What’s the difference between PTC and a staffed creative firm?
Because we curate talent on an as-needed basis, we can bring considerable overall value to a project. Also, devoting our time to a limited number of clients yields stronger outcomes. Clients can count on full access to senior design talent across all phases of a project.
How do you approach pricing?
We carefully price projects by value, scope, and timeline. Every challenge is unique. We also offer phased engagement options, allowing a client more confidence, flexibility, and control.
What if we’re unsure about design strategy, or a major commitment?
We offer a Project Planning phase, specifically designed to produce an informed diagnosis, and a recommended creative strategy based on those findings. The incentive is built in for us to deliver a thorough diagnosis and strategy report that genuinely resonates in order to inspire next steps. A project proposal is included in the deliverables.
How are you responding to Covid-19 restrictions??
We’ve been experienced in working remotely before the crisis began. While we miss in-person engagement, we haven’t missed a beat in terms of meetings, presentations and final deliverables.
How do you compare to DIY platforms like Wix and Squarespace?
Do it yourself platforms can be a good fit for those prepared to devote the majority of their energy learning them and adjusting to their constraints. We bring a far higher degree of total customization and control because we integrate custom tailored: diagnosis, strategy, copywriting, design, and development.
How are you different from services like Fiver?
We’re practiced in solving design challenges through ideation. Tony Cordero, head of creative at Liquid Agency sums it up well:
“What we’re seeing is a recurring democratization of technology. It happened in the initial era of desktop publishing, when suddenly everyone with a Mac, fonts and a printer thought they could open a design shop. There will always be services like Fiverr,” he says, “which embrace technology to offer low-cost ways to get things done. But, as many buyers experience, those services focus on commoditizing production. Once you ask them to solve a design challenge and not execute a task, the system breaks. Those business are built on the premise of assembly…not ideation.”
“What we’re seeing is a recurring democratization of technology. It happened in the initial era of desktop publishing, when suddenly everyone with a Mac, fonts and a printer thought they could open a design shop. There will always be services like Fiverr,” he says, “which embrace technology to offer low-cost ways to get things done. But, as many buyers experience, those services focus on commoditizing production. Once you ask them to solve a design challenge and not execute a task, the system breaks. Those business are built on the premise of assembly…not ideation.”
What’s with the name?
Plaid and Tractor is an unusual combination. Our client’s brand and persona are the sum of unique combinations. Authenticity is about reflecting those genuine attributes. The tractor represents a tool to cultivate those assets organically. Plaid (to us) represents layered, individual styles. The fact that we operate amidst a vegetable garden & blueberry grove near Seattle’s Arboretum also provided inspiration!
What makes good design?
Good design is about helping people through simple solutions that can meet a complex set of needs. In practice it can also mean different things for different applications and audiences. Differentiation and relatability are two key principles of effective brand identity design, as are usability and flow for web design (to name a just a few). Some solutions are most impactful in the foreground commanding an idea. Some are so useful and seamless they’re inconspicuous. Our skills and processes are built around how to be sensitive and responsive to the people our clients seek to make a connection with.
What’s most important to realize good design?
In our experience, empathy, listening, and iteration are among the most important in terms of delivering the strongest outcomes and happiest clients. Knowing how and where to listen, and asking the right questions has consistently paid off for our clients and the work we do. Empathy carries tangible value in that it can steer critical thinking and problem solving. In terms of serving the end user, it lives at the root of good design.
What platform do you use to build websites?
We meet our client’s complex needs through custom tailored and lean WordPress development. We also offer expert advice on web hosts to achieve maximum performance and value.
What is your process?
It depends on the project, but it’s typically: Discovery, Diagnosis, Strategy, Design, Deployment. Check out our About page to learn more.
Who is your ideal client?
We love clients who appreciate the value of combining shared expertise to build exceptional, purposeful solutions that couldn’t otherwise be made separately.