A creative studio located in Chicago's South Loop, Cultivate provides innovative web, print, photo and video solutions for communicating what your organization has to offer.

– Design isn't simply a matter of what we think looks cute or edgy or professional. Great web design serves several purposes: it strengthens your branding; it guarantees an intuitive and easy to navigate website; it encourages your customers to take the action you're hoping for.

Before we can tweak pixels to perfect your web design, we need to know the purpose of your design and, more importantly, the purpose of your website. What is the user action you're hoping for? What's the ultimate goal of your site? What would make it a success?

Together we'll sit and brainstorm. You'll do most of the talking while we'll do most of the scribbling, unless you like to scribble too, in which case we'll be happy to share some paper.

– While the web continues to expand at a fast pace, it can't replace the smell of fresh ink on paper (although we're working on that). In the meantime, a tangible and beautifully designed print piece still reaches a level of intimacy with your customers that can't be achieved through the web.

– Consistent branding expresses who you are and what you're all about. Your target audience should connect to your brand through a well-designed logo, coordinating art elements and a message they can identify with. We'll make sure that connection actually happens.

– After you've approved your web design, we'll use efficient programming languages like CSS and XHTML to transform your design into a clickable, functioning website. We'll also add interactive elements and eye candy to create a rock-solid user experience. Sounds exciting, right?

– We're big fans of open source, and depending on your website's function, we'll build it with helpful platforms like Wordpress™ or Drupal™, or we'll just build it from scratch. Regardless of the route we take, we'll make sure that updating your content is as easy as updating your Facebook status; after all, there's no point in a CMS that you can't manage on your own.

– Breaking into online sales can be a daunting task. We'll make it easy for you by handling the boring stuff, like SSL certificates and payment gateways, and handing over the fun stuff, like selling your products to a whole new audience.

– If you ever need a burst of traffic to your website, commissioning a microsite will do the trick. A clever microsite will spread like wildfire, generating a buzz around the online world and directing web users straight to your primary website.

– Your customers will appreciate accessible copy, so consider letting us help you keep things simple. We write clear, concise text for either print or the web. Links, headings, homepage, about text, you name it. We'll write focused copy that targets both your web users and the search engines.

– Visitors may flock your site, but your website isn't really effective if it doesn't compel visitors to take action: purchase a product, hire you for a service or join your mailing list.

With help from the Google Analytics™ web analytics service, we can identify areas of your website that can be updated to increase the number of these user actions, or "conversions." We'll then apply the power of Google's Website Optimizer tool to literally compare the number of conversions produced by completely different page designs or by various elements within the same design.

– Maybe you aren't thinking about conversions yet because you have a more pressing problem: people literally can't find your site.

We'll fix that by submitting your website to popular search engines, managing your pay-per-click marketing campaigns, and using the Google Adwords™ advertising program to identify key words that will boost your search engine visibility. We'll then place those keywords in your file names, page titles, meta tags and links to other pages.

– Email marketing is an effective, low-cost way to connect with your community while driving traffic back to your website. We can transform a nondescript email from drab to fab by crafting a catchy message, designing and building an email template that enforces your brand, blasting out the mass mailing and analyzing its effectiveness with the use of the Google Analytics™ web analytics service.

– We know that authentic images play a powerful role in successful video, web and print projects. Our photographer Mark Wierda can make a toad look beautiful, so imagine what he can do for you. We promise your photos will strikingly complement your design or powerfully stand on their own.

– Helping organizations and businesses find a dynamic way to share their story is central to what we do at Cultivate. One increasingly affordable and effective way to share that story is through video. Whether your video needs to promote, engage, instruct, document or inform, Cultivate will film, pen, photograph, animate and edit to meet and exceed your vision.

YOUR STORY - Video is an incredible way to spread your organization’s story. We believe no one speaks to the history and mission of your organization as well as you do. We conduct our production with that in mind, giving life to the story through your own authentic work and words. Whether your message needs 30 seconds or 30 minutes, a scripted or documentary-style production, Cultivate will tailor the entire filmmaking process to meet your specific needs.

YOUR AESTHETIC - Photography, music, design and animation all play immeasurable roles in video storytelling. Cultivate utilizes a subtle combination of these arts to enhance your story, interact naturally with your brand and engage your audience.

YOUR AUDIENCE - Creating your video is only half the work. Together we’ll find the best way to get your video on the computer screens and televisions of your target audience by developing an effective marketing strategy (email, blog, print, press, etc.) and finding the appropriate means of delivery (an event centerpiece, DVD, television, your existing website, a microsite, YouTube or all of the above).