Arts & Science Council
Brand Refresh +
Website Design & Development
Prepared for:
Arts & Science Council
Date:
October 9th, 2025
Private & confidential // For your eyes only // Pretty please
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Thanks for the opportunity to craft a proposal for you and your team. We know this is an important initiative and are pumped about the opportunity to work together.
In this proposal you will find:
- A welcome message from Ben Visser, Founder and Creative Director of SDH
- Overview of project objectives
- Project scope and service recommendations
- Pricing, timelines and payment terms
Let's find your sweet spot!
Ben Visser
Founder + Creative Director
ben@socialdesignhouse.com
cell: 803.322.4141
We’re Built for This.
For 15 years, SDH has refined our process to help clients turn smart strategies into incredible results.
Uniquely Collaborative Process
An enjoyable creative process refined over 15 years that aligns, inspires and makes things happen.
Crystal Clear Communication
From kickoff to launch, you’ll always know where we are, what’s next, and why it matters.
Uncompromising Creative
A unique story combined with elevated design create the edge you need to stand out from the crowd.
Experienced In-House Team
A dedicated team of specialists ramped and ready to execute at a high level. Instant momentum from day 1.
Brand Refresh
- Clarify & sharpen brand positioning around “culture + equity”
Update messaging, visual identity, and brand architecture so that ASC is clearly perceived not just as a funding body, but as a champion for culturally rich, inclusive community life. - Modernize visual identity to signal relevance and approachability
Refresh logo, color palette, typography, iconography, and photography so the brand feels current (but not trendy), warm, accessible, and rooted in the local cultural ecosystem. - Strengthen stakeholder connection and trust through consistency & clarity
Align all touchpoints (website, grant materials, event collateral, social media) with the new brand so that artists, nonprofits, donors, and the public reliably understand ASC’s programs, values, and role. The consistency will help reduce confusion and build credibility. - Drive equitable access and visibility for underrepresented voices
Ensure that the refreshed brand conveys ASC’s commitment to cultural equity not just in words but in imagery, language, and narrative. The visual and verbal tone should deliberately include historically marginalized artists, communities, and cultural expressions. - Create scalable brand tools and governance for future growth
Develop a system and governance rules so that new programs or partnerships can adopt the brand easily, without ad-hoc design drift.
Visual Identity Services
In order to achieve the objectives above, SDH is suggesting the following services.
Deliverables:
- Mood-boarding: 2 visual direction options with 1 round of feedback and revisions
- 3 initial logo concepts with up to 1 rounds of revisions on selected concept
- Final logo package including primary, secondary, and monochrome versions
- Core color palette and typography recommendations
- Key graphic elements for brand expression
Revisions
- Up to 2 rounds of design feedback (plus 1 round for moodboards)
Ensure all visual and verbal elements are used consistently across digital and print channels, creating a cohesive, recognizable, and flexible brand.
Deliverables:
- Basic brand standards guide covering:
- Logo usage and variations
- Color palette and typography
- Templates for presentations, documents, and collateral
- Guidelines for applying the brand consistently across external and internal materials
Revisions
- Up to 2 rounds of feedback on the guide and templates
Design visually compelling collateral that communicates ASC's value and aligns with the refreshed visual identity.
Deliverables:
- Pitch deck with 5 evergreen slides and 5 master slide examples
- Guidelines for future collateral creation
- Choice of up to 5 swag item designs (stickers, shirts, stationery, etc.)
- Additional design hours for collateral of choice
Revisions
- Up to 2 rounds of content and design updates
We’ll keep the process clear, collaborative, and on schedule — with space for creativity along the way.
Deliverables:
- Dedicated Account Lead as your main point of contact
- Weekly check-in calls and progress updates
- Shared project tracker and communication channels
Revisions:
- Ongoing collaboration and feedback throughout
Project Pricing
Project pricing is based on estimated hours and may flex 20% above or below the provided estimate. Final costs will reflect actual time spent and any scope adjustments agreed upon during the project.
Brand Refresh Pricing
Description | Item | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Visual Identity & Logo System | 60Hours | $9,000.00 | |
Brand Standards & Visual Guidelines | 20Hours | $3,000.00 | |
Project Management | 20Hours | $3,000.00 |
Website Design & Development
- Create a clear site structure. Redefine the navigation and sitemap so visitors can easily find what they need, without extra clicks or confusion.
- Refresh voice and tone. Ensure the content feels approachable, authentic, and aligned with the brand’s personality.
- Develop a powerful grants search. Built in filtering, keyword search, and dynamic open/close dates to make managing grants and finding opportunities effortless and enjoyable.
- Migrate content seamlessly. Bring over existing content and data in a way that’s smooth, accurate, and ready to go on launch day.
- Elevate the design. Craft a visual identity that reflects the brand’s energy, while feeling modern, engaging, and user-friendly.
- Design for growth. Build a flexible platform that works beautifully now and adapts easily as new needs and ideas emerge.
- Empower the team. Integrate a modular CMS that makes content updates, big or small, easy for anyone on the team to handle.
- Track what matters. Set up analytics and reporting so the team can see what’s working and make smart decisions moving forward.
- Prioritize accessibility. Ensure the site is inclusive and usable for everyone, with thoughtful attention to design, contrast, and functionality.
- Built on a CMS that allows for management of all content by the client (Wordpress)
- ~50 pages of static content pages
- Record based migration for ~250 blog records
- Custom theme development
- Custom post types for the below content types
- Grants
- Staff
- Events
- Programs
- Blog
- Job Opportunities
- Financials
- Donation software integration
- Volunteer login area
- Responsive design for mobile, tablet and desktop
- WCAG AA accessibility requirements
- Dynamic grant search including filtering by category, custom database structure, keyword search and smart date range sorting
Project Scope
In order to achieve the objectives above, SDH is suggesting the following services.
We’ll start by laying the foundation: organizing content in a way that makes sense to both your team and your audience.
Deliverables:
- Sitemap outlining overall site structure (1 version with refinements)
- Content maps for all pages within primary site structure (1 version with refinements)
- Navigation recommendations and user flow notes
Revisions
- Up to 2 rounds of refinements
This is where the brand’s personality comes to life through thoughtful visuals and user-friendly layouts.
Deliverables:
- 2 initial homepage design concepts to establish direction
- Finalized design of up to 5 key page templates (homepage + 4 interiors)
- Responsive adaptations for mobile and tablet views
- Visual style guide with typography, color palette, and UI components
Revisions
- Up to 3 rounds of design refinements
We’ll build a flexible, scalable, and secure site that performs beautifully across devices and browsers.
Deliverables:
- Front-end and back-end development based on approved designs
- CMS setup and configuration with modular, reusable blocks
- Responsive build for desktop, tablet, and mobile
- QA testing across major browsers and devices prior to launch
- Initial page and navigation setup
We’ll build SEO best practices into the foundation so your site is set up for discoverability.
Deliverables:
- Metadata setup (titles, descriptions, alt text) for up to 20 pages
- SEO-friendly URL structure and sitemap submission to search engines
- On-page SEO recommendations for ongoing optimization
Every visitor deserves a great experience, so we’ll design and develop with accessibility in mind.
Deliverables:
- Accessibility review aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA standards
- Adjustments to color contrast, form labels, and alt text as needed
- Recommendations for long-term accessibility practices
We’ll keep the process clear, collaborative, and on schedule — with space for creativity along the way.
Deliverables:
- Dedicated account manager as your main point of contact
- Weekly check-in calls and progress updates
- Shared project tracker and communication channels (Teamwork)
Optional Services
In addition to the required services above SDH can help in a variety of different ways to make your life easier and the project as turn-key as possible.
We’ll make sure your existing content is moved over smoothly and polished for the new site.
Deliverables:
- Migration of up to 50 existing pages into the new CMS
- Record migration for up to ~250 records
- Formatting and cleanup for consistency with the new design
- QA check for accuracy, links, and media
Revisions
- Up to 1 round of refinements
We’ll help you shape content that’s clear, consistent, and aligned with your brand voice.
Deliverables:
- Site wide content audit to better format for the web
- Editing and refinement support for client-supplied content
Revisions:
- Up to 2 rounds of edits per page
** Content development and copywriting is priced on a per page basis and assumes an average off 500-750 words. Longer pages or additional pages beyond the initial scope will be billed in addition
We’ll capture custom visuals that bring your brand to life and create a consistent, professional look across the site.
Deliverables:
- half-day (4 hours) or full-day (8 hours) shoot including retouching time
- Includes travel within a 25 mile radius of Charlotte
- Professional editing and retouching of selected assets
- Delivery of up to 15 high-resolution photos and/or 2–3 short video clips (15-30 seconds each) optimized for web
- Usage rights for digital and print marketing
Photography Ideas
- Team headshots
- Culture photos
- Location and area photos
Photography Terms
** Please refer to the terms & conditions below about delays, reschedules, location changes and cancellations
We’ll provide reliable, secure hosting that gives your site the solid foundation it deserves — fast, stable, and worry-free.
Included Features:
- Storage: 25 GB of secure SSD storage for website files and media
- Bandwidth: 100 GB monthly bandwidth to handle consistent traffic
- Backups: Automated nightly backups with 14-day retention
- CDN (Content Delivery Network): Global CDN for faster load times everywhere
- SSL Certificate: Free SSL to keep your site secure and trusted
- Uptime Monitoring: 99.9% uptime with proactive monitoring
- Security: Built-in malware scanning and firewall protection
- Support: Email support during business hours for technical issues
** Hosting plans are reviewed monthly and can be scaled up as your site grows.
We’ll set up a user-friendly cookie consent banner to keep your site compliant and transparent with visitors.
Deliverables:
- Customizable banner styled to match the site’s design
- Options for accept/decline preferences in line with privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA)
- Integration with analytics tools to respect user choices
- 4000 pages per scan
- 300,000 pageviews/month
- Geo-targeting
- Monthly scheduled scanning
We’ll integrate an accessibility widget that makes it easier for all visitors to adjust the site to their needs.
Deliverables:
- Installation of an accessibility toolbar with options such as text resizing, contrast adjustments, and screen reader support
- Styling to align with the site’s design and user experience
- Configuration to meet current accessibility best practices
- Up to 5,000 website visits/ month
- Ongoing scans & fixes every 24 hrs
- Accessibility report & documentation
Project Pricing
Project pricing is based on estimated hours and may flex 20% above or below the provided estimate. Final costs will reflect actual time spent and any scope adjustments agreed upon during the project.
Website Pricing
Description | Item | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Information Architecture | 40Hours | $6,000.00 | |
Interface Design | 80Hours | $12,000.00 | |
Website Development | 260Hours | $39,000.00 | |
Search Engine Optimization | 20Hours | $3,000.00 | |
Accessibility | 20Hours | $3,000.00 | |
Project Management | 40Hours | $6,000.00 | |
Record Based Content Migration | 10Hours | $1,500.00 | |
Copywriting and Content Development | 10 | $4,500.00 |
Wordpress Hosting Plans
WP Starter
- 10 GB of Storage
- 25 GB of Bandwidth
- Free Auto-Renew SSL
- Nightly Backups
- CDN Access
- Basic Site Monitoring
- DDoS Protection
- Advanced Custom Fields Pro License
- Facet WP Pro License
- Search WP Pro License
- Gravity Forms Pro License
WP Standard
- 50 GB of Storage
- 50 GB of Bandwidth
- Free Auto-Renew SSL
- Nightly Backups
- CDN Access
- Basic Site Monitoring
- DDoS Protection
- Advanced Custom Fields Pro License
- Facet WP Pro License
- Search WP Pro License
- Gravity Forms Pro License
- WP All Import/ Export Pro
- Staging Site
WP Growth
- 100 GB of Storage
- 100 GB of Bandwidth
- Free Auto-Renew SSL
- Nightly Backups
- CDN Access
- Advanced Site Monitoring
- DDoS Protection
- Advanced Custom Fields Pro License
- Facet WP Pro License
- Search WP Pro License
- Gravity Forms Pro License
- WP All Import/ Export Pro
- Yoast Premium
- Staging Site
Hosting Add-Ons
Description | Item | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Cookie Consent Widget | $500.00 | 1Unit | $500.00 / year |
Accessibe Accessibility Widget (Basic) | $500.00 | 1Unit | $500.00 / year |
Attributor marketing attribution | $1,000.00 | 1Unit | $1,000.00 / year |
Project Timeline
Phase | Time Estimate |
Information Architecture | 2-4 weeks |
Interface Design | 4-6 weeks |
Development | 12-14 weeks |
Content setup and migration | 2-4 weeks |
Beta testing | 2 weeks |
Total | 22-30 weeks |
While we’ve outlined an ideal project timeline, it’s important to understand that deadlines may shift if there are delays in client approvals or deliverables. We’ll communicate any changes promptly and work to keep things on track.
Payment Terms
Below are our standard payment terms to help keep things running smoothly, but we're always open to a conversation if you need something different. Let us know if something different may work better for you.
Down Payment | 50% of project total |
Additional Payments | Once downpayment hours have been depleted we will bill hourly through the end of the project at the end of each month for hours utilized. |
* A detailed report of work completed and time utilized will be shared every 2 weeks during the project
Ready to get started?
Click accept below to review the projects terms & conditions digitally sign this proposal. So pumped!