Presentation is Just Part of the Story

"In that initial meeting, we go to great lengths to let the client (brand owner) know what the options are, such that nobody is left up in the air as to techniques and process," Jost says.

Designer as facilitator

As a dedicated design house, Studio One Eleven starts a project not by asking what the client (brand owner) wants, but by asking for the brand charter, its history and its evolution. "Then we go away and analyze it, and eventually produce an analysis document maybe 30 to 40 pages in length, wherein we dissect the label and every aspect of the brand—its hierarchy, architecture, structures, human factors, materials, finishes. Then we make a list of recommendations. This is something you don't get from an independent design house without a six-figure price tag," Jost says.