Welcome Packet

I’m so excited you’ve signed on to uplevel your online presence! On this page, you’ll find information on:

  • my office hours and forms of communication

  • how to use Asana and access the project

  • the full design process

  • a deep dive into your “homework”

  • friendly feedback guidelines

  • payment policy

  • frequently asked questions

  • next steps

If you have any questions at any time, you can send me an email: lauren@laurentaylar.com

Office hours and forms of communication

My typical work hours: weeknights 6-8:30pm and weekends, depending on your project

Communication: You can expect a reply from me within 2-3 days. Response times exclude holidays.

Call days:

  • Consult calls (a week or two before design begins) are scheduled during the week

  • Launch calls take place on the last Friday of the project (flexibility for clients in different time zones)

To help keep your project on track to finishing on time, you’ll need to provide feedback on your designs within 3-4 business days of receiving them.

It's important that we both do our best to stick to the deadlines and timelines we put in place in this project. If we both provide files and feedback on time, it’ll help us get your project done on (or even before!) the deadline.

Project management training

During the project, we will primarily use Asana, my favorite project management tool. This will keep our email inboxes uncluttered and the process organized. This is where we have have conversations, share files, set reminders, and create to-do lists.

Whereas files often get lost when I’m managing projects through email, nothing gets lost or forgotten in Asana. It’s the simplest way to keep your project organized and make sure it goes as smoothly as possible!

Don’t worry – you won’t need to pay for this tool and it’s not hard to use. Click the video below to learn how to use it!

Design process

You’ve already signed the contract and paid your deposit, so now the fun can begin :)

1. Client homework (additional info below)

  • I’ll send you a questionnaire to gain a better understanding of your business and what you're looking for in your designs. This will be emailed to you and accessible in the assigned Asana task.

  • Upload all website copy and photos to our Google Drive folder. This will be emailed to you and accessible in the assigned Asana task.

  • I'll also request that you create a secret Pinterest board that reflects your inspiration.

2. Pre-design consultation

Once you’ve submitted your questionnaire, website copy/photos and created your Pinterest board, we'll jump on one last call before I get started! This is the perfect time for you to ask for clarification and I'll answer any remaining questions you might have.

This should be scheduled a week or two before design officially begins. Schedule the call here.

3. Design

Please note: for projects after March 2023, this will look different.

Website Only

Week 0 / Pre-design - I'll first start with your mood board before presenting font and color palette options. I’ll then put together the style guide in Squarespace.

Week 1 - I'll start with the design of the home page to get your approval of the initial look and feel (one revision). Then I’ll start designing the rest of the site.

Week 2 - I’ll finalize the website and then we’ll start revisions. You’ll have up to 4 revisions.

Week 3 - We finalize revisions by Thursday of this week.

Branding + Website

Week 1 - I'll first start with your mood board before presenting three logo concepts with variations in black and white (nine logos total, two revisions). I'll then provide three color palette options, three logo concepts in color, and three alternative logo concepts (one revision each). The other brand elements, such as favicons, fonts, textures and graphic elements, will appear on your style board (one revision). You will then receive the style guide, which provides detailed instructions for using each brand element.

Week 2 - I'll start with the design of the home page to get your approval of the initial look and feel (one revision). Then I’ll start designing the rest of the site.

During this week, I'll then create the social media banner graphics and square/vertical graphic templates (2 rounds of revisions).

Week 3 - I’ll finalize the website and then we’ll start revisions. You’ll have up to 4 revisions.

Week 4 - We finalize revisions by Thursday of this week.

5. Final payment and final files

Before handing over the design files and website, the remaining payment is due. You’ll find the link to the invoice inside your Asana project.

You'll receive the design files in a zip folder via Asana, and your social media templates will be shared via Canva.

6. Website transfer and training

On the last day of the project (Friday), I’ll jump on a 60 minute Zoom video call with you to set up your branded email address and connect social media profiles, domain, and Google Analytics.

I’ll also provide a Squarespace training session so you’ll know how to make edits to your website in the future. This session will be recorded and uploaded to Google Drive so you can refer back to it in the future.

Client Homework Explained

Here’s what I need from you to get the project started...

1. Design questionnaire - (this will be emailed to you and accessible in the assigned Asana task)

  • You can save this as a draft in Dubsado and come back to it before design officially begins

2. Upload all website copy to Google Drive (this will be emailed to you and accessible in the assigned Asana task)

  • Add your website copy to the appropriate content planners.

  • If you want an additional page, please add a new document

  • For any videos (ie video testimonials from past clients), these need to be uploaded to YouTube (unlisted) or Vimeo beforehand. Please include the link in the “testimonial content planner” Google doc.

  • Please remember:

    1. Copy changes once the website design has begun are not included in the package or count inside revision rounds - this is an extra charge. The only exception is if I see copy length negatively impacting design and we may have to slightly shorten/lengthen a specific section.

    2. Any pages longer than 2000 words are an additional charge. For example, if your group coaching sales page is 4000 words, that counts as 2 pages (+ $400).

  • Legal pages on the website are added at no extra cost. It is recommended that you have a (1) privacy policy, (2) disclaimer and (3) terms & conditions. Here are the websites I recommend for purchasing these legal templates:

    1. https://thecontractshop.com/

    2. https://www.shopcreativelaw.com/

    3. https://yourlegalbff.com/

    4. https://samvanderwielen.com/

    5. https://destinationlegal.com/

3. Upload all website photos to Google Drive (this will be emailed to you and accessible in the assigned Asana task)

  • Please add at least 30 images. The more the better. It’s easier from a design perspective if I have 50-60 images to sift through for specific sections/layouts.

  • Photos should be high quality, between 3-15 MB is good. If the files are bigger than 15 MB, no worries - I will adjust them myself. All images will be optimized so the website loads fast.

  • Feel free to add additional folders inside Google Drive to organize different categories of photos

  • If you would like a certain photo on a certain page, please add it to the file name (ie “lauren_bio_homepage.jpg”)

  • Websites for free stock photos I recommend are Pexels and Unsplash. You can also look for bundles of stock photos on Creative Market.

4. Create a secret Pinterest board that reflects your inspiration.

  • Never used Pinterest before or need some direction? Click the video and use the information below for guidance.

  • To fill your board, search for images that would fit your brand’s aesthetic and pin it to the board. These images do not need to literally match what your services/products are, but they should flow and relate to each other in some respect. Feel free to search “mood board” to get more ideas.

  • Pin a minimum of 5 logos, 5 color palettes, 5 patterns and 5 website designs. When you pin each photo, include in the comment why you like it - is it the color? Or is it the feel of the photo? You can just include a few simple words.

Search for images that would fit your brand’s aesthetic using words you want to associate with your brand; some examples:

  • “Feminine workspace”

  • “Pink color palette”

  • “Green and blue”

  • “Contemporary”

  • “Calming pictures”

  • “Feminine font”

Share the Pinterest board with me when finished - lauren@laurentaylar.com. Note: make sure the board is set to private, or else I won’t be able to view your comments.

Friendly feedback guidelines

I really appreciate simple, honest, and straightforward feedback. It helps me clearly understand your thoughts and make the right changes to your designs.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help you provide awesome feedback:

1. Think about how the design relates to your goals and your target market.

2. Try and use bullet points to break up your feedback.

3. Use headers to organize your feedback into sections.

4. Read over your feedback to make sure it’s clear and check that you've answered any questions I may have asked.

5. Post your feedback as a comment on the relevant Asana task instead of emailing me directly. Back and forth emails can get confusing but communicating in Asana is a breeze!

6. If you have team members that would like to provide their feedback, I kindly ask that you gather the feedback into one message. This stops everyone from getting confused and keeps the project organized!

Frequently Ask Questions

  • Nope, you can buy your domain and hosting directly through Squarespace during our project. However, you are responsible for the domain purchasing fee and hosting in Squarespace. You’ll need to have these set up before I hand over the website.

    The domain is something you can purchase through your own account. Directions here.

    I will send you billing permissions from my Squarespace account so that you can input your debit/credit card for the hosting.

  • Although it’s not required, it is highly recommended. It will make the website look much more polished. Most brand photographers offer a 2-hour shoot, which is perfect.

    For stock photos, I recommend Pexels and Unsplash. You can also find stock photo bundles on Creative Market.

  • Of course! On the last day of the project, I’ll provide a Squarespace or Showit training session so you’ll know how to make edits to your website in the future. This session will be recorded and uploaded to Google Drive so you can refer back to it in the future.

  • You will have 30 days of unlimited support. This covers any questions you have, but does not include website revisions.

  • Yes, I do. The rate is $150/hour. For any additional pages in the future, the investment is $500.

  • You will get the branding design files in PNG, JPG and AI (Adobe Illustrator). You’ll also receive access to any Canva graphics I make throughout the project.

  • Not right away. It takes time and good search engine optimization (SEO) to achieve this. However, your site will be optimized for search engines and over time could get on the first page of Google for search terms related to your business. If you’re location based, there’s a chance you will rank on page 1. If you’re not location based, you will need to add a blog to your website and publish weekly/biweekly content.

  • Yes, I offer ebook design, social media design, and SEO strategy for blog posts. If you need additional design work done, please email me.

Payment policy

For your convenience, I’ve added a reminder of our payment schedule below.

Unless otherwise discussed, a 50% deposit was completed to book your spot in my schedule. 50% must be paid when the project is over before handing over the design files and website.

You’ll find the link to your invoice in our Asana project.

What happens next?

Once you complete all of your homework, you can set up the design consult call the week before design begins. I’ll assign a due date in Asana so you’ll know when to schedule it by.

Recommended due date for completing your homework and website content/photos is one full week before design begins (the Monday prior).