We have been asked a lot lately on “How does it work?” when it comes to working with a graphic design studio. So we decided this is the right time for us to do blog posts about KAI Design’s approach when it comes to a design project.

Similar to a “consultation” process, there are actually several steps for a graphic design project. We deconstructed the process and simplified key milestones…below is the Part-1 of our approach to any design project, hope you will find this useful. Part-2 will follow up in the next blog post!

Step 1 – Initial Meeting / Briefing

Any graphic design project starts with an initial meeting/briefing with the clients. The initial meeting/briefing is crucial for designers; this is the phrase where we find out about the details and needs of the client so we can come up with design solutions that fit with the clients’ mandate as well as their existing company values and look-and-feel. Typically, this step involves us asking many, many questions! For KAI Design, we have a questionnaire that we always go through with our clients.

Step 2 – Proposal

Once we met with the client and have a good understanding of their needs then we move onto the 2^nd phrase of the consultation process, which is to prepare a proposal for them. The proposal is a document that states how the project is going to be produced and the steps that need to be taken from start to finish. This proposal is where we highlight the deliverables as well as timeframe, budget and project terms for the tasks.

One of the questions that we get asked a lot by our client is “How much does it cost?”

The answer to that question is: It depends!

Since every project is different, setting a budget range will allow us to manage and allocate proper amount of time and resources to the project. Therefore, the “how much does it cost” question is often in relation to the client’s budget. The budget will play an important role on the number of revisions, design options and time spent on the tasks.

Once the proposal is approved then we create an agreement/contract based on the proposal prior to moving forward to the design phrase.

The next blog article (Part-2) will discuss about the steps once we move onto the actually design process, so stay tuned! In the mean time, feel free to comment or ask us questions. We would love to hear from you!

Time flies! We wrapped up our 2011 2^nd annual Holiday Cocktail Party at our studio co-hosted with Heelatch (the guys behind Montreal’s Social Media Breakfast group) on Thursday, December 8^th.

It was an amazing night where 70+ guests enjoyed finger food, drinks, live DJ and a nice ambience put together by the KA Design and Heelatch team. At the party, we had the chance to meet with some of Montreal’s top Social Media enthusiasts as well as some of KAI Design’s loyal supporters.

We want to take this time and thank our Holiday Cocktail Party gifts sponsors:

• Paolo Vena Designs for the $300 pearl necklace, donated by Renée Henry (won by Maurice Revah).
• Nathalie B Studios for the $100 gift certificate (won by Brian Rotsztein).
• Heelatch for the wine set (won by Ray Hiltz).
• Two baskets with goodies from Noobox, also Mitch Joel & Michelle Blanc’s books and complementary gift items from Heelatch and KAI Design (won by Pierre Ragot and Melissa Weiskopf).
• Takeaway $50 gift card from La Maison Ishi for all attendees and Tux Productions for the excellent music.

With 2011 coming to an end…we are proud of what we have achieved for the past years; and we super excited about the 2012 outlook for KAI Design and Evenkai (our event planning division). Thanks to all the dedicated KAI Design team members for a fabulous year. Looking forward to serve new clients as well as continuing to offer quality graphic design service to our existing clients.

Happy Holidays!

KAI Design had the opportunity to design the book “Souvenirs d’enfance”, a collection of childhood stories and memories, gathered by Alex Marsolais, with the participation of 24 celebrities from Québec, who very gently accepted to share a childhood experience, a cherish moment. This is a unique piece!

In the light of searching for new a topic or a new artist to showcase for our next event with Evenkai (www.evenkai.ca), we came cross a book called The New Faces of Art – a comprehensive and illustrative book displaying works by artists that will be the future in the Art World. It was definitely interesting to see the future directions of the art evolution in our time.

One of the featured artists that caught our eyes is Carole Beauvais, a Canadian born artist that is currently living in Montreal! We LOVE Montreal talents!

Carole’s art is very textural, revealing layers with the using vivid mixture of bright colors. Her art is inspired by life and reflect the beauty drawn from the day’s movement. Her portfolio includes art pieces with her signature style on mediums such as abstract painting, drawings, female portraits, printmaking and installations.

After visiting her website http://www.carolebeauvais.com, we too understand why Carole was featured in the book that showcased talents that will shape the future of the art world.

Designing the website interface for a monthly publication edited by Canadian Immigration Attorney David Cohen.

http://www.cicnews.com/

Designing the website interface and providing Content Management System (CMS Website) programming services for a talented life coach based in Montreal.

KAI Design & Communication also help realized various marketing promotional materials such as advertising, stationery and Social Media advice for Claude Laroche.

http://www.coachclaude.ca/