Some designers who run one-man companies like to give their business a fancy name (“Noun/Adjective Design”) and are purposely vague on their website about how many employees they have, attempting to give the impression (and security) of a larger entity.
I don’t do that. I’m an up-front sort of guy. My time is valuable and so is yours, so I’m not going to waste it playing word games. I have always been a one-man operation, always will be, and am proud of that fact. My name is my brand, and I stand behind it and the work I’ve produced under Brandon Peat Design, LLC.
My biggest selling point is that I can do it all – I have a very diverse skillset rivaling what you might find across a typical agency. I’m well-versed in traditional design disciplines such as illustration, logo and brand development, and print layout. I also specialize in multimedia ventures such as website design and development, and even video/animation with such programs as Flash, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro. I am a skilled writer/proofreader and am completely comfortable meeting with clients or giving presentations, having been an award-winning member of my high school and college speech teams.
If for some reason I don’t know how to accomplish a certain task or project, I take it upon myself to learn how. It’s an attitude that has served me well in my career and enabled me to make the switch to self-proprietorship.
I honestly prefer to handle all aspects of a project, from conception to completion, because I feel this results in more cohesive work. I have always had a hard time handing things off to someone else – as they say, if you want something done right, you should do it yourself.
But no man is an island, and I have a talented network of friends and colleagues with whom I exchange critiques and ideas. I very rarely farm out work to these other professionals, but do have that capability if it is needed or desired. If for whatever reason a project is out of my depth, I will not only tell you so up front, but can probably refer you to someone who would be ideally suited.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
Brandon knew the technology that I didn’t. When it came to flash, flash banners, web messaging — he rocked. Creative in his own way, he’s not afraid to throw out ideas or wrestle a concept to the ground. On top of that, I wish I had half his hair.
– Andy Boyden, owner, Boyden & Youngblutt
I asked Brandon to create a unified design for my blog, my business cards, and my Twitter page, and I couldn't be happier with what he delivered. At every step along the way, he exceeded my expectations with the fresh creativity of his ideas and the quick turnaround time between drafts and mockups.
He's got a very solid sense of how things should look and function, and he knew exactly what I wanted even when I wasn't sure or was having a hard time articulating it. For weeks after he was finished, I kept noticing little finishing touches and clever details that I hadn't seen the first time around. Everything he created for me is part of a consistent whole and it all fits together in a great big visual orchestra of awesome.
I cannot recommend him highly enough to you. Seriously, hire this dude!
– Gretchen Kolderup, blogger, Librarified
Brandon is an intelligent, talented designer and gifted in his ability to quickly learn new technologies. He regularly thinks beyond the assignment and works to bring additional value to the projects he works on. The strength of Brandon's work is reflected in both quality design and its support of the strategy behind it.
– Kyle Martin, Vice President, account services, Ferguson Advertising
Brandon Peat is a fantastic artist. He has an uncanny ability to work with a client and find the exact artistic vision that they are looking for. I'd recommend Brandon to any musician or disc-replication company that seeks to have not only a beautiful-looking album, but a memorable one.
– Jacob Winters, guitarist, Like Science
I hired Brandon Peat to redo my illustration website, and he provided everything I was hoping for and more. If you are looking for superior web design that's both aesthetically pleasing AND user-friendly with reasonable turnaround time, I highly recommend Brandon's skills.
– Aaron Minier, freelance illustrator
Advertising agencies are great. I used to work at one, and I still do a lot of freelancing with several. For a company needing large cross-media campaigns or a high volume of projects, an agency is a wise choice.
For everyone else, maybe not so much. If your needs or budget are a little more modest, an agency can be an overly pricy way to get the job done, or simply logistical overkill.
So why should you hire a freelancer such as myself instead of an agency?
As someone who worked at an ad agency for two and a half years, I understand both how the designer-client relationship works – and the caliber of talent that is expected at the professional level – and I’m quite comfortable saying that I can deliver on both counts.
But the big incentive, of course, is cost. My hourly rate is less than half of what any agency will charge. Why am I so much cheaper? Well, as a one-man operation, my overhead is very low. I work from home, already own the hardware and software I need, and in general don’t need to support the sort of personnel or infrastructure that a larger corporation requires.
Likewise, my client input process could not be simpler. Since I don’t employ any middlemen, you get to provide design input directly to the designer – me. I enjoy this sort of direct collaboration and one-on-one interaction, and I find it not only keeps hours (and costs) low, but results in a more focused end product.
And since Brandon Peat Design is an LLC, you can still have the confidence and security of working with a company instead of a common freelancer who may or may not take your job as seriously as you do. Design is my business, and I’ve never treated it as anything else.
It’s a little bit of the best of both worlds. With me, you get agency experience and corporate reliability with the personal touch of one-on-one communication – and all for half the price.
I used to work for an ad agency full-time, and it was a good gig. Though I much prefer being my own boss, I still do the majority of my work with and through agencies.
With the down economy putting a squeeze on agencies and clients alike, many agencies have experienced a hiring freeze or have even had to let employees go. If an agency is able to hire new talent, they’re probably looking to fill a full-time position.
So why should your agency bring a freelancer on board instead of a full-time employee?
Well, most of the work I do for agencies is in the multimedia realm – web design and programming, Flash development, and video/animation projects. Many agencies are still geared primarily toward print design and don’t do enough regular business in the web or video realms to necessitate a full-time position in those areas.
Additionally, designers with multimedia capabilities are in ever-increasing demand, and starting pay for a skilled interactive developer can be almost twice as much as that of a print-only designer. If your agency doesn’t have the work to keep that developer busy full-time, the company could be eating a lot of expensive downtime.
For agencies that only need a part-time multimedia specialist, employing a freelancer such as myself on an as-needed basis will be cheaper than any level of full-time employee. The agency will still be able to offer web and video solutions to clients with the same reliability and quick turnarounds – I pride myself on working with your schedule and procedures, not making you work with mine.
I’m well-versed in agency communication and am equally comfortable with doing projects from start to finish on my own or making an agency-developed static design come to life as a video or website. If desired, I can interface directly with clients or simply coordinate with the agency. I am always available via email or cell phone and am open to in-person meetings as well if they should be requested.
I have many other specialties, of course, but multimedia is the one in greatest agency demand. With me, your agency will get a dedicated specialist for less, and never have to bill for a minute of downtime.
