Lien Design

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of Cordial Craft LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We curate and sell quality craft cordials for the effortless creation of craft cocktails and mocktails alike.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lien Design to accomplish?

• Development of our labels
• Development of our logo
• Exceptional expertise and customer service

SOLUTION

How did you find Lien Design?

Online Search

Why did you select Lien Design over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• He is the best at what he does

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Tom tirelessly conducted market research to determine where our brand should stand amongst the competition when it came to balancing the prestige of our label along with the quality of our product. Baring in mind that we are a high quality product but also didn't want to be overly intimidating to the consumer class when creating his designs. He then developed numerous iterations of our labels along with various logos to match them. Subsequently he has made numerous fine adjustments to assure no detail went unnoticed while also meeting and aligning with regulatory/legal guidelines to assure we were in line with existing legislation. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

He met and exceeded all expectations. We had numerous choices and every single one fit our brand and hopes flawlessly. He is extremely responsive and always willing to help. He is a professional and top of his class as every dimension involved in this project he has gone above and beyond for. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Tom always delivers. His product is exceptional, he makes the most of his time and assures he meets his expected deadlines, all the while never missing a single detail. He will respond to your emails in a timely manner, (even if you don't deserve it) which truly demonstrates how high he holds himself and his work in regard. Your project will be taken care of in a timely manner while at the highest level there is. 

What was your primary form of communication with Lien Design?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The conjunction of quality work and customer service. We couldn't have hoped for a better outcome for our labels and logo. He will read your mind and deliver a product behind you expectations all the while maintaining timely and extremely professional customer service.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lien Design could have done differently?

ABSOLUTELY NOT. If I thought so I would have said so out of respect for time, but I am the one who had areas I could have improved to make Tom's job easier. He is, I assume, the best at what he does. There's a reason his resume is as decorated as it comes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an owner at Bolm Skin Care, a company that sells a variety of skin care products. I help formulate our organic moisturizers, provide product label and web-related content, and perform all aspects of overall business management.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lien Design?

We were looking for someone with outstanding graphic design skills to help us with branding and package design. We wanted something that looked modern, and could put us on par with the design you see in larger brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Over the course of our engagement, Lien Design has worked on all aspects of our branding strategy, including logo design, input on site design, packaging, various marketing materials, and really any other needs that came up. We started working with them prior to our shift to skin care, while we were pursuing the launch of a personal fragrance. He provided numerous design concepts to choose from for the cologne bottle and designed the logo as well, and when we switched over to skin care products, he continued working with us on designing the initial logo, as well as all of the packaging. He’s also designed sell sheets, fliers, and other marketing materials since we started. He’s got an immense amount of talent, and has been very thoughtful when putting together our packages.

What is the team dynamic?

I have only worked with the owner, Tom Lien.

How did you come to work with Lien Design?

A while back, he was working at a large firm that had contracts with Pepsi, Gatorade, Red Vines, Huggies, and other recognizable brands. To my knowledge, he had just left that firm and started Lien Design a few years before I began doing initial research on designers, and after seeing his portfolio we were more than thrilled to work with him and became one of his most loyal customers.

How much have you invested with them?

He charges us a flat hourly rate which always works out to be lower than what we’ve be charged for similar projects by other design firms. We’ve put in about 20 hours so far on our most recent project and have invested over $25,000 with Lien Design to date

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January of 2010, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our customers have raved about our designs. It fits right in with all the bigger brands that have been around for decades. We settled on a fresh, modern, “Mom ‘n Pop” design for most of the packaging, which has done very well. People are drawn to our packaging in a very personal way.

How did Lien Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been 100% happy. Tom is always conscious of deadlines, and delivers within two weeks, probably averaging between 6-7 business days on most projects. If I need something in a day, he can usually accommodate. He’s also very willing to work with us on fine tuning, just to make sure it’s exactly what we want. If you give him a sketch or a prototype, he’ll run with it and deliver something great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The beginning of a partnership with Lien Design is very exciting, because Tom wants to show you what he can do to start off. He’ll give you so many different options, and everything is laid out in a way you’ve never seen before. It’s just incredible what he’ll show you in the beginning. As he learns more about what you’re looking for, he’ll narrow it down and everything becomes more streamlined. But it’s very exciting to see what he can do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes communicating the specifics of a project can be somewhat difficult, and he’ll require a sketch or prototype to understand what you’re looking for. I’ve learned to be as clear as I possibly can while going through details, but sometimes verbally explaining the project isn’t enough. Anytime you can visually show him an initial idea he’ll do it exactly the way you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm one of the founding Principals of a New York City based digital agency. We develop, implement, and manage customer experiences mostly in retail, but in general for public places.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lien Design.

We were looking for a rebrand for the company, that would be elegant and sophisticated, and that would represent us and the types of high profile clients that we target. We wanted everything from brand direction for print material, the website, and all marketing collateral that could be used on anything from business cards to sales materials. We wanted to make it so anything we do would be uniform, and we would be adaptable for each of our different marketing channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

A large portion of the work we do is design, and part of the service we provide to our clients is good design. We wanted a brand that would represent the level of work that we perform for our own clients – something modern, but not too flashy or trendy. The goal was something elegant and sophisticated that we could adapt over time.

Their deliverables included a formal brand design document, meaning guidelines that provided how we can use their end-product branding work in our different mediums. While they didn’t provide web design, we do use their brand direction as part of our guidelines given to the web developer for the process. They also created literature, and once we had our new logo and the brand guidelines we hired them to create our business cards and these beautiful blue marketing books that we use for sales pitches. When we send out marketing proposals, they go out in a really nice looking company folder and they helped design that physical material. There have been a number of project as well, where they’ve created the marketing collateral.

To this day, they still periodically update our logos and branding to keep our marketing collateral fresh. Usually, every couple years so it continues to look modern and current.

What is the team dynamic?

Our main contact was Tom [Founder, Lien Design]. If there were others involved on his side, I was unaware and did not directly work with them.

How did you come to work with Lien Design?

I was given them as a reference.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2005, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We get regular compliments on everything we do from a marketing standpoint. They have a really good sense of not just design, but how things should feel and what size things should be. It all has a really unique take from the industry standard. All of our marketing materials, from our business cards to the nice silky touch of the blue books, receive positive feedback from clients.

How did Lien Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has always been fantastic. All of our deliverables and marketing materials have been on time. They’ve been easy to work with if we have any questions, or need something revised.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, it’s been an all-around great experience. They have a great sense of design, as well as flexible and fair pricing. We've been working with them for over a decade, which speaks on how much we enjoy the relationship we have with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at all. I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of a manufacturer of beverage purees and infused beverages, and we distribute equipment and products to hotels, restaurants, and resorts throughout the U.S. and Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Lien Design?

We had packaging issues and were looking to rebrand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took the time to learn who we are, what we do, why we do it, and what we're trying to communicate, and they've incorporated that into every aspect. Tom [Founder, Lien Design] handles everything. Our customers work directly with him and his firm and get collateral marketing. He keeps true to our brand and gives them what they want and need to offer their customers.

What is the team dynamic?

Tom has worked on our website and essentially everything else for us. It couldn’t be easier working with him and his team. He provides for us time and again. Whenever I need to get something to somebody, whether printing new brochures or business cards, I let him communicate directly with that person. Whatever it is, I know he will do it right and deal with every aspect. If I can’t find something or don’t have the time, he will facilitate the entire order and get us whatever we need when we need it.

How did you come to work with Lien Design?

I initially looked at many advertising companies and design firms and interviewed them all. Tom came in with great designs and got a feel for what we were doing. There was a simplicity in dealing with him.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent approximately $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in 2006 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Everyone has commented about how brilliant our things are. We stand out and I'm so proud of our packaging. We talk to Tom about any issues or feedback we get from our customers, and he designs around this.

How did Lien Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Tom is always responsive. The night before he went on a planned vacation, we needed business cards urgently, and he took care of it himself. Within an hour, he redesigned and submitted everything, and we had those cards 5 days later.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It's really personal. Tom knows the brand inside and out, and I let him experience it. Essentially, he lives it like I do—our success is his success and vice versa. It really feels like he's part of our company.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

At the end of the day, brand is important, and having a relationship with someone who truly understands you and your business makes a huge difference. It also saves time, since you don’t have to keep explaining what you're trying to accomplish to new people.