Everything you need to know to get started working with me
My background, professional experience, and how to get in touch
Based in Mountain View, CA
I'm a versatile designer with experience across graphic design, front-end web coding, UI/UX, and motion graphics. My approach combines creative problem-solving with technical expertise to deliver polished, effective solutions.
I work with clients ranging from startups to established businesses, helping them with everything from brand identity to complete digital products.
Portfolio: katwalker.design
Email: katwalker@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathleencwalker
What I can do for my clients
What's actually involved in a project from beginning to end
Design projects involve multiple stages to ensure quality results. Here's what typically goes into one:
Understanding your audience, competitors, and industry standards. This helps inform design decisions.
Brainstorming concepts and exploring different visual directions before settling on an approach.
For applicable projects, I'll provide several design directions for you to choose from.
Refinements based on your feedback to polish the final design.
For interactive projects, testing ensures functionality and usability before launch.
For complex projects, documentation helps your team understand how systems work and how to maintain them.
Preparing, exporting, and organizing all files in formats you need.
What I need from you to get started
Requirements are what I need from a client before I can begin working on their project. They include things like information, content, or files.
A good rule of thumb to determine your project's requirements is to think about everything it would need to have to be considered complete. For example, I can build a website for you, but it wouldn't be ready to launch without your company logo.
The more information you provide up front, the more efficiently I can work and the better your results will be. Requirements can vary based on the type of project or what you want out of it, but they often include things like:
Don't stress—if we're missing something essential that prevents me from being able to move forward with your project, I'll make sure to communicate with you.
If you require a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), please provide a copy of the agreement before we begin work.
If you don't have all the necessary content available I'll need to recreate design assets, add placeholder content, or source temporary images. This may add more work hours or require additional revisions. Providing complete materials up front keeps your project on budget and on schedule!
Tools I have available for design, coding, and collaboration
If your project requires software not listed above, you'll need to provide an account or license for me to use. I don't purchase new software on behalf of clients. I work on Apple computers, so PC-only software will require you to provide a work computer.
How to establish a workflow and communicate effectively
I use my own internal system to manage projects, but I'm happy to adapt to your preferred workflow. Just let me know what tools and processes you use and provide any necessary account access.
I will work with you to estimate a roadmap for your project that balances your business needs with a realistic timeframe. How often you'd like to receive updates on work in progress is up to you. I will send an update every time a design is ready for review, but you may also want to check in on a regular schedule (every Monday, twice a week, etc.) or after certain milestones.
I will also reach out any time I have questions or run into blockers.
For larger and more complex projects, I recommend scheduling a review/feedback meeting weekly or bi-weekly (particularly if outside stakeholders are involved) throughout the process.
Please schedule business calls at least 24 hours in advance and always include the time zone when proposing meeting times. You are welcome to communicate through email or text at any time and I will get back to you as soon as possible during regular working hours.
I am available for work Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm Pacific Time. I am not available on weekends or holidays. I will communicate any scheduled vacation or travel time at least 2 weeks in advance. For any personal or family emergencies I will communicate as soon as possible. I will do my best to accomodate your project around any unexpected unavailability.
I'm based in Mountain View, California. My working hours are in the Pacific Time Zone (PST).
How pricing works, time tracking, and ways to pay
I charge an hourly rate that is determined based on the standard pay for a designer with my experience in your area, along with the complexity of the work. I create a personalized proposal for each client. Pricing is negotiable based on your budget and project requirements, but it may limit the amount of work I am able to do for you.
If you prefer a flat fee for a specific project, contact me and we can discuss options.
I track hours using ClickUp. You'll receive detailed timesheets with each invoice showing exactly what was worked on.
Payment arrangements will be established before work begins. Invoices are typically sent every 2 weeks for ongoing work or upon completion for a short-term project. A payment will be considered late if it is not made within 30 days after the invoice is sent. After 30 days, any in-progress work will be put on hold until payments are up to date.
I use Wave for invoicing (accepts debit and credit cards). I also accept checks, bank transfers, and PayPal.
For larger projects on a longer timeline
Large projects like apps, websites, brand books, or marketing campaigns benefit from a creative brief. I'll provide a template for you to fill out and send back to me. Here's what we'll need to clarify:
A clear name and summary of what you're creating.
What you want to achieve with this project (increase sales, improve brand awareness, streamline processes, etc.).
Who will use or see this? Demographics, behaviors, preferences, and pain points.
How should the project communicate? Professional, friendly, playful, authoritative, etc.
Examples of competitor work or industry standards to reference.
List of what you need created (mockups, prototypes, final files, documentation, etc.).
Who needs to approve work? Who should be included in communications?
Your budget range helps me propose realistic scope and timelines.
Key milestones, deadlines, and launch dates.
How will this go live? Distribution channels, platform requirements, rollout strategy.
How will you measure if the project succeeded? (conversion rates, user engagement, brand recognition, etc.)
For smaller deliverables with a faster turnaround time
For small, individual design requests, filling out a full project brief isn't necessary. Just provide:
I look forward to working with you!
This guide covers the essentials of how we'll collaborate. My goal is to make the process smooth and transparent so you get great results without surprises.
Have any questions not covered here? Please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help you figure out the best approach for your project.
Contact Me