Design/Development Retainer

Common Questions

• Why wouldn't I just hire a full-time designer or developer?

  Hiring a designer or developer certainly has its advantages. But doing so is a lot more expensive and requires a long-term commitment. Let's not forget the hiring process is time-consuming and the annual cost of a full-time senior-level designer or developer can easily exceed $100k. Additionally, you might not always have enough work to keep them consistently busy which means you're stuck paying for time you're unable to utilize.

  With a monthly subscription you can pause and resume your subscription as often as you need to ensure you're only paying for design or development services when you have the need.

• Is there a limit to how many requests I can have?

  Nope—once you're subscribed, you'll be able to add as many design or development requests to your queue as you'd like. They'll be worked on and delivered one by one.

• How fast will I receive my designs or dev requests?

  No one likes this answer but it's the truth: it depends.

  You'll get updates as often as it makes sense, but request completion will depend on complexity. In our experience, the vast majority of requests can be done in a few days or less, but sometimes requests take longer because they're larger or more involved. Whatever the case, you can expect regular communication and transparency so there are no surprises.

• Who are the designers and developers?

  It might come as a surprise but Block 81 is actually a studio of one... most of the time. What that means is that the design or development work done for you will be done by me, the owner of Block 81. 

  There are instances, such as specific skills or to ensure a reasonable delivery time, where requests are fulfilled by bringing on trusted partners.

• How do I request designs?

  You'll be provided with access to our client portal where you'll be able to add requests there. Each request can simply be text, but you can also attach screenshots, documents, links to Google docs, or whatever else you use to communicate your needs. Basically, if it can be linked to or shared, it's fair game.

• What if I don't like the design?

  Unlikely. 😉 In all seriousness, your request will be worked on until you're happy with the outcome.

• Is there any design work you don't cover?

  Yes. Some design work we not covered: print forms (e.g. medical or similar), complex packaging, magazines, and, books.

• Is there any development work you don't cover?

  Yes. Some development work not covered: database design, fully custom PHP applications, iOS or Android development, non-PHP websites or apps.

• What if I only have a single request?

  Not a problem—you can cancel your subscription when finished. That said, depending on the design or development request, it might make more sense to quote and set it up as a one-off project.

• Are there any refunds if I don't like the service?

  Due to the high quality nature of the work, and the amount of time blocked out after you subscribe, there will be no refunds issued. Once a month is paid for, it cannot be reimbursed.

  If you run out of design or development work, remember that you're welcome to cancel your subscription and re-subscribe later.

• How quickly can I start?

  Right away! Within 1 business day after subscribing, you'll be sent a welcome email and an invitation to our client portal where you can start adding requests.

• What about larger projects like a full website redesign?

  For this and similar large or complex requests, your project will be broken into separate requests that make sense for your project. Every project is unique with its own constraints and challenges. To that end, we'll help you navigate the best approach on how to break your project up into small requests.

• What if I want to discuss a request in a call?

  Not a problem! While I try to keep meetings to a minimum, sometimes talking things out is the best way to understand a design or development challenge and I'm happy to accommodate this when needed.