Booking Terms

As a Studio, we endeavour to provide the highest level of client service and deliver on your goals with clarity and creativity. We view every project as a collaboration. It is therefore important to us that we all know and respect the boundaries of the project and relationship, and what to expect, in order to have the best possible project environment.

This is a general outline of how Studio Ardour manages projects, client relationships, enquiries, onboarding, cancellations and handover. For specifics and legalities, all the details will be outlined in the Project Agreement we sign with clients during onboarding.

ENQUIRIES:

All enquiries must be confirmed via email. Enquiries via Instagram, WhatsApp or other platforms will be redirected to email communication. We love email – it allows us all to keep track and respond within our work-focused hours. Enquiries include an introduction on both sides, defining the scope of the project, and a full no-obligation proposal for your consideration which is valid for 14 days from the date it is sent. If confirming your project in that time, the fees quoted are secured and you will move into onboarding (new clients) and/or into timelining (all projects) to secure your project with us. Should you not confirm during the proposal validity period, the proposal is subject to requoting and studio availability.

ONBOARDING:

We follow an ‘as-quick-as-possible’ onboarding journey for new clients which includes: signing project and privacy agreements, non-refundable deposit, confirming billing schedule, setting up your project strategy and timeline, creating and sharing all our shared digital spaces for a smooth project such as Google Drive and Asana. It’s the necessary paperwork to get to the fun part.

DURING PROJECTS:

The Studio’s responsibility is to give you a seamless and inspiring service. We must bring insight, creativity, strategic-thinking, and deliver on the outcomes required to the best of our ability while moving the project forward. The Client’s responsibility is to be clear on what they want (or don’t want), share information as required, respond to Studio questions and give clear concise feedback we can build on. Without your input, the project will stall, so be sure to have the time available to help us help your brand.

IN CASE OF DELAYS:

We work diligently to avoid delays on our side. We would rather cancel our weekend away (and we have) than be late on a deadline for your project. However, sometimes things are beyond our control like falling ill or childcare responsibilities. We will however work quickly and effectively to find a solution that has your blessing. In the case that delays are a result of a Client’s late feedback, lack of response, missing information, or missed meetings, we work with you to keep the project on track with reminders and followups. However, if the project runs over the available buffer period and begins impacting other clients, or is delayed for more than 1 month in the Studio’s workflow, you may need to rebook studio time or suspend the project until a later date.

ABOUT CANCELLATIONS:

We work with our clients to ensure your expectations and requirements are being met. We communicate openly and often, and always desire a positive experience and outcome. However, in the incredibly unusual instance where you may want to cancel your project or vice versa, we do have options available for this in our signed Project Agreement.

CURRENCIES AVIALABLE:

Studio Ardour is primarily a Euro-based service studio and all clients are quoted in Euro, with VAT zero-rated unless otherwise required by tax law. For clients who require USD invoicing, we can provide a USD invoice based on the exchange rate on the day of invoicing from Euro to USD. For clients registered in South Africa, ZAR pricing is available (and is subject to VAT). All invoices are to be paid via Bank Transfer or EFT, in the case that you would like to pay via credit card a 4% transaction fee is applicable to pay via our online YOCO credit card facility.

HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE?

Early, openly, and often. Clear communication and expectations lead to positive interactions and outcomes for the project. If you’re unsure or have a thought, we’d love to hear it. We use email as our primary communication for project and account admin, and the Asana project management system to chat about the project deliverables, feedback and questions. Workshops, meetings and calls can be booked and scheduled with our team (we work remotely and in different timezones). WhatsApp is used as a backup for quick questions and checkins (not for feedback, briefing, or anything major – that belongs on an email or Asana). This allows us to have focused client-work time and ensure we meet our deadlines.

WHAT ABOUT OPEN FILES?

We believe that every client has the absolute right to their design open files or admin access to their accounts. For this reason, we create designs in various platforms for our clients from Word to Google Slides, Canva, Indesign, and more. We always share open design files and admin access to your accounts we set up on behalf. We keep client files for up to 12 months after which time they are deleted from our system. Please always ensure to save a copy when we send it to you.

For any other queries, please ask us. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have regarding working with our studio: art@studioardour.com