Engagement Models: How We Work Together

A primary friction point for buyers is understanding the financial and operational structure of a partnership. To align with different institutional needs, we offer two distinct engagement models.

The Design Subscription

For organizations facing the "feast and famine" cycle of grant-funded projects or fluctuating design needs, we offer a Design Subscription service. This model addresses the lack of consistency often found in research institutions where different funders drive fragmented design choices 2.

This model operates on a fixed monthly cost, providing budget predictability and eliminating the administrative burden of negotiating scope for every minor asset. It equips your team with a "remote in-house" unit—offering access to senior design, development, and UX talent without the overhead of hiring 2. Crucially, this model includes an "exit valve," allowing you to pause or cancel, which mitigates long-term financial commitment risks 2.

Project-Based Engagements

For distinct, large-scale initiatives—such as a website overhaul, a flagship report launch, or a rebranding effort—we operate on a project basis. These engagements follow a structured waterfall or modified-agile process, moving from deep strategy through to execution 3. This model is best suited for initiatives with a defined capital budget and a specific deadline 4.

The Process: Reducing Risk & Uncertainty

We view process as a risk mitigation tool. Our methodology is designed to align institutional goals with the final digital product before significant resources are spent on execution.

Phase 1: Product & UX Strategy

We never start with pixels. Every engagement begins with a Product & UX Strategy phase designed to uncover objectives and constraints. The team conducts user research to understand audience pain points and technical environments 4. The deliverable is a clear recommendations report that serves as the briefing document for implementation, ensuring alignment on the "why" before moving to the "how" 4.

Phase 2: Component-Based Development

For digital products, we employ a component-based approach. Rather than building static pages, we build systems of reusable components. This technical differentiator allows us to start development on specific elements before the full visual design is finalized, effectively expanding timelines and ensuring the product is resilient and easy to maintain 3.

Phase 3: Visual Verification

For publication design, we mitigate the risk of costly rework by validating the direction early. We create mood boards and structural wireframes—often in the form of a 12-page sample PDF—to get sign-off on the visual concept before laying out the full document 9. This ensures the narrative flow works before aesthetic details are applied.

Communication & Collaboration

The "black box" agency experience, where clients only speak to account managers, is inefficient for complex research projects. We structure our communication to ensure clarity and speed.

Direct Access to Talent

Our workflow is designed so that designers are the main point of contact. You collaborate directly with the creative and technical minds executing the work, fostering a lean process where details are considered early on 7.

Remote-First DNA

As a distributed team with leadership in Vancouver and members spanning multiple time zones, we are culturally adapted to remote collaboration. We are accustomed to asynchronous communication, which benefits international clients by keeping projects moving across time zones 7.

Transparency

We prioritize tangible milestones over vague updates. From the initial recommendations report to interactive mockups and full website testing links, you always have access to the current state of the product to verify functionality and design intent 3.

Why Leading Institutions Partner With Us

Our approach is validated by long-term partnerships with institutions that require high precision and brand sensitivity.

For Harvard University, we managed the delicate balance of creating a new identity for the Tech Spotlight Award that was remarkable without rivaling the university’s powerful existing brand 6. We understand how to navigate the branding hierarchies of established institutions.

Systematic Efficiency

For The GovLab, we moved beyond one-off websites to create a comprehensive Design System. This allowed their in-house team to leverage pre-built components for initiatives like the Open Data Policy Lab, saving development time and ensuring visual consistency across their portfolio 5.

Information Architecture

For the Bertelsmann Foundation, we tackled the challenge of making dense content accessible. Through careful information architecture and visual design, we transformed complex, long-form case studies into "scannable" digital products that retained the depth of the research while improving user engagement 10.

Ready to discuss your specific needs? Schedule a consultation.

Footnotes

1 ccmdesign.ca, "ccm.design," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 2 ccmdesign.ca, "Design Subscription," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 3 ccmdesign.ca, "Interface Design & Development," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 4 ccmdesign.ca, "Product & UX Strategy," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 5 ccmdesign.ca, "The GovLab | We help research institutions communicate their knowledge products in a systematic way - ccm.design," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 6 ccmdesign.ca, "Harvard - ccm.design," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 7 ccmdesign.ca, "Who we are," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 9 ccmdesign.ca, "Publications," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium 10 ccmdesign.ca, "Bertelsmann Foundation - ccm.design," Medium. Link Confidence: Medium