Writing and Design Services

Ruddle Creative Will Do It For You

Ruddle Creative writes, designs, produces, prints and/or posts newsletters, direct mail, brochures, websites, identity systems, fliers, advertisements, presentations, press releases and speeches for a wide range of clients -- profit, nonprofit, not-as-profit-as-they-wanna-be, large, medium, and small. Our fees are middle-of-the-market and extremely reliable. We use flat rates such as "by the page" so that our clients do not have to watch the clock or suffer the shock of surprise from our invoices.

Our creative fees fall into three categories:

Design/setup -- typically a one-time fee for creating the "look and feel" of the project at hand. For small, straight-forward projects with a lot of client input our fee runs in the $500-$800 range. For more elaborate projects such as logo/collateral design or major brochure system, our design/setup fee will run in the $2,500-$3,500 range.

Research/writing -- for most writing projects, we interview 1-2 primary sources and otherwise rely on secondary sources for information. In that situation, our fees typically run $150-$250 per page (500 words) depending on the complexity of the work.

Layout/production -- Our production fees run from $75/page for very simple projects such as fliers and ordinary web pages, up to $250/page for brochures and some newsletters.

Once we establish a rate with a client, we stick with it for at least a year before we review it. With the exception of a handful of extraordinary situations in the past 20 years, what we quote is what we bill. Since we have a continuing relationship with clients, our philosophy is that for every project that runs way over our time budget, there will be another project that gets done under budget.

Startup/Revamp Program

Following a process similar to that used for Evaluation Reports, we will review and discuss your marketing identity, materials or newsletter design with you at the start of a design or redesign process, culminating in a template or templates that your in-house team can use to create high-quality, professional materials.

Once the design templates are completed, we will provide as much training as desired to bring your in-house team up to speed on how to use and enhance the templates, virtually eliminating the need for expensive outsourcing.

Whether we are designing a new logo identity, a brochure, a website, or a newsletter, our process typically includes:

  • Three distinct design concepts, typically with 2-3 variations on each, developed after detailed discussions and review of past materials and the materials of other organizations you would like to emulate or avoid. (Includes up to five rounds of review and revision.)
  • Once the basic design has been established, we create the necessary artwork files along with a template or templates using QuarkXpress, InDesign, PageMaker, Illustrator, Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word, depending on preference. For example, a standard marketing identity design package would include files and templates for your logo, letterhead, envelopes, business cards, mailing labels, fax cover sheets, and one or two additional items as needed. (Template process includes up to three rounds of review and revision.)

Depending on the process required and complexity, our creative fees for design would typically fall in these ranges:

  • Logo/identity package: $1,500-$3,000
  • Major brochure/annual report: $2,500-$5,000
  • Small brochure/direct mail: $500-$1,500
  • Newsletter (print or online): $500-$1,500
  • Company/major website: $2,500-$5,000
  • Project/small website: $500-$1,500
  • PowerPoint presentation: $500-$1,500
  • Flier, postcard or email blast: $250-$500

These fees are for developing the design concept and templates, and are only charged once. Say we design a major brochure, a newsletter and a website that all use the same concept -- we would charge for the design as part of the brochure project, and then charge a $100-$250 layout fee for implementing the design in other areas.

A typical package deal would include the design and templates as well as one day of group training for an entire team, and one day of one-on-one training for the person with primary responsibility. For a cost of about $5,000 we will provide you with an entirely new "look" for your marketing presence, and train your staff to produce your brochures, mailers, websites, newsletters, etc. entirely in-house.

Need more information or ready to place an order? Please call us at 408-556-9865 or e-mail us at sales@ruddle.com.