Chase Design

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive officer of a state commission. We oversee jurisdictional boundary changes to cities and special districts throughout the Orange County area.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

Around two years ago, our board felt that we needed to rebrand the agency so the public and local agencies could better understand our mission and what we do. It was challenging because what we do is unique and isolated, so people often don’t know we exist. We had to change the look on our website, review our mission statement, and more.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chase Design is working on our brand identity, which has included our logo, letterhead, report covers, and more. They’ve also taken a look at our website and provided consulting on its new look. The team has used InDesign to do the logo and some report covers.

We initially spoke with them about our challenges at the Orange County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). They had researched our mission and projects before our meeting, so they asked additional questions. They ran with all of it and came up with some thoughts and ideas on what would be a good approach, which led us to rebrand the agency logo and work on some other things.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Chris (CEO).

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

My colleague shared the good work they’d done for San Diego LAFCO. So, we contacted Chris at Chase Design, and he provided us with additional work he had done. It was pretty impressive, and the company seemed to fit our size and what we were trying to accomplish.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent slightly less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2021, and Chase is continuing to work on other items.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We don’t have specific metrics. However, some board members have expressed positive feedback on the logo.

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. Chase Design has been so adaptable and gracious about adjusting the deliverables. We started just testing to see the quality of their work, so the scope grew because we were impressed with their response time and quality. They’ve done a great job, and their team is great to work with.

We communicate by email, phone, and Zoom meetings. Everything has gone well, and Chris has been very responsive to our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a very creative team. Government is viewed as bureaucratic so it’s hard to communicate what we do in a way that’s appealing aesthetically and professionally. It became apparent early on that they could achieve that.

Moreover, we were looking to modernize our brand, and they had the experience and technology to make that happen. They didn’t need a lot of discussion and guidance compared to other firms we’ve worked with, and since time was limited, that’s something we’ve certainly appreciated.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to have some general ideas of what you need them to create or rebrand for your agency before you meet with them.  Also, be open to utilizing their experience and creativity. Chase Design doesn’t need a lot of hand-holding, and they can take your ideas and run with them.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an Estimator and also handle our website, media, marketing, etc.

For what projects/services did your company hire Chase Design?

Our website was designed by myself and I had taken as far as I could. I needed a company to come re-design, update, modernize and make it function and look professional again.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I vetted and received other quotes from 3-5 companies. Chris responded promptly and was very good listener and understood my goal for the website and what needed to be done to take it to the next level. It was very clear that he was the one I was going to hire and he followed up appropriately without being overbearing.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After agreeing upon the cost for the scope of work. We spoke on the phone multiple times about plan of action, start and end date, amount of hours, etc needed to be done. We consulted via zoom with Chris and his team, lead designer to get an idea of what I was looking for and make clear we are not overhauling and building a brand new website. We are taking the bones and foundation and elevating it, and in doing so, I, myself worked very closely with his designer and provided necessary info and media for the new website.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

His team was a designer and analytic director to help with traffic and friendly clicks for the website. His team was extremely organized and we constantly in touch with me along the way. Constantly on emails and sharing google docs with each other, and always open to ideas and never forcing their way onto your website. THeir suggestions were always appropriate I must say.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our website just went live as of 1 week ago and have already received multiple comments from clients and vendors on the professionalism and clean look/layout to the site. Easy to navigate specifically.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

His team was extremely organized and we constantly in touch with me along the way. Constantly on emails and sharing google docs with each other, and always open to ideas and never forcing their way onto your website. THeir suggestions were always appropriate I must say.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were extremely satisfied with their performance, communication, and work day-in and out. I couldn't be happier with the way our website turned out, everything I communicated and asked for was delivered and on time, with no mistakes, extra fees or headaches. Very pleasant and easy project, very very happy with my decision awarding them the job.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

None.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of Ryan Video Productions. I produce brand-new strategic videos for small and large businesses.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

I had a client who wanted me to create a video for their business. However, they had a very fragmented brand identity that wasn’t very clear, so I needed someone to help them before I could go and make the video.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I started the project by introducing Chase Design to my client. My client's branding was very disorganized, so they’re working together with Chris (CEO) to make it more structured. He’s now helping them create a unified design that is strategic and clear. Their work is almost finished, and the client will soon be ready to move forward with the video project.

What is the team composition?

I only work with Chris. I don’t work too much with his other teammates.

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

I met him at a Chamber of Commerce mixer. I went to his website to see his work and asked him to give me a presentation. I was impressed by their qualifications, so I decided to move forward with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

My client is the one who’s directly paying him, so I don’t know.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and it’s ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Chris has been producing some great material. The feedback has just been positive. It wasn't until the client spoke with a brand strategy expert that she realized she had a blind spot — Chris gave them powerful insight into the importance of marketing and branding. The client is proud of the design, so we're getting close to moving forward with the video identity. I'm very impressed with how the client's identity was implemented into the graphics and how it carries through on their websites.  

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Chris is a very organized person. He's very good at simplifying and applying a strategic approach to designing brand identity.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work is just great. The team has a stellar approach to building a brand identity that applies both online and offline. The design is clean, intelligent, and very well-done. More importantly, it's very strategic — both the words and the graphics are right. It makes my job easier because I’ll have a very clear template and messaging to go by when I create the video.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project has taken a long time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that is entirely out of his control. The client became busy as well, so the project has been going on for a long time. It was just an uncontrollable cultural situation, so it wasn’t his fault. If the circumstances were different, I would’ve liked him to speed things up.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't treat him like a graphic designer, but see him as a design consultant. Be open to his ideas — he'll come up with solutions that go beyond just the logo. He’ll dig into something more strategic and show you what you're communicating with your brand identity. Let him deliver beyond the designs.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at Natural Health Strategies. We offer a combination of natural health services including naturopathic consulting, RBTI Testing, Functional Blood Chemistry Analysis and more. I am the founder, owner, and lead naturopath at Natural Health Strategies.

For what projects/services did your company hire Chase Design?

I hired Chase Design to redesign the home page of my website. I was having trouble effectively conveying the different service offerings at Natural Health

Strategies in a way that made sense to people who are new to natural health. I was also having trouble making the website look unique, professional, and display the personality of the business all at once.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted the homepage to flow better. I wanted the service and product offerings to be clear immediately. I wanted it to look personal , unique, and unlike any other website.

I was hoping that this would connect potential clients immediately to my business and effectively communicate what I offer.

How did you select Chase Design?

I was not actively looking for a web designer. Up until recently I did all of my own web design. I knew I could improve upon my website but most web designers I had spoken with proposed very generic looking sites.

Chase Design reached out to me and told me about their experience and sent over a few example sites. I was impressed and decided to try working with them.

Describe the project in detail.

I had a few concept calls with Chase Design. I described what I was looking for in detail but also said that I was open to their ideas and feedback. They sent over a draft homepage. I reviewed it and sent over suggestions, changes, etc.

They were very responsive and very helpful. They sent over an updated design with my proposed suggestions. I loved it and it is the homepage that my website currently uses.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Chris (the owner), Joon (the creative web manager), and Kevin (the digital marketing specialist). The size of team stayed the same during the project. I was the only who they collaborated with.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

I just implemented the new home page last week. But clients of mine who have seen have complimented me on great it looks and how much more professional/yet personal my website now comes across to viewers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was very effective. Chase Design is very responsive and very easy to schedule with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are SO easy to work with. The are incredibly responsive to emails, calls, etc. They provide creative ideas and deliver timely results. They actually listen to what I say and do it.

It sounds simple but similar vendors I've worked with have never been this easy to work with and usually delivered dissappointing work. Alternatively, working with Chase Design was a great experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not on my project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner and co-founder of The GreenHouse Group, a full-service real estate consulting group and mortgage planning firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

We partner with Chase Design in order to keep our branding and media presence relevant in our competitive and changing market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chase Design provides a comprehensive marketing kit for our firm. From a branding perspective, the team has worked on our logo, color scheme, fonts, letterhead, business cards, and all other promotional material. 

While they focus mainly on design work, they’ve also been available to brainstorm and collaborate on further marketing ideas.

What is the team composition?

We work mainly with Chris (CEO & Creative Director, Chase Design), as well as with a project manager who assists with design.

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

Chase Design was referred to us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2009, and we have no intention of ending our engagement.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

For the most part, we don’t track any metrics around the branding work specifically, although we’ve been exceptionally happy with the work they do for us.

We rank in the top 1% of real estate firms in our county, and Chase Design has played a big role in getting us there. 

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Chris is extremely collaborative and a branding and design expert. He has an invaluable ability to bring new ideas to the table and add insight to our strategy. He makes the project better by being involved in it. 

When we need to collaborate on a project, we have face-to-face meetings, but the team is also always available by phone and e-mail.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their designers, especially Chris, aren’t just creative for the sake of being creative. They have the ability to come up with great design ideas while always keeping the end goal of our project in mind. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should come to Chase Design with a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and the budget that you’re prepared to accomplish it with. Then, feel comfortable letting them do the rest. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Life Redefined with Judi. I’m a health coach, focusing on working with families and children.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

I hired Chase Design to help me create a logo. I had only launched my business recently, so I wanted something to help represent my company before people knew who I was.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began with a kickoff meeting in which they asked me several questions to nail down what I was looking for. We went back and forth a few times about the colors and design. They produced several versions of the final logo for me to use for business cards or web design in the future. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people from their team, including the owner.

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

I’ve known of them for a while, and they sponsored my children’s school. I’d heard great things about them and followed them on social media, so then I reached out for their support. 

How much have you invested with them?

I spent under $1,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–July 2019. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I have nothing but positive things to say about the work they did for me—I’m beyond happy with the logo. Their willingness to work with me while I was starting my business was great. I know that if I want to rebrand in the future, they’re there for that.

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They were awesome to work with. We primarily spoke through phone and email, but we did do in-person meetings. Whenever I wasn’t able to make it to the office, they were accommodating to phone calls. They were always on top of deadlines and checking in with me. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They truly understood what I was going through with starting my business and all of the expenses that come with that. Their team had a very full picture of what I needed. It was also great to see that they can work with bigger clients like hospitals as well as someone like me, who is just starting out. They really took a lot of pride in their work, it wasn’t just about making money.

Many times they asked me to talk with them for a few minutes to make sure we were on the same page, which I really appreciated. They knew when I wasn’t satisfied, and I was amazed by the end product. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had a positive experience, so I don’t have any areas for improvement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely use this team. They’re willing to work with companies where they’re at, so you’re in good hands. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Nelson is a staffing and recruiting company that was founded in 1970. We’re in the top 1% of all privately held staffing companies in the United States in terms of revenue. Our team handles recruiting and staffing services for startups and Fortune 500 companies, serving any position from distribution to C-level.

I’m the VP of marketing. In my work, I handle marketing initiatives, activities, strategy, and implementation for Nelson and all of its brands.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

They helped us with web design and UI/UX implementation.

What was the scope of their involvement?

After our team provided the copy and content, they handled the UI/UX and design on the site. We relied on them for the selection of technologies: platforms, code languages, and a CMS. At this point, we have them on retainer for ongoing updates for three brand websites. We completed a project together under a year ago, and we have two projects coming up with them soon.

What is the team composition?

To date, I’ve been working with Chris (CEO, Chase Design) and Joon (Senior Web Designer, Chase Design) on all of our projects. There are members of my team that may work with others, but they’re my points of contact. 

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

I walked into the relationship because they had an established partnership with Nelson when I came on about 4 years ago. After interviewing them and understanding their capabilities, I didn’t see a need to go with a different vendor. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in November 2013, and our projects are ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

One of the sites we worked on together was award-winning. They’ve worked with us to accomplish everything we needed in our web design. Whether its increasing downloads or making our forms more accessible, they’ve helped us achieve our own KPIs through their design work.   

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great communicators, holding us accountable to get things done. When we give them the green light, they’ve been honest and forthright. We’ve never experienced a scope creep, which is a breath of fresh air when dealing with this industry. Their updates are accurate, and they’re able to deliver. If deliverables and project plans aren’t followed, its always on our end. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re tried and true with their promises, delivering quality without any scope creeps. Our team is always impressed with their ability to produce quality work on budget at a very reasonable cost. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been helpful to have more proactive communication regard what technologies, upgrades, and UX best practices we should focus on in the future.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want and be able to articulate it so they can make it come to life. That’s how we work with them, and the process has been great.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a nutrition company; I’m a dietician. I’m also a co-owner of a functional food line.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

I hired Chase Design to handle all of my marketing and branding needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Chase Design created the logo for both of the companies I own. They worked on creating the color schemes and fonts, so the coloring and look were consistent across all the materials. 

What is the team composition?

Chris (CEO, Chase Design) was my main point of contact, but I worked with three of his designers in different facets, too. 

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

I found them through mutual connections and heard about them through the grapevine.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2016–2017. Each project took between 3–5 months. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Chase Design produced top quality work. For my dietician business, people are always asking me who designed my logo and materials, which is really cool. I wouldn’t go to anyone else for my marketing needs. Their designs were fresh and forward-thinking. 

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was very communicative. Working with them was awesome because of how they managed the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a wide portfolio of expertise and were well-established in their field. If a company can stay around for as long as they have, they must have a great reputation. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was really pleased with our engagement, so I don’t have any negative feedback. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you know the scope of work ahead of time, it’ll be easier and less expensive for you. Once you tell them your vision, let them design because you hired them for a reason. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is called Align Builders, Inc., and we’re a general contractor in Southern California. We focus on life sciences, healthcare, and higher education. I work in business development, which specifically entails marketing and sales. It’s my job to promote the company to the community, find projects we can bid on, and connecting with clients that might want to work with us.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

We had to revamp some of our branding material, specifically our proposals that we send out to potential clients. It was important for us to redesign the cover page, table of contents, and the tabs. Everything that needs to be submitted for a technical proposal had to be reworked and laid out professionally.

This is important because this is our main way of interfacing with clients in a bidding situation—it’s our presentation. We aren’t able to do many live presentations or interviews, so the paper medium is critical to our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial call with them to discuss the project. Our team sent them our current presentation material and collected feedback from them. In that process, we realized we needed to up our game. From there, they did a 3–4 design iterations. We discussed them together and ended up taking bits and pieces of each of the designs and molding them into one. That allowed us to come up with our final, cohesive design.

What is the team composition?

Chris (Owner, Chase Design) was heavily involved. He had two other designers working on the project at his firm, but he was the main interface between us.

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

The owner of our business had an existing relationship with Chris and his team. When we decided that we wanted to revamp our brand, the owner here immediately thought of Chase Design. We brought them in to see if they would still be a good fit and ended up hiring them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted between January–September 2019. We do one-off projects with them every once in a while.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve received great feedback on the new proposal documents and think they look amazing. We’ll definitely work with them in the future because they know our brand well. They understand our goals and needs, so future work would be easy with them.  

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Their CEO was involved in the process, which was great. We communicated mostly over phone calls with a few emails here and there. That allowed us to swap documents back and forth and speak directly with each other when needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The process was seamless because they have an efficient, fun team that’s easy to work with. Their willingness to put their clients first and take on aggressive deadlines stood out. We assigned a few tight deadlines, but they accepted them with no problem. Oftentimes, it’s hard for us to give much notice for projects given the quick turnaround times for presentations. I know their designers are working hard and late to make it happen for us. They really go the extra mile for their clients. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Usually, the most difficult part of working with designers is trying to relay your needs. Be ask specifically as possible to help move them in the right direction. We had more back and forth than needed because we could not communicate our exact desires for the materials. We had parameters without much definition. That gave them arguably too much leeway. Be clear with them to avoid this.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and dentist at a small dental company. We’re located in Kansas.

What challenge were you trying to address with Chase Design?

We had a website prior to our relationship, but it wasn’t fabulous. We wanted a better web presence through a more professional, clean site. I needed something that would be attractive to our patients. Knowing this wasn’t a project for me to tackle on my own, I reached out to Chase Design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, we wanted a new logo design that would reflect our company. Their team would base the site design off of the logo, in terms of color and theme. They did several iterations. We decided to match the logo to my location in the Flint Hills, which is a unique area in Kansas characterized by its rolling hills and cow-grazing grassland. The final logo’s colors represent that. 

After creating the logo, the team got to work on the WordPress platform. They implemented a contact form, a blogging space, and a place for our client reviews. We still work with them to modify and update the site as needed.

What is the team composition?

In total, I worked with three individuals on the project, one being Chris (CEO, Chase Design). One of the additional team members handed the logo, and the other was the website guru. 

How did you come to work with Chase Design?

A friend of mine had Chase Designs design their website. I was really impressed with how it looked, so I decided to reach out and choose them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $5,000–$6,000. Additionally, I pay another couple hundred dollars each year for database maintenance and general updates. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015, and the collaboration is ongoing. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Because of their help, I’m probably the top-rated dentist in the city, consistently showing in the top three search results on Google. Their team, in addition to their design skills, was able to educate me on what Google looks for in listing search results. Their tips and trick brought me from spots 5–10, up to the top three. Their advice on how to stay on top was very helpful. 

How did Chase Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Typically, I communicate directly with Chris through phone or email. He relays pertinent information to the right professionals on his end. From there, they work pretty independently. Although, they haven’t ever left me on my own. They’re always in touch with updates when I need them. While I used to do some web design in the past, it was nice to have their constant support.

When we fell behind, it was never because of their team. It was often on my end. The logo design took me a while to get comfortable with, and they were very patient. I appreciate that. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They recommended things that were critical to operating a professional site. For instance, they helped us implement a secure SSL encryption key that will soon be mandatory. Their prices are also very competitive. They made the creation of a website easy. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. I’m actually thinking of doing another redesign with them soon to adjust the site’s style and crisp everything up. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Partner with them. They’re great, so you have nothing to fear.