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Chocolate Cactus Designs  |  The Chocolate Blog bio picture

well, hello there!

Welcome to the Chocolate Cactus blogsite.  A little of this and a little of that, all rolled into one big ball of goodness.  Here you will be able to read the latest, see recent works and read random babbles all in one place.  You're one lucky duck.

With nine years of design experience and an accomplished marketing background, owner and creative director Jodi Bell prefers a straightforward, personalized approach to her design work. "Everything I design is done with marketing in mind," states this former designer for a Houston-based magazine. It is her philosophy that "Standout designs equal effective marketing". The result is that the marketing and branding process is made infinitely easier for her clients. Jodi's portfolio reveals her love of typography and clean, no-frills designs. It is this that makes her designs standout creations that market themselves. 


Chocolate Cactus offers a variety of design work. Jodi's talents include creating complete identities to collateral materials and logo designs. Aside from logos, one of her specialties is custom one-of-a-kind announcements and wedding invitations. Because her clean, fresh designs appeal to a wide variety of industries, her client list includes not only photographers worldwide but also boutiques, auto manufacturers and just about everything in between.

Jodi has a special affinity for her photographer clients, most likely because she's a photographer herself, having won accolades and recognition for her photographic work. A self-professed font queen, Jodi lives in the Houston, Texas area with her husband and four sons. She continues the hunt for clean, fabulous typography...over 3,500 fonts and counting.

design terms & conditions

Please keep in mind that graphic design is a creative process and as I always say “creativity cannot be rushed”.  Please be aware that you are hiring a professional to design for you, and that occasionally I may throw out a professional opinion on the overall design, layout, colors, etc. I offer my opinion(s) because my work – and your brand – are at stake. Let’s make this a fun process with one rockin’ outcome! Remember, I work with you, not just for you.
 

Logo Design
The fee for logo design includes 3 concepts (ideas) and 3 revisions (changes to a concept – i.e.: color, moving elements around, font changes) unless otherwise noted.  A revision DOES NOT consist of changing a concept all together.  This would be an additional concept, and will be billed in advance before a new concept is presented to you.  Fees for additional concepts and revisions can be found on the pricetag page.

 
Questionnaire
The concepts are designed around the answers listed on the questionnaire.  If I present the concepts and you decide your thoughts have changed in regards to what you want in a logo (all after the concepts have been sent) then you will be billed for new concepts.  Unfortunately, I am not responsible for “mind changes”, but would be happy to present new concepts after receiving payment in advance for the new round.  My ultimate goal is to make you 110% happy with the end result, so I will work until you are there. Please make sure you read the questionnaire carefully, and fill it out in it’s entirety, including vital information. I have clients who are unsure as to what they want exactly, and that is fine as I will help as much as possible. But I do ned some general likes/dislikes listed. Remember that the most difficult part of my job is looking into my imaginary “crystal ball” and getting into your mind’s eye.

 

Turnaround
Oftentimes I have a waiting list that could put my next start date weeks, or even months, away. I will let you know in advance if there is one, and where you are on the list. Because of this, turnaround times can be hard to predict. I have had logos completed in 3 days, and I have had some take two months. This depends on factors such as communication, project complexity, etc. Keep in mind that this is only an estimate and that I cannot make a firm guarantee on a specific timeframe.  If there is lack of communication from the client for a period of 2 or more weeks, I have the right to move their project to the end of the list in order to maintain workflow and get my other clients taken care of. If this is the case, you will be notified in advance.

 
Delivery
You may only choose one (1) concept as your final logo. All final logo files will be delivered electronically via email as a vector file (Adobe Illustrator .ai file), and any other file types you desire (.pdf, .jpg, .eps, etc.).  My photographer clients will also receive their logo as a layered raster file (Adobe Photoshop .psd) along with the file types mentioned previously.  If you would also like the files mailed to you on a CD, I would be happy to do that as well. 

 

Alterations | Changes
Custom Logos cannot be altered in any way without written permission.  Pre-approved alterations include color changes, tagline removal and the stand alone usage of the graphic/mark portion of the design (such as illustration or initials).  Please do not alter the layout, scale or overall feel of the design without written permission.  Designs may be used for print, web, television or other media.  Credit should be given to Chocolate Cactus Designs/Jodi Bell when asked or requested.

 
Payments
All payments and credit cards are accepted via PayPal only and must be paid in full before work will begin as I do not invoice in arrears.  (You do not need a PayPal account to pay by credit card)  An invoice will be sent to you via PayPal using your PayPal email address.  Once payment is received, you will then be sent a link to the logo questionnaire to fill out that will help guide me in the process. 

 

Refund Policy
With each project, I do my best to achieve the goals and visions of the client needs. There are rare occasions where, despite all efforts on both mine and the clients’ behalf, that these visions are not met. If this is the case, you are aware that there are no refunds due to the custom nature of graphic design. Time, energy, and commitment will have already gone into the project, and because of this, I enforced this policy. Keep in mind that this is not a common occurrence.

 

Privacy | Confidentiality
Any or all customer information (such as personal info, address, phone, etc.) will NEVER be given away or sold. Your privacy is always important to me.
 

Ownership
Chocolate Cactus Designs/Jodi Bell owns the copyright to all custom designs (logos, collateral, etc.) and the clients own a license to use these designs. Because of this, the client is not allowed to alter or modify the logo and/or design(s) in any way that would make it unrecognizable from its original form. Chocolate Cactus Designs reserves the right to renegotiate licensing terms and policies at any time without notice. If you with to purchase full copyright on any of these designs (logo or otherwise), please contact me for an estimate on cost. Prices and/or policies are subject to change without notice.