Girdner Graphic Design

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of technical communications for a data center engineering and management consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Girdner Graphic Design?

Back when I was the sole member of my department, I brought on Girder Graphic Design for staff augmentation purposes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Girder Graphic Design was an extension of my staff when I first started. As I slowly increased headcount, they’ve continued to augment my team, doing a lot of the design work. 

That’s ranged from basic graphic design to publication formatting and set up and even manipulated presentations. When we get translations, they format the text back into the original layout so that it matches the English files. The team even supports us with client requests.

What is the team composition? 

I work with both Matt and Laura (Partners).

How did you come to work with Girdner Graphic Design?

I put out some feelers for short-term help when I was overloaded with work. That’s when I set up an initial contract to start working with Girdner Graphic Design. 

It was their availability, professional demeanor, and willingness to help me figure things out along the way that drew me to them. I had work, but I wasn’t sure what that was going to look like day to day. They were more than happy to help get things done, and it turned into a much larger engagement from there. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in January 2014 but recently had to end the engagement in March 2020 due to budgetary constraints. Actually, I’m looking to bring them back within the next few weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I couldn’t have done my job without them for the first few years. Before, I would work 80-hour weeks on a regular basis just to keep above water. But, today, I can delegate something to them and know that I don’t have to hold their hands nor monitor that project. I’m just here to answer any questions, and they provide the results I’m looking for.

How did Girdner Graphic Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings that switched to daily or even hourly for big projects with a time crunch. They’ve never missed a deadline. Sometimes, they turn things in right on schedule, but there’s no way around that when juggling multiple contracts and tasks.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

Once they’ve done a certain type of project, they’re able to run with it and only reach out if they need clarity. They’re not afraid to let me know if something doesn’t make sense or is off. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with their work and would strongly recommend them to anyone. I’m ready to hire them back!

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to know what you want. If you don’t give them enough information, then you can’t expect the results to be what you wanted because you didn’t express yourself clearly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My business is beekeeping, and everything that entails. I raise bees, make honey, sell hives, along with other beekeeping tasks. We’re not a large commercial organization, but we do have a relatively robust sales operation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Girdner Graphic Design?

When I decided to take this from a hobby to an actual business, I needed a basic logo and some other graphic design work done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them an initial concept, and we discussed why that idea stuck with me, and what my goals were with it. They drew out about ten different variations on that theme and brought them back to me for feedback, and from there we settled on two different versions of the final logo.

They provided one version in positive space and one in negative, which I use more rarely, but both distinctively fit my brand image. They also helped to set me up with an informational website as well as different image files so that I have versions of the logo that are higher quality and versions that don’t take up as much space and load faster while still retaining the quality.

What is the team composition?

I pretty much worked directly with Laura (Co-Owner). I think Matt (Co-Owner) was probably involved as well, but Laura was the one who I interacted with primarily.

How did you come to work with Girdner Graphic Design?

They were recommended to me by a friend, and I recognized that they were a small company like me, so I decided to move forward with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The whole project took place during the month of August 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The specific success metrics of the project are a little bit difficult to nail down, but there were certainly several things that I wanted out of the logo and website and they delivered on all of them completely.

One specific page on the website I wanted was information about swarm control and bee rescue. A lot of people don’t know what to do if you see a swarm of bees coming toward you, and I wanted to help present people with information as well as a way to get in contact with me and see what I can do for them was something that was really important to me.

Girdner made it easily searchable so that I come up when people look up what to do, and as a result, I’ve gone out and rescued quite a few colonies of bees because of the site.

How did Girdner Graphic Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They brought a really great attitude to the project that allowed them to drive the work forward without being unnecessarily pushy. Everything was delivered on time, and I was the only thing holding us back, so I never felt like I had to remind them about anything. We primarily talked over email but had some face to face and instant message communication as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really don’t have any experience in the areas of design or web development, and that didn’t fluster them at all. There were several times where I needed her to re-explain things to me, especially when we were making decisions about the website. Her willingness to continue listening to what I said and answering my questions while totally at ease was very impressive to me, and something I greatly appreciated.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve spoken about doing an update to the website more recently, especially with regard to setting up online payments during the current pandemic, but those are all things I’ve thought of adding since the original product. I was totally satisfied with all of the work they did at the time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You may have initial concepts, but she has the marketing and internet experience, so it really pays to trust her advice on pretty much everything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a management consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Girdner Graphic Design?

We needed a graphic artist for our weekly column.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired them to create graphic design to accompany our column. In this process, I provide the copy, and suggest ideas for the graphics, too. Additionally, they’ve recreated our logo, letterhead, and business cards. Next, they’ll tackle our social media posting.

What is the team composition?

I work with two primary people from their team, including Laura (Co-founder).

How did you come to work with Girdner Graphic Design?

I spread the word locally that I was looking for a graphic artist, and Laura responded.

How much have you invested with them?

We average $2,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Laura has the capacity to produce excellent work, and can also collaborate with the client, which is rare. She’s become a very valuable part of our team, and truly understands our business; she’s in less than 1% of businesses that can do that.

She’s helped our database grow at least 20%. We’re getting significant inquiries that we haven’t seen in a while.

How did Girdner Graphic Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate daily via Zoom. She never fails to meet deadlines, even when we give her short notice.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’d give the quality of her graphic design an A+. For her work and collaboration within our organization, I’d give her an A++. Laura grasps what needs to be done, and I’d even consider her a friend.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, Laura’s been growing steadily while working with us. She always strives to do better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be patient and positive. Whenever we give her an idea, she delivers something even better.