My process is not set in stone.

Why? Because:

Each project is different and each collaborator is unique.

I look at my work as a collaborative journey between you and me in which we work together to reach a shared goal. In broad strokes, this is how my projects progress:

You talk about your goals and I listen.
I make some tests and show them to you.
We talk about how you feel about them.

We do this iteratively until the direction is nailed down. Then:

I build out the design and give you preliminary versions to experiment with.
I look at what you make and refine my work to help everything better harmonize.
I give you finished art before your deadline.

This adaptive, results based process allows me to work just as effectively from a comprehensive mood board as from an intuitive “we want it to feel like...” mission statement.

While I try to be completely flexible on projects, I do have some principles that are the foundation of how I work:

I make components of larger wholes.

I’m fascinated by things that do their job without being noticed. I’m especially fascinated when small details are carefully coordinated to form something greater than the sum of their parts. This is the perspective that I work from. I don’t make typefaces and lettering. I make tools that serve complete ideas.

I am honest.

I don’t try to talk clients into something that they don’t need and I will speak up when I think something isn’t working. I care deeply that my clients are getting what they need.

I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of thinking before I start drawing.

This is the most important step in my whole process. I want to make sure that the client and I have a shared vision and mutual trust.

I don’t have a particular style, aesthetic starting point or preconceived notion of what my client needs.

I pride myself in being able to move from workhorse to silly to pretty to weird. Each project is unique.

I think long term.

I want my clients to use what I make for them for a long time. My favorite projects are the ones that clients use for over a decade. This isn’t because of personal vanity, it’s because I want my clients to get a good value when they work with me.

I always start typefaces and lettering from scratch.

This takes time, but is essential.

I don’t do presentations or talk up ideas.

I believe that the work should speak for itself and that clients need to be decisive.

I am a quality over quantity designer.

I show a few carefully thought out ideas at a time and I won’t show anything that I wouldn't be proud to say that I designed.

I deliver often.

I want my clients to try out what I am making before it is “done.” In the case of typefaces, this will be beta typefaces. In the case of lettering, it will be rough sketches. My best work has come from clients taking these early versions, making things with them and showing me the results. I study these results and then make changes to improve the efficacy and aesthetics of what I am making.

I don’t rush, but I do work quickly.

I typically try to only have one major project at a time. That project and my client get my undivided attention.

I meet deadlines.

If a client tells me that they need something by a certain date, I’ll do everything I can to deliver before that date. If that's not a realistic deadline, I tell the client and we figure out an alternative way to meet their needs. If things are taking longer to solve than I expected, I notify the client immediately. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does I am completely honest and proactive.

I take my work very seriously but...

We’re not saving the world with fonts so I try to keep things informal and lighthearted.

I don’t think of me on these projects, I think of us.

My client and I are in this together.

‍

If you are still here, you may be wondering:

How much do your projects cost? How long do they take?

Well, it depends. There are a lot of variables that determine both pricing and timing. Before I get into the details, I’ll be up front:

The pre-project process is easier and faster if you tell me your budget.

If you tell me how much you have to work with, I’ll tell you what you can get for that. I’ll even tell you if your budget is too high. (No, really. I’ve done this a bunch of times.) Like I said, I’m very honest.

It’s also best if you tell me your timeline.

If it’s too fast, I’ll tell you and we’ll figure out a way to get you something instead of nothing. I really like working towards deadlines.

Pricing lettering projects is pretty straightforward.

There are some basic factors that go into it: What is the starting point for the lettering? What is the intended use? What is the style? How complex is it?

Pricing typefaces can be complex, but we’ll work through it.

There are a lot of factors:

Where are we starting?

A completely new concept developed by me?
A concept developed collaboratively with the client?
An idea that the client has conceptualized?
A typeface inspired by lettering, for example the client’s logotype?
A typeface that I already have in development?
A modification of one of my existing typefaces?

What does the typeface need to do?

General graphic design for branding, editorial, marketing, etc.?
Fonts for use on the web?
Fonts to be used in an app, game, etc.?
Something else?

What does the typeface need to have in it?

How many weights are needed?
How many widths are needed?
Are roman, italic or both needed?
Are alternate forms, like swashes, needed?
Are optical sizes needed?
Which languages does the typeface need to support?

Anything else?

Does the client want exclusive rights to the typeface?
What kind of work does the client do?
Who needs access to the font files?

That said, typefaces don’t have to be huge projects.

I’ve made really small typefaces that are just numbers or a handful of letters. These are quick and budget-friendly projects that are super fun to do.

Also, it’s often less expensive to pay for something custom than to license an existing typeface.

It seems counterintuitive, but it’s true. True story: the CEO of a large retail company became enraged after learning that my cost for developing something built specifically for their needs and exclusive to the company was less that 1/10th what the company had previously paid to license a dusty, old typeface from A Very Large Font Licensing Company. Agencies and studios, seriously, talk to me before you present that mood board in your deck.

I can get started early in your project. Or I can start late. Or somewhere in between.

Some clients bring me in early so that I can help with the early conceptual work and my years of experience can help shape the scope of a project. Some clients bring me in late because they already know exactly what they want. (FWIW, I like to be involved early.)

My pricing is non-linear.

All of the variables add up, but sometimes they can reduce costs. For example, if I have a lot of creative freedom on a project, the price can go down.