Client Voices
What studio principals say about the work.
These are accounts from principals of small creative practices who have engaged veldrisxad. The names and details have been shared with permission.
← Back to homeClient reviews
Accounts from the studios.
Ng Kai Lin
Principal, architecture studio · Kuala Lumpur
We had been undercharging for residential work for years without quite knowing it. The fee review put the pattern in front of us in plain language — it was uncomfortable to read, but that was the point. The written note gave us something to work from. We have since revised our base rates twice and the client response has been quieter than we feared.
Fee Structure Review · March 2025
Roshan Ismail
Founder, graphic design studio · Petaling Jaya
The Studio Note I commissioned was for a single question — a long-standing client had started requesting work that sat outside our original scope, and I wasn't sure how to address it without damaging the relationship. The note gave me a way of thinking about it and some specific language to use. The conversation went better than I expected.
Studio Note · January 2025
Siti Aminah Talib
Director, communications agency · Kuala Lumpur
I was sceptical that an outside reader could add much — I know my own studio reasonably well. What I hadn't seen was the pattern. The Practice Engagement surfaced three things I had been aware of individually but hadn't connected: our debtor timeline was longer than it should be, our project mix had drifted away from the work that commanded higher fees, and two of our retainer clients were absorbing more capacity than their contracts allowed. The written note was blunt in a useful way.
Studio Practice Engagement · February 2025
Wong Boon Seng
Principal photographer · Kuala Lumpur
The fee review was the most useful thing I have done for my practice in several years. I had always priced by feel and comparison with others I knew. Seeing the actual numbers laid out — what I was charging, what the time and cost actually involved, what comparable work attracts in the market — was clarifying. The suggestions were modest and I acted on two of three within a month.
Fee Structure Review · April 2025
Lena Zainudin
Co-founder, independent publishing house · Shah Alam
We came to veldrisxad wanting to think through a decision — whether to take on a distribution arrangement that looked attractive on paper but felt uncertain. The Studio Note walked through the structure of the arrangement, identified two provisions we hadn't fully understood, and suggested a set of questions to put to the distributor before signing. We didn't sign in the end, and we are glad we didn't.
Studio Note · March 2025
Azri Mansor
Principal, interior design studio · Bangsar
I found the pace of the engagement unusual at first — there was more reading and writing involved than I had expected, and less talk. By the end I understood why. The final note was the product of that preparation and it was considerably more precise than anything I had received from advisors before. I have since passed the recommendation on to two other principals I know.
Studio Practice Engagement · January 2025
Case studies
Three studio situations, described in detail.
Architecture studio · Kuala Lumpur · Practice Engagement
The situation
A four-person architecture studio had grown steadily over seven years but the principal felt the studio was working harder each year for roughly similar net return. There was no clear picture of why. Project fees had not changed significantly in three years despite rising costs and a stronger market position.
The engagement
Over ten weeks, we reviewed project records from the past four years, mapped the relationship between project type and fee return, and identified a pattern in which the most demanding project type — complex residential — was consistently underpriced relative to the time and cost involved. Two large clients were carrying debtors of 90-plus days regularly.
The outcome
The written studio note identified three adjustments: a revised base rate for complex residential work, a revised debtor follow-up schedule, and a suggestion to reduce the proportion of public-tender work, which was consuming a disproportionate amount of non-billable time. Two of three have been implemented as of this writing.
"It wasn't the dramatic restructuring I half expected. It was three measured things, plainly argued. That was enough." — Studio principal
Design studio · Petaling Jaya · Fee Review
The situation
A two-person branding studio had been operating on day-rate pricing since founding. The rates had been set based on what seemed acceptable to clients in the early years. As the studio's reputation grew, rates had not been revisited in any systematic way, and the principal felt awkward raising fees with existing clients.
The engagement
We reviewed ten recent projects, mapped actual hours against invoiced amounts, and compared the rate against comparable studios operating in the Klang Valley. The analysis showed the studio was pricing at roughly 65% of what comparable studios were charging for similar work, with no discernible business reason for the difference.
The outcome
The written review suggested a phased increase over two rate cycles, new client framing, and a revised scope-change protocol. The studio raised rates by 25% for new clients six weeks after delivery. Of eleven new enquiries since, nine proceeded to engagement.
"Seeing it written down removed the guilt from the decision. The numbers just are what they are." — Studio founder
Photography practice · Kuala Lumpur · Studio Note
The situation
A commercial photographer was considering an approach from a talent agency that wanted to represent them for advertising commissions. The terms were presented as standard. The principal wasn't certain whether the exclusivity provisions were genuinely standard or unusual, and whether the commission rate made commercial sense.
The engagement
We reviewed the draft agreement and the principal's recent fee history. The Studio Note identified that the exclusivity clause was broader than typical, effectively covering categories of work the agency was unlikely to actively pursue, and that the commission structure would reduce net income on the principal's current direct-client work.
The outcome
The principal went back to the agency with two specific amendments — a narrowed exclusivity provision and a reduced rate on existing client work. The agency agreed to one amendment and declined one. The principal signed a modified agreement and has since received two commissions through the agency.
"Two weeks and RM 760. Probably saved me a quiet loss over three years." — Photographer
The practice in numbers
A few markers of the work done.
6+
Years of practice
58
Studios engaged
4.7
Average client rating
94%
Return or referral rate
Reach the practice
Phone
+60 3-2261 8475Location
Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Hours
Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm MYT
Begin
Something to work through about the studio?
Many of the studios that have come to us came with a question they had been sitting with for a while before reaching out. There is no pressure here — just a note describing what's on your mind.
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