Our Processes
How it Works
Design Match
When you sign up,
you are matched with a dedicated designer that will do all the design work for you for as long as you’re a client. The match happens according to the information you send us on your onboarding. We will also try a few designers on your first months with us to make sure you’re getting the best fit for your design work.
It’s impossible to get one designer that’s awesome with digital, print, illustrations and branding. Most designers are really great at a few things (e.g.: web design) whereas others are the best fit for print or branding work. That’s why each of our designers works in Squads. Squads are a group of 10 to 12 designers that share different skills.
So, for instance, if your main design requests are Web Design related and one day you need a logo for a client, your designer will get someone in their Squad that is better with logos than them to help. Your designer is still responsible to make sure your preferences are followed, but in this way, you get the best of all worlds.
Each of our designers has a "buddy"
And it doesn’t happen often, but if you end up not liking your designer’s style, we can always swap designers for you. No problem!
Account Manager
- As soon as you're onboarded, you'll receive an email from your new account manager. They're responsible for looking after all the admin (a.k.a. boring) stuff related to design tasks: Testing links on the briefs, requesting missing information (e.g. attachments), clarifying questions about the briefs, delivering the designs back to clients and facilitating the communication between clients and the design team. They also organize all tickets' priorities and make sure all your requests are clear and nothing is missing.
- Whenever you send in your requests, both the account manager and the designer read your brief and if they have questions (or if you have questions about the service or the designs), your account manager will be there to make it happen. The whole communication flows through the account manager so your designer can focus 100% of their time being creative and not on admin tasks.
- They also make sure all your preferences are stored in a place where designers are able to check it whenever they need. Don't forget to ask them to take notes of what you'd like your designer to know about your brand (and your clients' brands).
Quality Analyst
The Workflow
Make a wish
Once you send a design request, your Account Manager and your designer make sure your brief is clear to them and there's nothing missing (logos, images, content, attachments, etc). They'll reach out if they need more information. Otherwise, they’ll just start working on it.
Get it back
Once the magic is done, your Quality Hero checks your designs to make sure everything is alright and your Account Manager sends your designs back to you. You will receive a link to download your ready-to-use designs and also the layered files*. Happy days!
Shi(f)t happens
Whenever you need changes, just reply to the same email thread. Send in as many revisions as you need until you’re 100% happy with your designs. You can also view the status of your requests, set priorities and reply to individual requests using the dashboard.
* We only work with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
Other design apps aren’t part of our processes
- Communication
We do all our communication via our dashboard or email to make sure everything gets logged in our system. Video/voice calls aren’t part of our processes since your account manager and your quality analyst need to have access to your briefs and questions. It’s also handy to have everything logged in one place in case your designer needs to check previous design requests and to make sure there’s no miscommunication.
Many of our clients record a 3-5 minute video/screencast explaining their requests as they find it easier. Other ways of sending design requests are using bullet-points or annotated images. You choose!
If you work with a team, they’re more than welcome to send design requests too.
- Speed
Smart remote working
Since our clients are all over the world, we work within up to 2 business-day rounds for each request/revision. This means that depending on your plan, you should receive your designs overnight (or at least the initial drafts). As long as there's something in your design queue, you get daily updates. Most designs are completed within 1 business day or less. Turnaround times can vary based on the complexity of each request. You can always ask your account manager for an ETA.
"All you can eat" designs
Since you have your own design team, you can request as many designs as you need. Simple requests can take from 30 minutes to 2 hours (a logo, a business card, social media posts, graphics for blog posts, etc) whereas more complex ones can take a few days (a 16-slide Powerpoint deck, a 5-page website, etc). The amount of work you'll get back will depend on how clear your brief is, the complexity of the designs, and how fast you can give feedback.
We're not happy until you are
Let's be real, nothing is perfect. So there might be times when you might not like the designs you received. That shouldn't be a problem because you can request as many revisions as you need until your designs are perfect for you. To avoid much back and forth though, make sure your brief is clear and as detailed as it can be. We're not happy until you are.
Your designer is a real human
So they can only do one thing at a time. Seems obvious, right? Having said that, you can keep sending all your requests and your designer will work on them in order of arrival. And whenever you need to switch your tickets' priorities, ask your designer to pause what they're working on and prioritize the designs that you need completed first. You're the boss!
"How many hours per day"?
We do not limit the number of hours (or tickets) your designer can get done for you. Some days you’ll get more and other days you might get a bit less, depending on the complexity of your requests. Our clients/designer ratio is the best out there, ask around! We prioritize quality over speed, but you can always ask your design team to do rush jobs if that's what you're looking for.
We scale as you grow
Whether you're a one-man band or an agency with in-house designers, whenever you need more design work done we're a great fit! If you need an extra pair of hands or just inspiration to break the "creative block", you can always add more deer designers to your team. Some of our clients have between 6 or 8 designers working for them on their tasks every day!
Examples and Feedback
Like everything in life, it takes time to get to know one another. Our focus is on building a relationship between you and your design team. Our designers most times nail it in the first go, but that’s not always the case. It might take some time and a few attempts for them to learn your preferences and to get things done as you envisioned them.
If you’re not happy with the designs you received, make sure you let your designer know what you don’t like about them and send them examples and direction of what you’re looking for.
That being said, there are two things we need from you
when requesting design work:
Examples
There are thousands of ways to design a "donut". It can be small, big, flat, 3D, blue, yellow, pink... It could be sweet, sour, a cronut - you get the point.
Remember: designers are not mind-readers! Make sure to include examples of what you're looking for in each design request. Even small things can help the team channel their creativity into what you have in mind. Your ideas will not only speed up the design process but also get your designs delivered without much back and forth. And saving time is what really matters, isn't it?
Feedback
Whenever you get your designs back, make sure to ALWAYS GIVE FEEDBACK to your designer. The good, the bad and the ugly. They can take it!
Let them know what you liked (and what you didn't), and anything that needs changing. If you need revisions, give them examples of what you’re looking for. That’s how they will learn your brand, your preferences and the more feedback you give, the faster and the better your designs will get to you. As you build a relationship with them, they won't need much hand-holding.
Scope of work
So what can my team with Deer Designer do?
Well, if you can explain it in an email, we can design it. Anything from business cards, flyers, print materials to social media graphics, lead magnets and landing pages.
Can we design logos and brand guidelines?
Yes! Most of our clients are Web and Marketing agencies, so we create all of their clients' brands. Your account manager will ask you a few questions and guide you through the process.
What about websites?
Absolutely! We do NOT write any code and we also don’t produce copy (the content for your website). But if you’re able to send us a wireframe or even a quick pen and paper sketch of what you have in mind together with some inspiration, your designer will send you an initial mockup and get your feedback before continuing working on it.
Get your design team Try us now!
