com to manage the status of our WIP projects, and communicate within our studio.
Investing in professional design is more than just buying a logo or a brochure—it’s about creating something that works hard for your business, represents your brand authentically, and stands the test of time.
Also, we’re not the studio for you if you’re looking for a design and dash. We want to be your creative partner on speed dial; the first cal you make when you have an idea, a problem, or just want to talk something through. That’s why we’ve crafted a thorough and thoughtful process to guide every project, ensuring nothing is left to chance.
Here’s what you can expect when you work with us:
1. Brief: Understanding your needs
We start by meeting with you to learn more about your business and project. Tell us everything – why you started your business, who you serve, what experience you want them to have, and why you love what you do.
We’ll discuss your project goals, the problem we’re trying to solve, a timeline, and the specific deliverables you need. If we haven’t already, we’ll provide a formal quote for your approval.
If it’s our first time working together, we’ll provide our terms of engagement for you to review and approve. You’ll then receive a 50% invoice to book your project into the studio and a request for all the information and assets we need to get started.
2. Concept: Designing a solution
We’ll design a solution that answers your brief.
Our policy is to present one concept because we would rather put all our effort into a solution that 100% answers the brief, rather than present two or three for the sake of extra choices that confuse your heart.
If this concept doesn’t light your fire, we’ll go back to the brief and the drawing board.
3. Alterations: Fine-tuning the details
You have up to two rounds of changes available to you if you need them. Have the peace of mind knowing that we’ll keep working until it’s right, and we’ll always have a discussion with you about the goalposts if they’ve changed in the process.
4. Approval: The final check
After a final proofread and good feeling in your heart, we ask you to approve the finished product. This step helps us draw a line in the sand and know that we’ve said what we want to say, in the right way.
5. Finished art: Polished and ready to launch
Leave it in our hands. We’ll work in the background to do final quality assurance and technical checks before delivering the files we agreed on in Step 1. You’ll receive an invoice for the remaining 50% of your project.
6. Printing
If we’re managing the physical production for you, we’ll consult directly with the supplier(s) and manage all timelines on your behalf.
7. Delivery
We’ll either arrange for your printed items or products to be sent directly to you, or to us first for quality assurance checks.
8. Follow up: How did it land?
Once the dust has settled, we’ll check in on how your project has been received.
Carly is our EA and ensures the smooth day-to-day running of the studio.
The big question: What am I paying for?
In short, Expertise, Care, and Quality.
Every step of our process is designed to ensure you’re not just paying for a product—you’re investing in a partnership. You’re getting:
A bespoke design solution tailored to your needs
Decades of experience in creating brands and designs that stand out and perform
Attention to detail and care from concept to delivery
Meet Elle, our talented and diligent Graphic Designer. She’s a gun at understanding and following brand guidelines, and making sure you’re consistent across every touchpoint.
You’re also paying for:
Time: After 22 years of honing our craft, we’re extremely fast at what we do… but good things also take time and they’re worth the wait. We need time to consider the problem we’re solving, what your industry neighbours are doing, and whether the concept works in a practical sense. As well as this, sometimes things just do take that long. For example, once we set up, design, typeset, make alterations, and process finished art for a 120 page Annual Report, we could be working on each page for an average of 45 minutes (9 hours!).
Value: We consider a combination of value that this project will add to your business, and the value we bring to the table as professionals. Brands are at the top of the expense list because they represent the DNA of your work, and are arguably the most valuable asset you will own. Our years of experience, creativity, and skills will deliver on that. Some other pieces are also extremely valuable to you because you’ll use them on a daily basis, and they directly contribute to the success of your business - e.g. letterheads, PowerPoint templates, expo signage.
Priority: We have a flow of traffic in our studio based on time of briefing, but also complexity and deadlines. If your job needs to jump the queue, or requires extra resourcing, we can facilitate that at an extra cost.
Some of our clients
“The Oath & Stone team have been fantastic to work with! They have taken the time to understand our needs and our workplace, and have really made themselves an extension of our team! They have helped us to uplift are always responsive, with quick turn around on projects that are always delivered above expectations. I would highly recommend their services!”
Costs:
Hourly rate: Our hourly rate is $150 + GST. If you’d like to keep the original packaged files, our hourly rate is $180 + GST. It’s slightly higher because it covers the transfer of intellectual property to you, and the ability for you to edit any future designs yourself (forever and ever). Essentially you’re buying the recipe for the cake and cooking it at home, instead of going to our cafe and buying a slice every week.
How we quote: Once we understand what you need from us, we’ll provide a formal quote. This takes into consideration the physical time it will take us to complete the project, but also the resources we need, the complexity of the task, and the value it brings to the bigger picture.
Our of scope costs: You have two rounds of alterations included in your scope. This allows us to put the final tweaks on the project, or pick up spelling mistakes or reworking of paragraphs. If there are any changes that we need to make that will have a dramatic result on the timeline, design, or deliverables of the project, we’ll have a conversation with you about how the goals have changed. This might be in the form of unexpected additional rounds of changes (the Minister changed her mind about that policy), a change of plans (we thought we wanted a blue duck, but we actually need a green cat), or you just realised you needed more than you originally thought. Either way, you’ll never get a surprise when you receive your invoice.
Additional costs: You may need to pay for licences for fonts and stock images, or printing. We’ll always quote these costs to you before purchasing them on your behalf.
So… why should we work together?
Why choose us over the 67,000 other graphic design studios you could call? Ultimately you’ll get a great visual result, but the thing that sets us apart is the deeper thinking on how that piece of design will solve your problem and truly connect with your target audience. We care about our partnership and support you in a warm, authentic, and helpful way. You can count on us to be reliable, capable, proactive, and intuitive.
Never worked with a designer before? No problemo! We’ll be with you every step of the way, and be clear about what you can expect.
We're energised when your eyes light up when you talk about your business, and our heart skips a beat when you say "you've nailed it". We become an extension of your team, and know your brand like it was our own - celebrating your highs and lows, and knuckling down when it counts. We’re your designers on your speed dial, and we know how to fill in the blanks so that we (99% of the time) nail it first go.
When you work with us, you’re not just ticking a box—you’re building something lasting, thoughtful, and uniquely yours.
Does it sound like we’re a good fit? Let’s talk more about you.
Pictured: Louise Morris (Morris Legal Group), and Carrie-Ann Leeson (Lifeline Canberra). Every Christmas we support MLG in their goal to fund more life-saving phone calls than before.
Pictured: Deanna from More Than Mortgages. During her long service leave, she visited Nepal and learnt more about the charitable organisations that they now support as a team.