Ask YC: Best artistic/design firms? | Hacker News Reader

Ask YC: Best artistic/design firms?

10 pointsjotto13 comments

Has anyone dealt with a design firm? I want to hire a company to design the HTML/CSS layout for a project. I'm not necessarily interested in 37Signals/Clean/"web 2.0", but something with a little attitude/art.

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Design firms can be costly. Might be better to hire a talented freelancer. If you do want to go with a firm check out: Behavior Design, Happy Cog, Concentric Studios, We Break Stuff

Also.. if you find a design firm that has particular projects you like you can try to find the individuals or freelancers that worked on them, and hire them individually. I'd google for "portfolio" combined with the name of the design firm, project or designer's name, and contact them directly. This way you get past all the process, procedure, professionalism and project management that come with working with a firm (and which bigger companies really need) and work with the designer directly. Most designers who aren't principals of their firms do freelance work on the side assuming they have time.

I would regret it if I didn't recommend us www.wearewedo.com ... maybe we're a little too web 2.0 for ya? oh & you can contact me at zee@wedocreative.com - we're not cheapies but we're bloody good.

Upmod for ballsy confidence :)

legend, thank you. :)

Maybe try to crowd source the design and then just hire someone to do the css?

i.e. 99designs for the layout and then just find someone good with css

Odopod, Method, Barbarian Group

the Barbarian Group is one of my favorite things... ever.

From someone who's done time in an agency: these are my favorite and most talented digital design shops: http://delicious.com/jm3/agencies

(sharing these to amswer your question and because it's inspiring to check out all the great work; most of these shops will be well out of the price range of any reasonably frugal startup.)

A friend of mine is a freelance designer, and he does good work. http://www.artificestudios.com/

Mudbug Media is a good design firm based in New Orleans. http://www.mudbugmedia.com

I love Jeff's work.

http://www.jeffsarmiento.com/

I recommend John @ http://www.skyrocketmedia.com/

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