Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

What is Stratiform Studio?

Accepted Answer

Stratiform Studio is a strategy-first creative studio that builds brand identity, packaging, websites, product renders, email marketing, paid ads, and AI visibility for wellness and consumer brands. Every piece is designed as one connected system by one team, so your label, site, and ads look and sound like the same company from launch onward.

Question 2

Who runs Stratiform?

Accepted Answer

Stratiform is a small team of senior designers and creatives covering strategy, design, web development, 3D, and marketing. The people you meet at kickoff are the people doing the work, from research through final files, with no hand-offs to junior staff. Together the team brings 20+ years of design experience and 100+ completed projects.

Question 3

Where is Stratiform based, and do you work with brands outside the area?

Accepted Answer

Stratiform is based in Connecticut and works with brands across the United States and internationally. Projects run remotely through scheduled calls, set review checkpoints, and a private client portal where you track progress and approve work. Connecticut clients can meet in person when it helps.

Question 4

What types of brands do you work with?

Accepted Answer

We primarily work with wellness and consumer brands: supplement and sports nutrition companies, skincare and personal care, functional food and beverage, gyms and fitness studios, medical and wellness clinics, and wellness professionals. Most clients are launching a product, rebranding, or tightening a brand that grew in pieces. We take on work outside wellness when the fit is right.

Question 5

What makes Stratiform different from other branding agencies?

Accepted Answer

Most brands hire one freelancer for the logo, another for labels, and an agency for the website, and the pieces never quite match. Stratiform researches your market first, then designs brand, packaging, web, and marketing as one system with one team. Labels are designed by hand and renders are built from real 3D models, never AI.

Question 6

What services does Stratiform offer?

Accepted Answer

Six connected services: Branding & Identity, Packaging Design, Website Design, Product Visualization, Email & Digital Marketing, and AI Visibility. Each one stands on its own and each is built on the same brand system, so anything you add later fits what you already have.

Question 7

Do I have to hire you for everything, or can I start with one service?

Accepted Answer

You can start with one. Many clients begin with packaging or a website and add more later. If your brand foundation is weak, we'll tell you before you spend money building on top of it, because a new label or site can't fix an unclear brand.

Question 8

Where should I start if I'm launching a new product?

Accepted Answer

Start with brand strategy and identity, then packaging, then product renders and your website, then email and ads. Each step feeds the next: the label needs the brand, the renders need the label, and the site needs the renders. Working in that order avoids paying for the same work twice. If your brand is already set, start with packaging.

Question 9

Do you handle naming and copywriting, or only design?

Accepted Answer

Both. We name companies and products, screen names for obvious conflicts early, and write taglines, brand voice, label copy, website copy, and email copy. Writing and design happen together, so headlines fit the layout and the messaging matches the positioning. Naming is available inside a branding project or on its own.

Question 10

What platforms do you build on?

Accepted Answer

Websites are built on Shopify for product brands that sell online and Webflow for service businesses like gyms, clinics, and studios. Email runs on Klaviyo for most clients, or Omnisend when it fits better. Ads run on Meta and Google, measured through GA4, Meta Pixel, and Conversions API. Product renders are modeled in Blender.

Question 11

Can you work with our existing brand, packaging, or website?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We audit what you have and keep what's working: a recognizable logo, a packaging layout customers know, or a site with search rankings worth protecting. Where a weak foundation would hold you back, we'll say so and recommend what to change. New work is built to fit, whether or not we designed the original.

Question 12

How much does a project with Stratiform cost?

Accepted Answer

Most branding projects start between $5,000 and $10,000. Packaging starts at $2,000 per SKU, websites at $5,000, product renders at $250, and email or ads management at $1,000 per month. Every quote is fixed to an agreed scope after a free intro call, so there are no surprise invoices mid-project.

Question 13

How much does it cost to brand and launch a supplement product?

Accepted Answer

A typical launch with Stratiform covering brand identity, packaging for one to three SKUs, product renders, and a Shopify store starts at $15,000. That covers design and development only; manufacturing and printing are separate. Starting with a focused identity and one SKU keeps the first investment lower, and the system grows with your line.

Question 14

Why don't you sell fixed packages?

Accepted Answer

Because a supplement brand with twelve SKUs and a clinic with one location need different things, and packages force both into the same box. Instead, we scope your project on an intro call and give you a fixed quote for that scope. You pay for what your brand needs, not for a tier.

Question 15

How do payments work?

Accepted Answer

Typically, projects are billed 50% at kickoff and 50% at delivery, with larger projects split across milestones. Retainers are billed monthly. Your proposal lists every payment and what it covers before you sign, so you know the full cost up front.

Question 16

Do you offer monthly retainers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Most clients move to a monthly retainer after their first project, covering new packaging and SKUs, website updates, email campaigns, ad management, social creative, and AI visibility monitoring. One team that already knows your brand keeps everything consistent and saves the cost of re-briefing new vendors. Retainers start at $1,000 per month.

Question 17

What does a project with Stratiform look like?

Accepted Answer

Four phases. Discovery and research into your audience, category, and competitors. A strategy you approve before design starts. Design and build with feedback at set checkpoints. Then delivery of organized, launch-ready files. With our private client portal, you always know what's happening, when your input is needed, and what comes next.

Question 18

How long do projects take?

Accepted Answer

Branding takes 3 to 6 weeks. Packaging takes 3 to 5 weeks, and new flavors on an existing system take about 1 week per SKU. Websites take 4 to 12 weeks depending on complexity. Product renders typically take 1 week. Email flows take about 2 weeks to design and build, and usually produce revenue within a few weeks. Paid ad campaigns take 1 to 2 weeks to build, and need 60 to 90 days of testing. We map your full timeline before kickoff.

Question 19

How involved do I need to be?

Accepted Answer

Expect a kickoff call, then a review at each checkpoint, usually a 30 to 60 minute call or written feedback every one to two weeks. Between checkpoints, we do the work. Decisions that need you, like approving strategy or choosing a design direction, are scheduled in advance so they don't stall the project.

Question 20

How do revisions work?

Accepted Answer

Feedback happens at set checkpoints in each phase, and each checkpoint includes 1-2 rounds of revisions. Because you approve the strategy before design starts, feedback stays focused on execution instead of starting over. Anything outside the agreed scope is quoted before work begins, so nothing unexpected shows up on an invoice.

Question 21

What do I need to have ready before we start?

Accepted Answer

Less than you'd think. For branding, a clear sense of what you sell and who it's for. For packaging, container specs, manufacturer dielines, and final formula details. For websites, logins to your current site and analytics. If you're missing pieces, we'll tell you exactly what to get and who to get it from.

Question 22

Can you work to a launch deadline?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if we know early. Share your deadline on the first call and we'll build the schedule backward from it. Some projects require a rush fee depending on scope and timeline.

Question 23

Do you handle FDA compliance on supplement labels?

Accepted Answer

We format Supplement Facts panels to FDA standards and check label copy against structure/function claim rules, so your label is built correctly from the first draft. Final responsibility for claims and regulatory sign-off stays with you and your manufacturer or a compliance specialist, who know your formula and testing. We coordinate with them directly.

Question 24

What has to be on a supplement label?

Accepted Answer

A U.S. dietary supplement label needs a statement of identity that includes the words "dietary supplement," the net quantity, a Supplement Facts panel, an ingredient list for anything not in the panel, and the manufacturer or distributor's name and address. Any structure/function claim needs the FDA disclaimer, and allergen statements apply when relevant. We build all of it into the layout from the start.

Question 25

Do supplements need FDA approval before they launch?

Accepted Answer

No. The FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they're sold. Brands are responsible for safety, accurate labeling, and truthful claims, and a structure/function claim requires the FDA disclaimer plus notifying the FDA within 30 days of marketing it. That makes label accuracy more important, not less. We design to the rules; your manufacturer and counsel confirm the claims.

Question 26

Can you check whether my brand name is available?

Accepted Answer

We screen proposed names early for obvious conflicts, including existing trademarks in your category and domain availability, before anyone gets attached to a name. A screen isn't legal clearance, though. Before you print or file, have a trademark attorney run a full search. Supplement and wellness names are crowded, and a conflict after launch is expensive to fix.

Question 27

Do you work directly with my manufacturer or co-packer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We collect dielines and container specs from your manufacturer before design starts, build files to their exact requirements, and review proofs with them before anything prints. That cuts the back-and-forth that delays launches. If you haven't chosen a manufacturer yet, we design around a standard container and adapt once you do.

Question 28

Do you build websites for supplement brands and service businesses?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Supplement and product brands get Shopify stores built to sell, with clear product pages and email flows for welcome, abandoned cart, and reorders. Gyms, clinics, studios, and coaching practices get Webflow sites built around booking, with lead and trial follow-up flows and Google Business Profile work for local and AI search. Both are built on your brand system, so the site matches your packaging or your front door.

Question 29

Do you use AI in your design work?

Accepted Answer

Selectively, and never where accuracy matters. Labels and websites are designed and built by hand, and product renders come from real 3D models, because AI tools get Supplement Facts, claims, and label text wrong. We use AI for early ideation, some high-volume copywriting that our team edits, and controlled image generation for select visuals, always directed and refined by our designers.

Question 30

Can I design my supplement label with AI or Canva?

Accepted Answer

You can draft ideas that way, but don't send it to print. Supplement Facts formatting, required statements, claim language, and printer dielines all follow rules that AI generators and templates don't check. A label error can mean a reprint, a retailer rejection, or a regulatory problem. A product going to market needs a designed, checked label.

Question 31

If I provide an AI-generated design, does that lower the project cost?

Accepted Answer

No. AI mockups are helpful for showing us what you like, but we don't build from them. Every project starts from research, and that research may point somewhere your mockup doesn't. AI pulls toward the average of what already exists, which is the opposite of what a brand needs. AI images also can't become production files, and purely AI-generated work generally can't be protected by copyright.

Question 32

How do I get my brand recommended by AI?

Accepted Answer

Make your brand easy for AI tools to read and trust. That means structured data and clean pages on your site, accurate product data and feeds, consistent listings and reviews, and content that answers the questions your customers ask. Nobody can guarantee a mention, but fixing those inputs is what changes the answers.

Question 33

Can you set up AI tools for my business?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We build practical AI systems for founders and small teams: assistants that draft customer replies, automations that handle intake and follow-ups, and workflows for content and reporting. We start with where your team loses the most time and build into the tools you already use, not a new platform to learn.

Question 34

Should I hire a branding agency or a freelancer?

Accepted Answer

A freelancer costs less and works well for one defined piece, like a logo. An agency costs more but covers strategy, design, and execution across every touchpoint. The real risk is stacking several freelancers: each does good work, and nothing matches. If you need brand, packaging, and web, one team that owns the whole system usually costs less over time.

Question 35

What should I look for when hiring a branding or packaging agency?

Accepted Answer

Five things: research before design, experience in your category, a clear process with set review points, a written revision policy, and full ownership of final files. For supplement brands, add proof they know Supplement Facts formatting and print production. Ask to see a project like yours, from strategy through the finished product.

Question 36

Is a creative studio better than hiring an in-house designer?

Accepted Answer

For most growing brands, yes. A senior in-house designer costs a full salary plus tools, and one person rarely covers strategy, packaging, web development, 3D, and ads. A studio gives you that range for a project fee or retainer. In-house makes sense once you need daily design output, and many of those teams still keep a studio for system-level work.

Question 37

Is professional branding worth it for a small or new brand?

Accepted Answer

Usually, yes, because buyers judge credibility in seconds, especially in supplements and wellness where trust decides the sale. Building a brand right once costs less than rebranding after launch, reprinting labels, and rebuilding a site. If budget is tight, start with a focused identity and one product, then expand from there.

Question 38

Do I own the final designs and files?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Once your project is paid in full, you own the final logo, packaging artwork, website, and renders, with source files delivered in an organized library. Your printer, manufacturer, or a future designer can use them without coming back to us.

Question 39

What do I receive at the end of a project?

Accepted Answer

A complete, organized system: brand guidelines, logo and asset files in every format you need, print-ready packaging files, a launched website your team can edit, and high-resolution renders sized for web, print, and ads. Everything is delivered through your client portal, labeled so anyone on your team can find it.

Question 40

Can my team manage everything after launch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Websites are built so your team can edit text, images, products, and blog posts without code, and we walk you through it at launch. Brand guidelines show your team, printers, and partners how to use the brand correctly. For larger changes, a website care plan or retainer covers it.

Question 41

Do you keep my 3D models and design files for future work?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We keep your 3D models, packaging files, and design system on file, so a new flavor, size, or render angle is faster and cheaper than starting over. Adding a SKU to an existing packaging system usually takes about a week.

Question 42

What happens if I need help after the project ends?

Accepted Answer

Reach out. Many clients come back for a new SKU, a seasonal campaign, or a site update, and most move to a monthly retainer or website care plan. Because we already know your brand, there's no ramp-up or re-briefing. Quick questions get answered whether or not you're on a retainer.

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