Creative Services
For us, business and social impact go hand in hand, and our clients feel the same way. Social impact marketing focuses on relationship-building and a sustainable approach to business.
Ready to work with us?
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
We have a special understanding of the universal emotional, psychological and visceral meanings of colour, shape, and form. A complex process involving several phases and a wide range of expertise is required to develop or create a professionally executed brand.
Bringing creative vision to life.
Envisioning, Research, Strategy, Naming, and Visual Identity (logo creation, colour palette, custom fonts, photography, and illustration).
Website Development
We specialize in functional design that allows our clients to easily navigate and update the back-end themselves. We create websites that tell a compelling story with a strong visual identity. Of note: It is beneficial to our design process when the content is created in advance—we consider this a "measure twice, build once" scenario. We ask that all content is taken into consideration and near completion before any new website project commences. To help you get there, we specialize in developing website content such as copywriting and photography with brand strategy, visual identity, and SEO in mind.
Online Marketplace
Advanced customization of professionally-designed, visually-impactful websites.
DESIGN, LAYOUT + PRODUCTION
We execute design and layout content at the client's request, taking the client's need and formulating an effective selling tool to meet a specific objective.
Art gets technical.
Creative layout presentation, including typesetting, photo retouching, and final artwork production of brand elements and identity systems for on and offline applications.
COPYWRITING
Whether our client is in need of fresh copy in the form of company bios, blog posts, product descriptions, or anything in between, our expert copywriting services have got you covered. Even when copy is supplied, our team can re-work it for web optimization, or to create better flow and message hierarchy to tell a compelling brand story.
What do you want to say?
Development of new, quality content that replaces the lorem ipsum text in any design layout or website matrix.
DIGITAL MARKETING
We work with clients who have small or non-existent marketing teams looking for innovative online solutions to launch a new product or business offering. From simple solutions, such as adding automation to a client's regular outreach, to more complex strategies, we provide tailored services to match every need.
Intention + Integrity
Marketing communications for the digital space, including social media strategy, search engine optimization and data analytics.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography selection is an art unto itself, and images representing your business message must be brand-aligned and represent the quality of your offering. We offer custom photography and video in addition to sourcing stock images to bring your campaign to life.
Concept + Location
Art Direction of professional imagery.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
A seasoned project manager with art direction skills makes space for both client and creative to stay focused on their work, creating the very best results. Our clients are busy and, in some cases, in need of a thinking partner. We provide leadership, vision, motivation, and inspiration to creative projects, guided by flexibility and a forward-thinking approach. Project management serves the client and their project, but also ensures clear lines of accountability.
The art and science of making things happen.
Supervising creative assignments to ensure proper execution within prescribed budgeting and time constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why a virtual studio?
Fernwood offers the services of a full agency at a lower cost. Our virtual studio of freelance contractors is nimble and expansive, allowing us to have arrangements with other independent contractors, such as illustrators and photographers, that we can call on to provide speciality and complementary services when the need arises. This is a sustainable business model that allows us to collaborate with the best creatives in the city and meet specific client needs with a uniquely tailored approach.
What is the difference between a brand, a logo and a visual identity?
A brand is the foundation of a company or organization and the logo is the visual icon of the brand. A logo identity system and a strong branding system are both crucial when marketing and promoting a consistent image and voice, but a brand speaks for itself. Designers who specialize as brand identity consultants need to have a special understanding of the universal emotional, psychological and visceral meanings of colour, shape, and form. The client's initial focus may be on the development of a new logo, but a complex process involving several phases and a wide range of expertise is required to create a professionally executed visual idenity system.
What's in a name?
A name is the greatest connection to our identity. A company name exploration starts with keywords to define a brand's attributes.
For example: 'Fernwood' harmonizes gentle, graceful energy with vibrant life, strength and stability.
All names need to be vetted and thoroughly researched before one can be approved. Be sure to register your business name before securing a domain name/url. There can be direct competition using your desired company name, or generally the name is over-used so your business will easily get lost in the marketplace. In our case, there were very few companies using the name 'Fernwood', and those that are - we feel are good company.
How much does Fernwood charge?
There is no one set price–each project has its own specifications, design considerations, and level of complexity. Other factors include deadlines; experience of designer, research, final application (intended use). Please contact us for a project quote or estimate.
How long does a project take?
We typically enter a client relationship with a meeting (or Zoom) to briefly discuss your project. We then schedule a follow-up meeting with a specific agenda and send out a client questionnaire in advance–this helps guide the next session. In this second meeting, we go through the answers you've provided in advance, and discuss timeline and budget. From there, Fernwood takes one week to provide a full proposal (or a few days to send back a simple project estimate, depending on the project scope and list of deliverables). Just like cost, there is no set timeline until we work with you to define one. It all depends on your desired deadline and the project scope.
Let’s get Creative
Ready to work together?