Althea Chen Design Services

The Elevator Pitch
Experience
Design Philosophy
How I Work
Fees

The Elevator Pitch

I’m an independent designer who helps people effectively organize and convey their message through graphic design. While I specialize in printed work—from business cards to books—I design for a wide range of communication media such as websites, marketing emails, and simple animations.

I live and work in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts (and I love it!).

Experience

Much of my design experience comes from the publishing industry. Most recently I was part of a production team working on the layout of middle school literature textbooks. I have also worked on marketing campaigns, illustration and presentation graphics, newspapers, annual reports, and interactive forms.

I’ve been on fire about art, the environment, and social justice causes ever since I was old enough to read Ranger Rick and National Geographic.

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, I moved to the Northeast to work for a non-profit organization for about a year, but soon realized that my calling lies in somewhere in the area of overlap between communication, community organizing, and graphic design. Since receiving my second degree in 2005 from MassArt (now known as the Massachussetts College of Art and Design) I have been working as an independent contractor for a number of local companies and non-profits.

Download my resume in pdf format (156 K) for details.

Design Philosophy

I work on the simple principle that excellent, clear design helps organizations get their messages across. You know the design is working when people know where to look, what to read or watch, and in what order!

Visual inspiration is everywhere, but most I often get inspired by the great outdoors, graphic novels, and children’s books.

How I Work

The design process always starts with a discussion. After sitting down with your staff to hear what you need, what you hope for, and what requirements you might have for the delivered project, I then submit a quote and/or proposal. Assuming the proposal is accepted, I work with you to make sure that we have the right elements—logos, images, copy, and so on—for your project. Most or all of the design review and revision process can be done either in person or online.

Fees

The majority of projects are quoted and billed on a fee basis (not hourly). That is, I charge a fee based on the complexity of the project.

However, I don’t publish my fees online for two reasons.

Maintaining Truth in Advertising
Although many projects sound similar, the actual work involved may be more or less complicated than initially expected. For example, two organizations may "just" need a simple tri-fold brochure, but Org. A is a brand new organization that doesn’t yet have adequate graphics like a logo or event photos. This project could involve logo design, photo research and buying, perhaps some photo editing. Org. B, on the other hand, has already assembled the photos, the written content, the logo and a brand guide! They just need someone to put it together for them and get it to the printer next week. These two situations require different allocations of time and resources, and are quoted accordingly.
Professional courtesy
I offer a different range of services than a ten-person marketing agency or a student designer. And our respective costs of doing business are very different. Publishing fees online invites our potential clients to compare apples to kumquats. It also invites oversimplifying and undervaluing the effort needed to achieve excellent design and excellent service.

Go ahead, contact me. I'd be happy to hear from you, and it doesn’t cost anything to ask questions!