Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

  • When we started, we typically created net-new scopes of work based on time and materials, while consulting with clients on the most practical approach for their needs. Over time, we began to see recurring patterns with each project request that led us to want to make things easier for new prospects, as well as us.

    Today, we offer many “packaged” projects across our main studio offerings—Branding, Interactive, and Creative Production. Pricing for each package starts at a base fee and may increase based on factors such as (but not limited to) a la carte services, custom functionality, and additional resourcing needs.

  • We absolutely do! We’re just very, very, very choosy about it.

    View our Project Archive page to see work we’ve done within and outside of tech/B2B and e-commerce/DTC

  • Well, two things can happen. Hypothetically, once you have all your assets from us, you’re free to conquer the marketplace with your new branding and we’ll be rooting for you from afar.

    OR, we can discuss ongoing design services with one of our many support packages.

    Either way, know that we’re here if and when you need us!

  • Depending on the project, it can take anywhere between a couple weeks to 3+ months. Projects that are more complex will naturally take more time, especially for proper Q/A. With that in mind, we always strive to be straightforward with our clients about timeline and expectations.

    Our packaged projects across Branding, Interactive, and Creative Production will have the info you need regarding estimate time-frame and budget.

  • No worries! If you have custom needs within our specialties, schedule an appointment with us via our Contact Us page, and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours.

Branding Questions

  • If we can't be the creators, we'll gladly be the stewards! We've worked with many companies, both established and up-and-coming, on pushing their branding through different projects.

    View our work with clients like Zumper, Researched Nutritionals, or Garden Remedies within our Project Archive page.

  • At Santoro Design, we know that a company brand identity is a key part of building relationships with consumers, so we take it seriously.

    A one-off logo doesn’t come close to providing that kind of value for our clients for a number of reasons, and because of that, we no longer do one-off logo projects for clients.

    We invite you to check out our Branding services page to view our various project packages and see the value we can provide your company. Our case studies also display this too.

  • If your brand is a pizza, the logo is just one of the toppings. We all know you need great toppings for an awesome pizza. It’s the same way you need a great logo for an awesome and complete brand identity. It’s just a touchpoint of your brand, but an important one nonetheless!

    Check out one of our many branding case studies for a better idea.

  • We typically give full rights to all work once fully paid for and completed. For example, after a branding project, you’ll receive a Dropbox link to all of your project files and assets. This includes all logo files in both print and web-ready formats.

Interactive Questions

  • Unfortunately no, we’re just a branding and website design studio.

  • We have tons of experience using both WordPress and Squarespace to make amazing websites for our clients.

    For WordPress builds, we absolutely swear by custom Gutenberg Block Themes, as they are way more performant for SEO and overall UX than using page builder plugins such as Elementor and DiVi. Our work for Copley is a great example of this.

    For Squarespace websites, we utilize a number of tools, one being the plugin SquareKicker for maximum CSS customization within the Squarespace platform.

  • Towards the end of the project, we offer a 1-hour workshop to go over back-end operations and content management.

    We’ll also provide a “sandbox” page so you can safely try out components and layouts without breaking any pages.

    Whether your site is built on WordPress or Squarespace, we will ensure that you will be able to update the website as easily and as efficiently as possible.

    Alternatively, if you would like us to handle the website updates for you, we’d be more than happy to within one of our Ongoing Design Support retainer packages.

  • Within the context of a website, we create the architecture during the UX Design phase, based on insights and further user/customer research. When that's done, we'll create the visual look-and-feel for each component and page template within UI Design.

  • We stand by the fact that Squarespace is a great website-building platform and CMS (Content Management System) for most clients we bring on.

    There’s more ability to customize the experience than ever thanks to Squarespace Fluid Engine, and the back-end experience is extremely intuitive and easy to use. All of this allows us to create websites of any scale, with moderate levels of functionality and interactivity.

    To that end, we typically would not recommend Squarespace for larger e-commerce websites, or websites that require specific API integrations.

  • Put simply, we can build any kind of website with WordPress without limits.

    With all of the various CMS platforms out there, WordPress is still the most well-known. Being open-source allows for a vibrant, global WordPress community, as well as a growing marketplace of plugins and essential tools for just about anything.

    When done right, especially if you’re using WordPress’ Gutenberg (aka Block Editor), a WordPress website can scale and convert the way your company needs it to, all while looking amazing. We cover more of this in our Process Book Article!