About / How We Work

In every project we take on, our goal is simple: to produce creative work that gets results for our clients.

What types of clients do you work with?
We work with clients who understand the value of working with a skilled design team and believe that professionally designed marketing materials and web sites should generate awareness, interest, and above all, sales.

We especially enjoy working with small to medium-size businesses, educational institutions, and associations, as we have particular expertise in these areas. We have also done work for state government, non-profits and large corporations, and sometimes serve as subcontractors to advertising and PR agencies. Click here for a list of clients.

How do you charge for your services?
Our pricing is competitive. We realize that our clients do not want to pay ad agency prices but still want high-quality, compelling marketing pieces. Written estimates with deliverables are provided for every project. We will not charge more than our estimated price as long as the project does not extend beyond the scope indicated in the deliverables. As a special service to fellow small business owners, we offer package pricing for graphic identity work (logo, business card and stationery design).

Who will I be working with on my project?
One of the best things about working with Stellar Communications is that the firm owner is personally involved in every project. Amy manages all the work at Stellar Communications and is the primary contact on most projects. Production designer Aaron Ryan works with some clients directly on graphic design production work and web site updates. Amy and Aaron personally produce 95 percent of the work. When projects require skill sets that are found outside the scope of our abilities, such as web database programming or specialized web application development, a portion of the project will be outsourced to a highly qualified and proven resource.

How do we communicate on projects in progress?
Email or marked up PDF files are the preferred methods for sending in any copy edits. Faxes are also welcome. We invite you to call us if you have a creative concern or complex issue to discuss that would be difficult to describe via email. We strongly recommend that all copy edits be sent in writing (email, fax, mail or delivery) as we can be more certain that each edit is made to your specifications this way. Phone calls are returned within 24 business hours.

How fast will my project be done?
Once we have determined your project scope, we will develop a timeline. We are vigilant about deadlines and adhere to these timelines rigorously as long as you meet your approval deadlines. If clients miss a deadline, the timeline is adjusted accordingly. If you have a predetermined deadline we will either agree to do the work within the indicated timeframe or will refer you to another designer who may be able to help you. For print projects, we work proactively with your printer or ours to deliver the finished digital files to them to ensure they have a reasonable amount of time to print.

Small Business - Timeframes

How will I be billed?
An initial deposit of 1/3 to 1/2 of the project cost is due prior to the start of projects for new clients. Terms are net 30 for remaining amounts owed. Invoices will be sent as work progresses on a monthly basis or as major phases are completed, whichever is sooner, until the project is completed.


How We Work

Clients

About Amy

Pro Bono Work


It was a true pleasure working with Amy Hufford, who designed and built a stunning new website for our company. She was proactive with our questions and concerns throughout the process throughout from the initial design through the programming of the interactive features. We depended on her helpful advice and appreciated her extraordinary patience and flexibility. You never quite realize what an undertaking it is to put together a large redesign, and I can honestly say that we could not have done it without her.

-Amy C.
Publishers Resource Group