Most common
Project
A fixed fee for a defined scope, split into phases you sign off one at a time. Most identity and wayfinding work runs this way.
From $10,000 · 4–16 weeks
Services
Four disciplines. One small team.
We do our best work when we can see a system through: from the first strategy workshop to the last sign, screen or page.
A
Identity
Marks, type, color and voice, designed as a system with rules your own team can follow. We start with what the organization actually does and design outwards from there.
- Deliverables
- Strategy and positioning
- Mark, wordmark and lockups
- Typography and color
- Guidelines and templates
- Motion principles
- Timeline
- 6–12 weeks
- From
- $28,000
B
Digital product
Apps, tools and websites, researched with the people who use them and delivered with a design system and production-ready front-end code from our design engineer.
Recent: Fondo, Northland Archive, Beatwork
- Deliverables
- User research and testing
- Interface design
- Design systems and tokens
- Front-end build
- Websites on a CMS
- Timeline
- 8–16 weeks
- From
- $35,000
C
Editorial
Books, catalogs, reports and series. We design the first issue with you and leave a template your editors can produce the next twenty from.
Recent: Hohl Editions, Hall Nine
- Deliverables
- Books and catalogs
- Annual reports
- Series and cover systems
- Print production and proofing
- Timeline
- 4–8 weeks
- From
- $10,000
D
Wayfinding
Sign systems for transport, culture and public buildings. We walk every route ourselves, then design, schedule and supervise each sign through fabrication.
- Deliverables
- Site audit and user journeys
- Sign family and pictograms
- Sign schedule and locations
- Fabrication drawings
- Site supervision
- Timeline
- 6–14 weeks
- From
- $20,000
How we engage
Three ways to work together
To find out
Sprint
Two weeks, one question, a tested prototype at the end. Good for testing a product idea before committing a budget to it.
$14,000 fixed · 2 weeks
To keep going
Retainer
A reserved number of studio days each month for clients we have already worked with: new screens, new signs, new titles in the series.
From 4 days a month · 6-month minimum
Brief estimator
What might your project cost?
Pick what you need and we’ll show an indicative range based on our recent projects. It’s a starting point for a conversation, not a quote: every project is priced after a first call.
Questions
Before you write
Do you work with clients outside Minnesota?
Yes. About a third of our work is for clients in Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas. We work in English and travel for kick-offs and key reviews.
Who will actually work on my project?
The people you meet in the first call. One of the two founders leads every project, with one or two others from the studio. We don’t hand work to juniors or freelancers you haven’t met.
How do you price a project?
After a first call we send a written proposal with a fixed fee per phase. You pay 30% at the start of each phase and the rest when you sign it off. If the scope changes, we agree the change in writing first.
Can you work with our developers or sign makers?
Often we prefer it. We hand over design tokens, components and documentation to in-house teams, and fabrication drawings and a sign schedule to your chosen sign maker.
What happens after launch?
Every project includes a review six months after launch, free of charge. Many clients then move to a small retainer so the system keeps growing in the same direction.