We read a California winery owner’s blog recently. The guy was very pleased with himself for having developed a label with a wedding card calligrapher and a friend with some Photoshop skills. The winery owner did it for only $1500. That’s good, right? He got an OK looking label and didn’t have to pay a well-established S.F. design firm to do the job for a lot more.

So why would anyone want to pay more for a designer? It’s the wine (or fill in the product of your choice) that’s important, right? The label is just a pretty piece of paper that says who made the stuff and that carries all the government-required verbiage, right? If they know your product, they’ll come back for more, right?

If you’re at the stage of your career where you think your label is just an informative pretty picture, we’re not for you. If, on the other hand, you’re at the stage where you want to expand your operations, or increase your sales, or ensure that your business could sell if you wanted to chuck it all in and retire to Provence, then we should talk. Expanding a product's horizons (and your own) is what we're all about.

We’re Not “Flower Arrangers”

A good designer is not what we call a “flower arranger”, that is, not someone who makes something beautiful that wilts before the week is out.  No, we want to create a design of lasting value. We do that by looking at the big picture, thinking not only about the product or the packaging, but about your brand. We believe that your company’s face to the world is complex, and that everything you put forward — your product, your label, your values, your community — all inform a great design.

So we ask questions most “flower arrangers” don’t. What is the price point of your product? What emotions does it evoke? Who is its audience? What does it compete with? Where is it sold and under what circumstances? Where has your business come from and where do you want it to be 10 years from now?

Play with a Stacked Deck

No one has to tell you that being in business involves risk. Doing it well means you know how to minimize it. The label you put together by yourself, for example, might just work — but you're gambling on the cards. Although no design can be guaranteed to make a big hit, Dreamhand can narrow the odds in your favor. By a lot.  By examining all the angles and tapping in to a wealth of knowledge and expertise, "stacking the deck", so to speak,  we can minimize your risks and increase your chances of success significantly.