In a dense and highly competitive market, a unique and appealing visual identity can make or break a brand.
Thanks to his extensive experience in web design, the CEO of Art&Code Creative Studio Vladan Dobrenov understands just how important aesthetic appeal is for a business. He has helped startups to build visual identities from scratch, as well as established businesses to achieve consistency across all marketing platforms.
Infostarters is one of his most recent endeavors which he launched together with Four Dots digital marketing agency: an online service available to businesses worldwide who seek custom design and content solutions. We were interested to hear more about how this partnership formed and see what makes this startup so unique.
When was the first time you decided that the world needs Infostarters?
I think the idea first came to me about 2 years ago when more and more of our clients came asking for content creation services in addition to our design work. At that point, I would simply send them to Four Dots and you could say that we became unofficial partners with the first client we worked on together. But somewhere along the road, I thought – why not officiate the relationship?
Of course, this was easier said than done. We were working round the clock individually and collaboration on some of the mutual clients was seamless. So we fell in a typical ‘relationship rut’, to put it that way: if things are great as they are now, why change anything?
But a few months ago we sat together and agreed that time has come to evolve and build a separate entity that would give our clients the services they were asking for all these years.
What type of work do you do?
We tailored our services in such a way that clients can get precisely what they need – nothing more, nothing less. Here’s what I mean:
On the one hand, we offer infographic design, custom illustrations and icons for websites or digital SaaS products, mobile apps and web apps, as well as brochure and eBook design. This means that if someone already has content prepared, we can deliver creatives to keep that content in line with their brand. On the other, we can also offer content research and creation services.
This means that we can either take the load off your back completely and do all the work, or we can build upon the work that you have already done for yourself.
What can people use these visuals for?
Most broadly said, they help boost branding and marketing efforts. Infographics, for instance, enjoy great popularity for some time now as they are used to illustrate the information that might otherwise be seen as plain or dull. Icons, as well, are used as intuitive presentations of website content. In the past, we created them for some software and apps to describe their benefits, visualize the features, or provide straightforward explanations. Brochures are ideal for a clear and attractive display of products, and eBooks are great for those who want to showcase their expertise.
Of course, benefits are numerous and I am more than happy to discuss them in greater detail with any client who contacts us.
So what makes Infostarters unique?
Working in the design and digital industry for so many years, I got the chance to learn everything about it, our peers, and competitors. When some of our previous clients came to us for content and design and when referrals started kicking in looking for the same combo of services, I started wondering – why wouldn’t they go to an agency that has this particular service offering?
I asked some of them directly, and would usually get one of the two answers: they either had no time to wait for an agency to complete all the work, or they didn’t want to get a generic template.
Alternatively, if they were to hire an agency and get a custom package with content and design aligned with their brand identity, they would have to wait weeks (or even months) to get the materials they need.
Infostarters offers the speed of an online service and custom work of a digital agency. When people need branded promotional material for a marketing campaign that’s just about to be rolled out, or even an ongoing one – they come to us because they know they will receive the products they need faster than ever, without compromising on quality.
Why do you think it is generally hard to deliver quality design/content products in a short amount of time?
Getting a design and content team to collaborate seamlessly is quite a challenge. Both have creative minds but a different way of thinking and working habits; some like producing what they cook up in their minds, while others are in love with facts and prefer to do some research prior to doing any work. Getting these two groups aligned and on the same page can result in absolute chaos.
So when we saw just how effectively our teams can cooperate and overcome their ‘creative differences’, we couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to build an environment where they can showcase their talents.
Are you confident in the success of the projects that await you?
Certainly – because we’ve done it already many times in the past! We worked with internationally-known brands who already had an established visual identity and had to deliver a design that will be in line with it.
Take Orange Telecommunication services, for example, where we knew we had to incorporate their all-too-familiar orange color into the work we do. Tarkett, as well, was a great project, because here you can see how specific color combinations, typography, and design elements had to be carefully selected to stay in line with their current design.
We also had the chance to build visual identities for some startups from scratch, like for Elevate Digital, Menu, or Tell a Story. And they are all so different – a marketing agency, mobile app, and a story-telling platform. We’ve worked with businesses from a range of industries, so we are confident that we will be able to meet our client’s expectations, no matter how specific their request may be.
To wrap up – tell us just how people can get to you when in need of Infostarters services?
That’s actually the best part – you can place an order in a few clicks or taps on our website infostarters.com. All they have to do is choose a service, choose how they want to get in touch (and we really are available on all channels) and soon someone will get back to them to discuss the details.
We designed communication this way to speed up the process as much as possible and still get all the info we need to deliver what our clients would expect from us.
