F.A.Q.
Answers to the questions we hear most often - how we work, what things cost, how long they take, and what you walk away with at the end.
If your question is not here, ask us directly. We would rather answer it than have you guess.
Working with green mane studio
What does green mane studio actually do?
Design, development, and photography under one roof. That covers brand and print work (identity, packaging, catalogs, brochures, sell sheets, trade show displays), websites and applications (responsive sites, ecommerce, content systems, custom tools), photography and retouching, and the strategy that ties them together - SEO, accessibility, conversion planning, and long-term support. The full list lives on the services page.
Do we need to be local to work with you?
No. We are based in Rocky River, Ohio, and we work with clients wherever they are. Most projects run over email, calls, and shared review links. Photography and on-site work are the exception - those need scheduling, and travel outside Northeast Ohio is quoted with the project.
What size clients do you work with?
Established companies, newer businesses, and individual artists who need one strong piece done well. Scope matters more than size. A single sell sheet gets the same attention as a multi-platform campaign - it just takes less time.
Can you take over a project that is already underway?
Often, yes. Send us what exists - files, credentials, notes, whatever is on hand - and we will tell you honestly whether continuing or restarting will serve you better. Sometimes the existing work is a solid foundation. Sometimes finishing it costs more than rebuilding it.
Can you work alongside our in-house team or other vendors?
Yes. We regularly work as one part of a larger group - handing press-ready files to your printer, coordinating with an existing developer, or building to a marketing team's direction. Tell us who else is involved and where the handoffs are, and we will fit into that.
Do you use AI in your work?
Yes, where it improves speed, insight, or consistency - research, drafting, code assistance, and production tasks. It supports the process; it does not replace judgment, craftsmanship, or the human understanding behind the work. Everything that reaches you has been directed, reviewed, and finished by a person.
Pricing and terms
How much will my project cost?
Every project is quoted individually. Cost depends on scope, complexity, how many pieces are involved, and how much raw material - copy, photography, brand assets - already exists. Tell us what you are trying to accomplish through the start a project form and we will put a real number in front of you before any work starts.
Why are there no prices listed on the site?
Because a published price for "a website" or "a logo" is almost always wrong. Two projects with the same name can differ by a factor of ten in actual work. We would rather have a short conversation and quote something accurate than post a number you have to negotiate away from.
Do you charge for the first conversation or an estimate?
No. The initial conversation and the written estimate that follows are free, with no obligation attached.
What are your payment terms?
A 20 percent deposit starts the work and the balance is due at delivery. Net terms are available on request. Whatever we agree to is written into the proposal before anything begins, so there is never a question about it later.
What happens if the scope changes partway through?
We flag it as soon as we see it. Small adjustments are usually absorbed. Anything that meaningfully changes the amount of work gets a written note describing the change, what it adds in time and cost, and your approval before we proceed. No surprise line items at the end.
Process and timelines
How do we get started?
Start with the start a project form. It asks a few focused questions - what you are trying to accomplish, what is not working right now, your current site if you have one - so the first conversation begins with real context instead of a blank page. If you would rather just ask something general first, the contact form, email, and phone all work fine.
From there we ask questions, and if it is a fit you get a written scope and estimate. Once that is approved and the deposit is in, we schedule the work.
How long does a project take?
It depends entirely on scope, and the honest answer comes with your estimate. A single sell sheet or ad can turn in days. A brand system or a full site build runs weeks to months. The most common cause of delay is not production time - it is waiting on content, feedback, or approvals, so we set those checkpoints up front.
What do you need from us to begin?
A clear sense of the goal and the audience, whatever brand materials exist (logo files, guidelines, fonts, colors), any copy or product information already written, and one person on your side who can give final approval. If some of that does not exist yet, say so - producing it is often part of the project.
How many rounds of revisions are included?
The number is set in your proposal so it is never a guess, and it is generous enough for real feedback rather than a token pass. Revisions inside the agreed direction are part of the work. Changing direction entirely after an approval is a scope change, and we handle it as described above.
How do we review work in progress?
You see the work at defined checkpoints rather than all at once at the end. Design goes out as proofs or shared links; web work goes on a staging URL you can click through on your own devices. Consolidated feedback moves fastest - one list from your team beats five separate emails.
Design and print
Do you handle printing, or only the design?
Either. We can prepare press-ready files for a printer you already use, or manage the print process for you - specifying stock, coordinating proofs, and checking the result before it ships. Print costs are separate from design and are quoted by the printer.
Will you follow our existing brand guidelines?
Yes. If you have a standards document, colors, fonts, and usage rules, we work inside them. If your guidelines have gaps - and most do - we will point them out and propose consistent answers rather than inventing something different every time.
Our logo is dated but we do not want to start over. Is that possible?
Usually. A refresh keeps the recognition you have built while fixing what has aged - proportions, spacing, color, and the fact that it probably was not drawn to hold up at small sizes on a screen. We will tell you plainly whether the mark is worth keeping or whether a redraw is the better investment.
What files do we get for print?
Press-ready PDFs built to your printer's specifications - correct color space, bleeds, trim marks, and fonts embedded or outlined. Native working files are available on request; see ownership below.
Can you design for trade shows, booths, and physical spaces?
Yes. Booth graphics, environmental and wall graphics, displays, signage, and the supporting collateral that goes with them. Large-format work has its own production requirements, so the earlier we know the vendor and the finished dimensions, the better the result.
Web, ecommerce, and applications
What platforms do you build on?
Self-hosted custom builds, WordPress, and Shopify, depending on what the project actually needs. We recommend based on who will maintain the site, what it has to do, and what it should cost to run - not on what is easiest for us.
Can you redesign our existing site instead of rebuilding it?
Often, yes, and it is worth asking. If the underlying platform is sound, a redesign is faster and cheaper than a rebuild. If the platform is the problem - slow, insecure, or fighting you every time you update it - a redesign just puts new paint on the same trouble. We will tell you which one you are looking at.
Will our site work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Every site is built responsive and tested at real screen sizes, not just a resized desktop browser window. For most clients more than half of all traffic arrives on a phone, so mobile is a primary design target rather than an afterthought.
Do you handle SEO?
Yes, as part of the build rather than as a bolt-on afterward. That means proper page structure, titles and descriptions, clean semantic markup, fast loading, and keyword research grounded in what people actually search for in your market. Ongoing SEO and content work can continue on retainer.
Do you host websites?
We do not host. We will help you choose a host that suits the project, set the site up there, and handle maintenance and updates on it afterward. Keeping hosting in your own name means the account, the domain, and the billing all stay under your control.
Can you build a custom application or internal tool?
Yes. Full-stack development is part of what we do - customer-facing web applications, internal tools, admin systems, interactive kiosks, and mobile experiences. These start with a conversation about the workflow you are trying to fix, not with a feature list.
What about accessibility?
It is built in - semantic markup, keyboard navigation, sensible color contrast, real alt text, and forms that work with assistive technology. If you have a specific compliance standard to meet, tell us at the start so it can be designed for rather than retrofitted.
Photography, retouching, and video
Do you shoot in a studio or on location?
Both. Product and model work is typically controlled studio lighting; environmental, interior, and architectural work happens on site. Which one suits your project depends on what the images need to communicate.
Can you retouch photography we already own?
Yes, and it is frequently the fastest way to improve a catalog or a site. Color correction, cleanup, background work, compositing, and restoration on images you already have. The retouching page has before and after examples you can drag through.
Do we get usage rights to the photos you shoot?
Yes. Rights to images produced for your project transfer to you on final payment, for the uses described in the proposal. If you need broader rights - resale, licensing to third parties, stock distribution - say so up front and it gets written into the agreement.
Do you produce video?
Yes - editing, production, and finished video content for web, social, and presentation use.
Ownership and ongoing support
Who owns the finished work?
You do. Full rights to the delivered work transfer to you on final payment. We ask only to show the work in our own portfolio, and we will hold anything back if you need it kept quiet.
Do we get the source files?
Yes, on request. Native working files - layered design files, editable artwork, source code, and raw photography - are yours for the asking. We do not hold source files back to keep you as a client.
Do you offer maintenance after launch?
Yes. Updates, security patches, CMS and plugin upkeep, content changes, backups, and technical support. This can run as needed or as a scheduled monthly arrangement.
Do you offer monthly retainers?
Yes. A retainer covers a set amount of ongoing design, development, or social work each month at a predictable cost, with priority scheduling. It suits clients with a steady stream of smaller needs better than quoting each one separately.
Can you manage our social media on an ongoing basis?
Yes - campaign planning, content creation, platform-specific visuals, scheduling, and community management across the platforms your audience actually uses. This runs on retainer, and it works best when it is connected to the rest of your brand rather than treated as a separate channel.
What if we want to move the work to another studio later?
Then we hand everything over cleanly - files, source, credentials, and documentation. You own the work and the accounts, so there is nothing to unwind. We would rather part well than lock anyone in.
Ready to start, or still have a question?
If you know what you want to build, the start a project form is the fastest way in - it asks the questions we would ask anyway, so the first conversation starts with real context.
If your question is not answered above, just ask. Tell us what you are trying to accomplish and we will point you at the clearest next step - even if that turns out not to be us.