"James managed IT for Campfire for over five years, introducing us to Google Apps and saving us tens of thousands of dollars on email hosting every year.
The server system he created for us was much easier for our Macs to utilize, had a backup routine that we could understand and trust, and was flexible enough to see us through multiple office moves without a hitch.
He was always very responsive and explained problems in non-techie terms we could understand; to be honest, I miss working with James."
Creative studio support
Craft IT for people who make things.
For the agencies and studios that can't afford a bad tech day.
We've been supporting creatives since 1996.
Bring us your haunted machines, your legacy infrastructure that no one remembers where it came from, your Adobe licensing nightmares, the one weird, annoying issue that disappears the moment anyone qualified looks at it.
We can take it. We can take care of it.
Supporting a remote team or looking for Seattle home office help? Remote Teams · Home Office
About Patrin
Patrin is an ancient word travelers used for the trail markers they left; arrangements of leaves and grass that said, "this way, the path is clear." It has personal roots, and it captures something true about the work; we navigate terrain our clients don't have time to learn, and we leave things better marked than we found them.
Remote teams are our focus because that's how creative companies are being built: principals in different cities, talent wherever the talent is, and infrastructure that is everywhere and nowhere at once, working across time zones without an office anchoring it. Most small creative teams have never had dedicated IT staff; they've had whoever was stuck figuring it out, with no map to guide them. We built Patrin for them. For you.
Who We Are
James started working at Adobe technical support to learn digital production techniques for his personal artwork. He was surprised to discover he had a knack for understanding computers and for explaining them to other creatives.
After multiple decades, a couple of cross-country moves, a few thousand help desk tickets, lots of network cable, and a long stretch inside some of NYC's best creative agencies (including MediaMonks, Big Spaceship, Campfire, and a few dozen others), here we are. Along the way: internet & WiFi, laptops replacing desktops, iPhones & iPads replacing paper, the software teams run on every day, data & account security, onboarding & offboarding, passwords & access, and the documentation that keeps nobody locked out when something goes sideways.
Not the straightest of lines between there and here, but.
When the work went remote, and the options for supporting distributed creative teams fell short of what those teams needed, James built Patrin to close that gap.
Whatever the challenge, the deadline, or the stakes, the work is always the same: understand the problem, explain it clearly, lay out the costs and consequences of every option, and let you make the call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really know Macs?
Macs are all we do. James has been supporting Apple users long enough to have watched the entire modern creative stack get built from scratch. Multiple times.
Every tool your team runs on, every quirk of macOS, every way creative software finds new ways to misbehave at the worst possible moment: we've seen it, fixed it, and probably have an opinion about it.
What does this cost?
Our services are time-based, with the rate dependent on service type:
- Remote Support: $175/hr
- On-site Studio Support: $200/hr
- Residential/Home Office: $150/hr
On-site studio and residential appointments have a 1-hour minimum; all appointments bill in 15-minute increments after the minimum.
Quick questions from established clients are generally answered at no charge, at our discretion.
Monthly retainer arrangements are available for clients who need ongoing, regular support.
Can you come to us?
We provide on-site support for homes and studios.
Each on-site appointment includes one hour of complimentary travel. Additional travel time is billed at 50% the appointment rate. If your location is likely to require more than an hour of travel, we'll let you know when we confirm the appointment; the complimentary hour covers most locations within Seattle proper.
We're also available for on-site projects outside the Seattle area. Reach out, and we can put together a cost estimate.
How does the engagement actually work?
We bill by time: no per-user fees, no monthly minimums, no surprises. You reach out when you need something, we handle it, you get an invoice.
For clients who need ongoing, regular support, we offer monthly retainer arrangements. Retainers are customized to each engagement; scope, hours, and terms are worked out together. They also open up options for proactive systems management and maintenance, and priority response to urgent issues.
Either way, the first conversation is a no-cost, no-commitment needs assessment. We determine what you need before anyone commits to anything.
What happens when something goes wrong?
Reach out by text or email, and we'll acknowledge within 24 hours — usually much faster. For genuine emergencies, text us directly, and we'll respond as soon as possible.
The problems faced by teams distributed across time zones don't respect business hours. We do our best to be available when you need us, and we'll let you know if we'll be unreachable for an extended period.
Are we too small?
Absolutely not. Patrin was built to focus on the "little giants" — small teams that do outsized work, like the 8-person agency punching at a 50-person agency's weight, or the two-person studio with Fortune 500 clients.
Small teams move fast and can't afford to be slowed down by technology. That's exactly the problem we're built to solve.
Do you support our team members' home setups?
Absolutely. A remote team's home offices are its infrastructure.
WiFi that drops during a client call, the laptop that took too big a drink of water, the one user's machine that refuses to log into the critical tool — these are the kinds of problems we're here for, wherever your team is.
What if we already have some IT figured out?
That's great — most clients do. We're happy to step in wherever you need us, whether that's a single project, a specific problem, or ongoing support for the parts of your stack that nobody owns yet.
Can you support our entire tech stack?
The short answer: if it runs on macOS and your team depends on it, we probably know it. Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, LucidLink, Dropbox, Zoom, Slack, Jamf Pro, Apple Business Manager, network infrastructure, VoIP, SSO and identity management, endpoint security, asset lifecycle — the tools creative and remote teams actually run on.
What we don't do: AWS/GCP/Azure provisioning, web development, custom software, DevOps pipelines, or Windows-primary environments. That's DevOps territory, and there are people who do it brilliantly (not us).
If your stack includes something not on either list, ask! There's a good chance we've seen it before.
What's your cancellation policy?
Cancellations made more than 24 hours before a scheduled appointment are free of charge.
Cancellations within 24 hours are billed at 50% of the applicable minimum (1 hour for on-site, 15 minutes for remote).
No-shows/no-calls are billed at the full minimum, plus any travel time.
How do we get started?
Schedule a no-cost, no-commitment needs assessment conversation. Bring your pain points and as much detail about your current setup as you have — the tools your team runs on, what's holding you back, and what you wish worked better.
No sales pitch, no obligation — just a conversation.
"James continues to be a long-term trusted partner in establishing excellent and scalable solutions for IT help desk, deep technical infrastructure standards, and hardware solutions to suit any need, plan, or configuration.
Simplicity, stability, and scale consistently lead the way, and options are always part of any solution James recommends.
In a word: Lifesaver."
"Apostrophe's mighty team of artist representatives are experts in many things, but IT is not one of them. Thanks to James, we don't have to be. James has been a godsend in conquering our New York office's unique technical challenges — like being left unable to get reliable internet after Hurricane Sandy.
James helped us find an innovative, stable, high-speed internet solution, then upgraded our server, and conquered our backup situation. He was even there for us when our phone system went down, getting us back up and running with much better service.
Really, my only wish is that we could clone James for our other offices!"
"I've worked with James exclusively in my small business since we opened. His support and expertise have been an invaluable asset to our company and team. He is incredibly responsive and has come to save the day at a moment's notice on more than one occasion.
As a small business owner, I have found this to be a tremendous support. I can highly recommend him to any business looking for superb, reliable tech support."
"Our office has been utilizing James' exceptional services for quite a while now, and I can't emphasize enough how crucial their knowledge, expertise, and patience have been in streamlining our company's IT operations.
James has helped us through a number of hurdles, especially when we set up a brand new office space earlier this year. His efficiency is remarkable, and his friendly demeanor has made us all feel much better about our lack of technological skills. I would gladly recommend James as an excellent resource to anyone in need of IT services!"