bake - May 2013 - 31

John Sweet created the original logo with Microsoft Word in 2002.

The current logo was designed by Paul Rustand with Widgets and Stone.

willing to let us pay for it over the course of 10 to 12

Bigger cities will have a plethora of options to

months. He didn’t charge interest. For him, he was

compare. Your area may have a limited supply of

behind it emotionally. Really it was a win, win situa-

professional ﬁrms. In these situations, some bakers

tion — he wanted to do it, and he was willing to help

turn to local university design students or freelancers.

us along with it.”

But don’t immediately rule out bigger ﬁrms just
because you can’t afford them. “A lot of designers I

Your business likely isn’t located right next door to

know will work for trade,” Rustand says. “If you offer

a design ﬁrm, and the ﬁrst designer you reach out

it as payment they may say, ‘Okay, I’ll take this much

to probably won’t have a passion for the project

cash and this much trade that I can use over time.’

like Rustand did for Niedlov’s. But talk to enough of

Maybe a card for $1000, and they can use it to get

them and, chances are, you’ll eventually come across

cupcakes over the next year and a half.”

somebody who you want to work with. Rustand says
designers’ websites are helpful for getting an initial

When all else fails

taste of the styles out there, but meeting in person

If even trade agreements are out of the question for

is just as important.

you, the next tier down may be more appropriate.
“There are a lot of professional freelancers who do

“Every designer is geeky about putting cool stuff on

interact with clients,” Rustand says. “They don’t have

their website,” Rustand says. “So of course you’re

the overhead of maintaining a huge studio because

going to see the kind of work they do, but that’s,

they’re working alone. I work with a team of collabo-

at best, half of the story. The other half is what the

rators, and we act like a larger agency when we need

people are actually like. There’s a lot of things you

to. My fees are going to be a lot more per hour.”

can ﬁnd out when you sit down and have them tell
about themselves, and you tell about yourself.”

But the bottom line when working with a designer of
any sort is being honest. Look at Sweet’s approach —

Vetting your options

he was straightforward about what he could afford,

Rustand stresses that it takes time to sift through

and although he was lucky that Rustand was already

potential designers and ﬁnd the one that your busi-

passionate about the project, that kind of honesty

ness ﬁts best with, but the effort is worth it. You may

led to an agreement both parties could work with.

spend a couple weeks getting a half-hour or hour
meeting with three or four different companies. “But

“People want to work with something that inspires

it’s going to give you a good idea of, ‘Oh, this is kind

them or that they’re excited about,” Rustand says. “If I

of standard for the industry,’ or, ‘Wow, these people

can sense what you’re doing and that you’re going to

were really different. It doesn’t seem like they really

succeed, then I know it’s not just going to be this one

could help.”

project — there will be many projects over time.”

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bake - May 2013

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