Hi there!
My name is not Danica, it's actually Marina, but I get called Danica so often I hardly notice anymore. And not that I mind it too much anyway since it's my mum's name.
My dad Petar started this business back in 2001. It's always been run as a home based office, which is how we've kept the costs down and managed to be flexible.
Our clients love us because we're fast, efficient and affordable.
So don't be surprised if you get an answer from us at 10pm or on the weekend. I'm always close to the computer. This, however, also means that you will sometimes hear my kids in the background outside of school hours.
Well, the abovementioned Petar and Danica decided to go into semi-retirement and enjoy themselves in Europe, and I jumped at the opportunity to take over the business.
I have a degree in Marketing and Communications, I've worked for small businesses and also government agencies, and I've also been working as a photographer and photo editor for the past seven or so years.
We have over the years established a network of the most amazing suppliers. Experienced printers, signwriters and web programmers help us provide a seamless service for you, limiting the stress and ensuring amazing quality every time.
We have always been helping the community, so if you are a non-profit organisation that needs assistance, please feel free to get in touch, we'll do our best to help you.
So, let's have a coffee / tea / wine together, and chat!
I'm looking forward to hearing more about your business story and seeing how we can work together and grow together.
All the best!
Marina Males
Why work with a small, home-based studio
There is no account manager between you and the person doing the work, and no markup for layers of staff you never speak to. You email or call, and I am the one who answers, designs, and delivers. That is also why replies sometimes land at 10pm or on a weekend rather than only between 9 and 5.
Being home-based means there is no shopfront to visit, but that has never stopped a client catching up over a coffee to talk through a project. It just means the money that would have gone on rent goes into keeping the work affordable instead.
What a marketing background changes about the design
A design degree teaches you to make things look good. A marketing and communications background teaches you to ask why a piece exists before deciding how it should look. That is the difference between a logo that wins an award and a logo that actually helps a small business get remembered by the people it needs to reach. Photography experience adds to that, since a lot of small business marketing lives or dies on whether the photos look like the business actually looks.
Design and print, under one roof
Printing is produced by Greenlea Print, our own Perth print shop, printing for local businesses since 1984 and now part of the same business as Danica. Design and print used to mean two suppliers and two invoices. Now it is one conversation, from the first concept through to the finished, printed piece arriving at your door.
Questions people ask before getting in touch
Do you only work with businesses in Maylands or nearby? No, clients are right across Perth, and design and website work is done for businesses anywhere, since none of it needs us in the same room.
Do you work with brand new businesses, or only established ones? Both. Some clients need a first logo before they have even opened, others need an existing brand tidied up or extended into something new.
What if I do not know exactly what I need yet? That is a completely normal place to start. Have a look through the portfolio for ideas, or just get in touch and describe the problem rather than the solution.
Is there a minimum job size? No. A single flyer gets the same attention as a full brand identity.