Getting information on graphic design pricing must be a very frustrating experience for potential clients. There seems to be no consistency. One designer will charge $50 for a logo, while another will charge $10,000. So how is a business owner supposed to know what to do?
Please note: I understand that graphic design pricing is a touchy subject and opinions vary. These are my opinions, based on my own knowledge and experience. Agree or disagree, it matters not to me, but let’s try to remain civil, K?
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Graphic design is not a magical process. It takes time. You want your logo/poster/book cover/web site to be good right? Then you probably don’t want it to be something that someone knocked out in an hour or two, do you?
The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario and Creative Niche put out a National Survey of Salaries and Billing Practices in Graphic Design in 2010. According to this survey, the average sole proprietor billing rate for graphic design services is $73/hr. Brand strategy is an average of $83/hr, and web design is $76/hr. Of course these rates will vary from region to region, but it gives us a good starting point to help us understand what a good designer should cost.
Now you may think these rates are high, but remember, a graphic designer can only bill a portion of the hours they work. We have businesses to run after all. Fewer than half the hours most designers work can be billed to a client. Also, we have to pay for our electricity, office space, marketing materials, web sites, professional dues, computers, fonts, software, phone bills, etc. For example, the basic computer setup with the software a designer needs to do their job can easily cost $7500 or more (a good setup can be well in excess of $10,000). And at the rate both computers and software go obsolete, we need to replace these every few years to stay competitive. Did you know that good fonts cost $30-$50 each? A single font family (ie. all the weights and styles of a single typeface) can cost as much as $1,200! Graphic design pricing therefore must be high enough so we can cover these expenses and make enough extra to put food on the table. According to the 2009 census data, the average profit margin for designers is just 13%. So what do you think? Is graphic design pricing too high?
Let’s go back to that logo design example. Let’s take a perfectly average designer (in terms of hourly rate). You decide you want to pay $150 for a logo. Your competitor decides they’re willing to invest $2000. The designer, therefore, took about 2 hours to design your logo and a little over 27 hours to design your competitor’s logo. Who do you think is going to have a better logo? Believe me when I say that 27 hours for a good logo that is engineered to meet your marketing goals is not at all excessive.
Now of course you don’t have to choose a graphic designer that bills $83/hr. You could decide to choose a designer who is fresh out of school and needs to build a portfolio, and is therefore willing to work for $25/hr. They don’t have much experience, but at least they have formal training and, hopefully, talent. Or you might decide that only the best will do for your company, and you’ll choose an award-winning branding consultant with 25 years of experience who might charge $150/hr. It’s your choice. Some designers charge less than they’re worth. Some charge more than they’re worth, simply because their clients are willing to pay. The vast majority however charge precisely what they’re worth, based on experience and talent.
So if you see an ad for a $50 book cover or a $100 logo, you can be assured that you will likely be wasting your time and money. Most of the time they are achieving this pricing by doing sloppy work, copying the work of others, using cheap and cheesy clip art, or paying low-skilled workers minimum wage to pump logos out as fast as possible with no thought towards value or strategy. Ironically, it’s these low-priced hucksters that are the ones ripping you off (and by the way, also making it harder for us designers to earn a living).
So how much does it cost to have a _________ designed?
That’s a tough question to answer. Asking how much a logo costs or how much a website costs is a bit like asking how much a car costs. What type of car? A luxury sedan? A pickup truck? A supercar? What features? Do you need power windows? Four-wheel drive? There are many factors a graphic designer needs to understand to give you an accurate quote.
Given that, I’ll do my best to give you a rough idea of typical graphic design pricing for some common types of projects.
The processes for the different types of design projects are similar enough that I don’t need to go through each in detail, but I will share my process for logo design with you.
Logo design
I think you are probably already starting to get an idea, based on my comments above, of what a logo design might cost, but let’s talk a bit about what goes into a good logo.
A logo is not just a pretty icon. A quality logo design is based on research and strategy. A great deal of design education is spent learning how to use visual signals to communicate precisely to your target market. What do you want your customers/prospects to believe about your company? Your brand identity (which a logo is one part of) is what allows you to deliver that message.
Every designer works differently, but most of the components of a good logo design process are similar. I’ll briefly go over my own creative process:
Research: I start by gathering as much information as I can about your business. I want to know everything there is know about you, your competitors, your target market, and your marketing goals. Part of this comes from the initial consultation and communication with you, and part comes from primary research.
Brainstorming: Once I feel I have enough information, I start mind-mapping and brainstorming. This involves exploring all the possible mental associations with the key concepts stemming from the research phase.
Ideation (a.k.a. sketching): After the mind-mapping and brainstorming, I finally get to put pencil to paper. Yes, that’s right, I said pencil and paper. I sketch. Like mad. I will sketch as many ideas as my brain can come up with. Pages full.
Once my hands and brain are cramped, I put the work down and do something else to get my brain to switch modes so I can evaluate the ideas more objectively. Usually I sleep on it.
Rendering: With a fresh mind, I go back to the sketches and start critically evaluating the concepts. I’ll take the best ideas, clean them up, and then boot up the computer. I will render the concept in Adobe Illustrator, usually in black and white.
Review: Now that I have a few ideas to show you, it’s time to work together again. We review the concepts, discuss which idea works best, and suggest improvements.
Refinement and colour exploration: Now that the concept has been decided upon, I take all the suggestions and and make the changes to the logo design. I also go back to the original research and start working colour into the logo, based on a combination of personal aesthetic choice, client preference, and colour theory (Apologies to my American friends for my insistence on adding a “u” to color). There will also be further exploration and refinement of the typography.
Review: Again, we will review the design together and decide on final refinements.
Perfection: I guess that’s a weird term to use for someone who is normally so modest (it’s one of the many traits that make me so awesome). Nevertheless, this stage is essentially refining the design to the point where it is ready for the world to see.
Approval: Of course, just because I think it’s ready doesn’t mean you do, but if you’re happy, then the design is approved.
File output: Once the project is complete, I will output the logo in several file formats and sizes.
As you can see, I didn’t mention waving a wand or snapping my fingers anywhere. I did however go through a process that takes many hours to complete.
At this point you’re probably thinking “Answer the damn question already!”, so I’ll try my best. This process can take anywhere from 15 to 40 hours, depending on the designer, the client, and the budget.
A fresh graduate might charge $300 – $800 . A branding heavyweight might charge $2,000 – $6,000. A good designer with some experience under his or her belt will likely be in the region of $900 – $3,000.
So unless you get really lucky and manage to find a talented designer who is desperate for work, you should definitely try to have a budget as high over $300 as you can manage. Also, unless you’re Scrooge McDuck, I would recommend staying away from the super high end rock star designers. You can easily find a talented and seasoned designer to do a logo for less than $3000. Bare in mind, you will also want to make sure you have a decent budget for other components of your brand design, such as your business card, letterhead, and website. I highly recommend working with one designer for everything. Usually you can get a package deal, which will save you money.
Ok, so now that we understand a bit more about the design process, let’s go over a few more examples.
Business card design
Business card design can vary quite a bit. Do you need a simple, one-sided, straight-to-the-point card, a nice elegant, double-sided, creatively designed card, or do you want something really special?
Good range: $350 to $1500
Bare Minimum: $100
Brochure design
Brochure design also varies dramatically, depending on the content.
Good range: $400 to $1800
Bare Minimum: $200
Book cover design
Book cover design doesn’t vary quite as much, but you still have to consider a few factors. Is it just the front cover for an eBook? Is it a full dust jacket? What goes on the back and spine? Do you want something straight-forward and simple or do you want something high-concept?
Good range: $500 to $2500
Bare Minimum: $200
Website design
This is probably the most difficult thing to talk about. A one page sales site and a massive corporate
site with multiple sections and complex structure are two entirely different beasts, and there’s an infinite amount of variation in complexity and breadth. I’m not even sure I want to tackle this one but you came here for answers, so I’ll give it a shot. Let’s assume we’re talking about a standard site between 3 to 9 pages.
Good range: $1000 to $10,000+
Bare Minimum: $400
I know that’s an absurdly wide range, but that’s the nature of web design. If I was forced to narrow it down, which I guess in this case I am, I’d say the average site falls somewhere between $1500 and $4500.
So there you have it. You are now armed with at least a rough idea of what constitutes reasonable graphic design pricing. As with any major investment, you should shop around. Try to get a quote from 2 or 3 different designers. Of course the cheapest isn’t always the best, so look at value. Is it worth it to up your budget a bit to get access to a better designer? Maybe, but of course high prices don’t always mean high quality.
So what about design contests?
I’m going to try not to pull my hair out. In case you are not familiar with the idea, design contest sites allow you to post a project and get many designers to submit their ideas. You then select your favorite. This may sound enticing, but design contests are a serious gamble. First of all, you still have to shell out at least a few hundred bucks. Second, look again at the process I outlined for logo design. Do you think you will get that kind of quality research, strategy, and hands-on involvement from some teenager in Bangalore? By the way, some of these sites have been known to allow children to participate. You’ll also have to invest quite a bit more of your own time in the initial creative brief and the feedback process. Lastly, these sites are seriously damaging the design industry. I know that’s not your problem, but how would you feel if this started happening to your business? Really, it’s a bit like going out for dinner and getting dozens of chefs to prepare a meal for you, then only paying for the one you like. Is that fair? Save your money. If you can’t afford an experienced designer, find a student or recent graduate. Otherwise, save your pennies and get the real deal.
A message to designers participating in this practice: You are hurting your own industry and devaluing yourself. Spec work like this is seriously frowned upon by professional design associations. If you are doing it to build your portfolio, there are better ways. There are many not-for-profit organizations that could use your help. Find one you believe in. They make amazing clients and you can be proud of the work you do for them.
Ok, then what about stock designs and templates?
Don’t get me started. Do you really want your business to be confused with a thousand others?
So there you have it.
I know that was a ton of information, but I hope it has helped you understand graphic design pricing a little better. If I’m to leave you with any sort of message, it is this: Good design is an investment. If you are serious about the success of your business, which of course you are, you know that sometimes you have to spend money to make money. I’m not suggesting you need to go out and spend a huge wad of cash on a design overhaul of your business, but if you do decide a graphic designer might be able to help you improve your business, don’t waste your money on crap. Be smart about it and spend what you need to.
Addendum: Now that you know what a good designer is worth, how do you know what a good designer is? This article should help answer that question: How to Choose a Graphic Designer
Tags: brochures, business cards, design contests, design process, graphic design, logo, pricing, value, web design
Great article. Thank you.
Bravo on this post; well said!! Thank you so much for posting this article! So often it is hard to understand what to charge our clients as graphic designers, and this post provides a very balanced, accurate and sensitive look into what the industry requires. I’ve been out of school for 3 years now and wondering how I compare to the likes of others, and this provides a good snapshot. I think it’s time to up my rates with confidence!
Thank you for also demonizing sites that are bid/spec oriented. I too feel these sites are destroying our industry and can’t believe people don’t realize this! Come on people! You’re spending time on your work… get paid for it and don’t pull the rest of us down. What a completely unsustainable approach to creating a solution. Browse away from these sites as fast as possible! If you are looking for inspiration, sure, that’s one thing — but graphic design is not a gamble, it’s a business… especially for those who treat it as such.
Cheers!
Very good idea to post this. Thanks
Thanks for posting this. You summed up well many things I’ve had to explain to friends and clients over the years, particularly when it comes to spec work.
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
Thanks folks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the in-depth information. This is very helpful!
Brilliant. Concise. To the point. Always wanted something easy to read and to understand to base my pricing on.
A nice written article, it really helps to know pricing of each category of graphic design, recently i did survey by asking many logo designers about their charges they give me close charges as you mention.
David recently posted..All New Inspired Collection of Financial Logos
A good read! very informative, Thank you!
Finally a voice of reason! I use the car pricing analogy every time someone asks what I charge for a website design. I have several sets of hourly rates depending upon the type of client and level of PITA they possess. In general, with the economy as it is, I’ve had to knock 20 – 30% of the rates I was charging before the meltdown just to stay competitive. 70% and busy is better than not working!
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
Ya, a lot of us have had to do the same. In the article I said that most designers charge precisely what they’re worth, but the truth is that during these tough times, a pretty sizable portion of us are charging less than we’re worth just to keep busy. I suppose though that ‘worth’ is always in flux in relation to economic conditions.
Thank you for this well thought out and written article on pricing for graphic design. It seems to me that many people are seeking the cheapest designers these days. It is getting harder and harder to make a living selling custom designs at prices that will keep one in business. But cheap usually ends up costing you more in the long run.
I’ve been doing this 11 years and have never seen the process described so clearly! Good stuff!!
well descriptive & informative…
Very thoughtful. Thanks for making the effort to help folks get a handle on this subject. Two things come to mind that seem to skew any rational valuation of my work: 1. Clients that simply cannot see the difference (some people are quite content wearing clothes that look cheap and don’t fit). 2. Clients that want the luxury of multiple review cycles and input but don’t consider the time involved.
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
As far as clients not seeing the difference, it’s our job to educate them. As designers, we understand colour theory, typography, readability, unity, harmony, and a hundred other things that, combined, create a visual language. We have to translate this language into English.
I think a lot of designers are either not confident enough in their own knowledge or lack the language skills to explicate/translate the information in a way that clients can relate to.
Of course there’s only so much you can get across to a prospect in the limited initial communication you have with them, but I think the key is to give them a taste of your working process each time you talk with them.
As often as possible, qualify them on the phone and then if they appear to be good prospects, meet with them in person for a consultation. They will be much more receptive to the price if you’ve just spent an hour asking them a bunch of questions they didn’t even know mattered. They will get a sense of “Oh, this thing is bigger than I realized”. You’ll also be able to help them understand the limitations of the budget in terms of the number of review cycles (the agreed-upon amount of which should be outlined in your service agreement).
You’ll spend a lot of time with these consultations, but you’ll close more sales, and be more likely to build long-term business relationships, which are of paramount importance to both you and your clients.
Shaun Hensher recently posted..What the Heck is Kerning? (dofollow)
I think many new designers simply don’t know what to charge and are too modest for their own good. This is a great way to open their eyes. Great design is worth every dollar.
Thanks for the great article!
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
Efrain, you raise a good point. Most new designer have very little understanding of what they should charge. This is a failing of our education system. Most design programs teach every detail of what it takes to create beautiful, inspired and effective designs, but very few of them teach us how to sell those skills or what to charge for them. We have to figure that out on our own, mostly by trial and error. I really hope that this changes, but in the meantime, maybe this post will help, if just a teensy bit.
This is such a great article! Thank you for writing this. I am still a fairly new graphic designer (graduated 3 years ago) and still have no idea how to price my work. This helps me out a lot.
I’ve been undercharging my work, but I was only doing that so I could get the work. And even then, people would complain about my prices, and then go find another designer to do it for them cheaper. It’s frustrating.
Anyways, thank you once again for this great article! :)
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
It is frustrating, and we all come across it. Looking at your samples, for someone of your experience, you’ve got some design chops. Clearly, you’re learning and refining as you go, but it’s clear to me that your place in the market is not the bargain bin. At 3 years out of school, can you justify charging $75 an hour? Maybe not quite yet, but I’d say you should be looking at somewhere above $40/hr. The average for designers with less than 5 years experience is, according to the survey I cited in the article, $43/hr.
Every designer has to decide where they fit in the marketplace. How do your talents compare to your peers? What additional value do you bring to the table? Decide how much you’re worth, and then don’t budge on it other than to provide deals on packages. Those clients that quibble on price? They probably aren’t your target market. Or maybe they are, but they need to go through a few failures before they come to you. Your goal should be to establish a reputation of being at a certain level of quality. If you waiver on price, then you are sending a mixed message. You’re saying to them “Ok, maybe I’m not worth quite what I said I was”. Don’t waste time with people who don’t value your skills. Spend your time cultivating long-term clients who believe in you and understand how much you can bring to their business. They will then start doing the selling for you by telling everyone they know about you.
Shaun Hensher recently posted..The Best Book Cover Designs of 2010 (dofollow)
I agree, this article has good information, succinctly expressed. One tip I learned the hard way. After my brainstorming and selecting work, ready to show clients some ideas, I included an idea I didn’t like, just to provide contrast. I looked at this as educating the clients, with the intention to steer them to the two best and make a decision. Naturally, they liked the bad one best and nothing I said could change their mind. So I had to work on one I hated. That one never made it into my design portfolio!
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
That’s an important lesson. Never show the client something you don’t love. After all, there’s probably a very good reason you don’t love it. I learned that one the hard way too. Thanks for bringing it up.
Shaun Hensher recently posted..Red Lobster Logo and Brand Identity Refresh (dofollow)
This was a great article! I can’t wait to forward it to our design community out here in northwest indiana. You said in one article what many of us have been struggling with in terms of dealing with clients who want a whole brand package for $500. It just doesn’t work that way. I like telling people, “would you take that as a two week pay” Nope neither would I. Thank you for writing it. Keep up the good work.
Best,
Chase
Wow, this is really great information. So clear and focused. It totally appreciate it.
Misty
Wonderful article. Good reminder. Valuable information. Thank you.
Great article. You have covered a lot of areas that were a grey zone for most of us over the years. Thank You.
Great article (but wonder if ‘bare minimum’ is defeating the purpose of this a bit??) Also, there are other factors – especially personal circumstances (family, mortage, rent etc) that can take these fees up or down. Is this based on renting a studio or a home-based business? And what about copyright fees! I’m not arguing the fee structure – this is about right for my circumstances. And I understand this is general overview – it is way too complicated to cover in one article. Once again, well done!
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
All good points Greg. There are a great many complexities involved in graphic design pricing. I had to restrain myself from making this a book. My goal with the article was to try and demystify the subject somewhat and give clients a basic understanding of the “get what you pay for” concept. If all they get out of it is an understanding that designers struggle financially as much as anyone else, I’m happy. Too many people have this notion that designers overcharge and it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your point about the bare minimum is well taken too. Perhaps I was being a little too diplomatic when I included that, but I guess I wanted to give people a number that represented an amount below which getting anything of value is impossible. I’d rather people spend nothing than spend something and get nothing for it.
Thanks for your input!
Shaun Hensher recently posted..Brand (New), You’re Retro (dofollow)
Great article … I found it on Linkedin and I truly enjoyed reading all of it … Thanks for posting.
hi dude, great article…i always have a question about how do desingers manage to charge for their work or how do they retain their clients because these days i see too much of free stuff and readymade things online and mostly people goes to experienced designer for their work rather than freshers and on the other hand fresh designers charges less to get project….. fresher and established designers somehow managing but those mid level designers finding it hard to face today’s market…. thanks a lot for making it clear that “all designers put more effort and money to make a complete design and for which they charge to client” also that car example is very good…cheers
Great article, it’s nice to know I’m not overcharging! Sometimes I get a little depressed because I *stupidly* look on Craigslist for work, and there are “designers” on there offering “logos” for $25. Seriously.
I think also you should include in your break-down of prices the VALUE of said design, especially when it comes to logos and brand building. For example, even though a logo (or whatever) might take x amount of hours and work, that client is going to continue to get value from it for years to come. For example, let’s say you design them a logo for $2,000, and they use it for 10 years. That breaks down to only $200 a year for that logo, yet it’s continually adding value to their business. Even Business Week Global Brands reported that “the value of well-branded companies is 70% greater than the value of their tangible assets”. That is HUGE.
So in a nutshell, I think the value factor needs to be taken into account in the price we charge too, and educate ourselves (and our clients) as to how much we’re adding to their business over the long haul.
Thank you so much for sharing! Incredibly well put and helpful; as an illustrator also educated in graphic design, this question comes up over and over.
Also, incredibly timely, considering the e-mail I found in my inbox today from a would-be client who wants to have a bunch of different artists do “tests” for game screens and assets, then pick the style they want specifically while only paying that artist an amount “to be discussed afterwards”…sheesh. >.> Worst part is that a fellow illustrator friend of mine was the one that suggested me. +facepalm+
Your article neatly sums up a number of experiences that I’ve had over the years although primarily an illustrator I’ve created many designs that revolve around illustration and when I first started to sell commissions I would price far to low. It took a business friend to suggest doubling the price but I didn’t have the courage to do that although I did increase the price and he gave me two commissions. Once I delivered the artwork I let him know that I had only be in business for a few months and asked him if he had a budget in mind and then he told me that he would happily have paid three times as much as I charged him. Today my pricing is a little more sophisticated but the real moral of the story is don’t be scared to charge a good price for the unique skills that you have.
I think this is the first time that I’ve read a detailed post on graphic design pricing. Graphic design I feel, is like the soul of a project. I’ve read just s couple of your posts so I’ll look forward to read more.
thank you this helped alot
As a graphic artist who came up when there were no computers, it was a bit easier to charge and get paid for the work. Now that online colleges offer Graphic Design and everyone has MS Word and access to clip art they think they’re going to be the next Milton Glaser (though I am sure NONE of them know who that is).
What most people fail to realize is no amount of fancy software (not including Word) is going to make you a graphic artist worth a serif. If you have no creativity and inherent sense of design, color, or how typography works, you’re going to churn out the type of work people on Craigslist are willing to pay money for.
Since I live near the Savannah College of Art and Design, Craigslist is rife with people looking for cheap or FREE labor from students. Instead of posting my usual snarky retort to those posters, I will offer a link to this site instead and hope they get educated.
I need a couple bookcovers designed
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] with the details and I would be glad to provide a quote.
Twitter: designfacet
says:
Great article, really enjoyed reading it. I hope all graphic designers can set themselves a high standard of return for their work.
Words of truth!
Create or Die recently posted..eleven Hair + Bar + Design
Twitter: emesghali
says:
AMEN BROTHER! this post is amazing. i use to participate in those bs competition things but it was such a waste of time and energy i eventually gave up. im going to send this article to all my future clients LOL!
I live in Israel and I just wish people will agree to pay these sums for design work.
I’m in the industry for 7+ years and haven’t seen many designers that can charge more then 1000$ for just logo.
usually a full branding work (including logo, stationary, and extra stuff sometimes a simple website is included) will be around 2000$-3500$.
The problem is there are a lot of uneducated designers working for less then 30$ per hr. and a lot of advertising studios who take all the big clients since they can offer free or cheap advertising, but do crap design work.
If you plan to be a real designer in Israel its really isn’t about the money it’s because you love this profession.
Twitter: AWAZDA
says:
Nicely written, pal. It is so important to get this information out. I’ve featured you on my website to spread the knowledge.
Amanda Wall recently posted..Graphic Design Pricing
Pricing your is a difficult thing to do especially when you do not know where to start. As for clients they do not always realise you get what you pay for, until they realise the work they paid $100 for, has been outsourced to Asia.
Thank you so much for this article. I appreciate the insight, it sounds like a voice of the artist.
Thanks so much for the this article, it was very helpful and very well explained!
Thank you so much for this article. I have been struggling with this issue for a while with my own design business. People admire great work, but don’t appreciate the value of the work nor the time invested. I was thinking that maybe i should go down on my prices when I came across your article. You have brought to light all of the thoughts in my head.
I will not go down on my prices!!!!
I paid too darn much for school to do a logo for $50 and respect my art too much to put out logos without research.
This is a great guide for business to build a budget and to have a reference tool when receiving quotes from graphic designers to balance work experience vs pricing.
Thanks for taking the time to write this for the public to utilize.
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The old phrase: “You get what you pay for!” Good article.
Simply Brilliant!
Your article was very insightful and helpful. As a recent grad its hard to understand how much to charge. Your article helped me to understand its OK to charge a little more if your work can back it up. As students/recent grads we tend to charge so little just to help build a good portfolio. Its hard to gain experience when few people give you an opportunity to gain experience. Your idea about helping non profit organizations to help build your portfolio was genius. Thanks man I will deff forward this to all my graphic designer friends.
Thanks…this was very helpful as we need to show our unique business through everything that we offer.
Amazing article!
I really appreciate your help!
I just started my business, and I find it hard to win bids with the government… I might charge to high, I don’t really know. I find it hard to explain the client how much a (example: logo ) would worth, but know with your help I can really explain how to charge!
Once again thanks for all this great information!
Alex
great article. this guides me on what to do with my smalltime business graphic art designs…
Excellent post. I think that your prices are really in good range. Any one can use your service. :)
Thank you
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Thank you for a wonderful article, it says it all.
I totally save this post.
Regards
Mia
MJ Vision – creative design
Twitter: onthedotdesign
says:
Also, thanks for writing this post, I am at my wits end trying to price my work, and feel like I am undervalued…
Nice post! For beginners in web designing this article is very important to keep in mind to have basic designing a website! I’m also learning to build my own website. Thanks for the post!
Excellent post about design. As I am working with our design department on a regular basis, I see their challenges day in and day out…and different perspective is always useful. I will post a link to this on my blog. Thanks!
Twitter: MiamiLuxCondos
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How can you be sure that $10K will not get you a sloppy job :)
Twitter: henshercreative
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By carefully choosing who you work with: How to Choose a Graphic Designer
sometimes you say pick a experience designer,sometime pick a
fresh graduated student then you said don’t design with inexperience designer…….. talk talk and talk , where is the solution ????
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
The solution is to set your budget and choose a designer who is able to work within it. If you cannot afford an experienced professional, you might be able to find a student or fresh graduate who can help you out.
Thank you! I’m a fresh graduate now I know that I have to charge my client more!!!><
Twitter: chnarsaster
says:
Great article. I have roughly a year experience and just added web development to my skill set. I was charging way below market. I was charging $25/hour, but re-calculated everything and now I’m charging $55/hour. I’m sure I can go a bit higher considering I’m in Vancouver and its so frickin expensive.
Twitter: str9led
says:
Thanks for this post, it is really useful. Many people do not know what prices used in the design of websites, some of these prices inflate and others underestimate, so you can have some kind of example. Thanks again and best regards
Marcin Różewski recently posted..How to make animation 3d text in Blender 2.67
Twitter: JenImajendesign
says:
Thanks great article, good guidance for those like me just starting out.
Fantastic information! This is an amazing resource for kids just graduating from college who are trying to figure out how the freelance thing works. Thanks for posting!
Twitter: Francavilla
says:
Very, very relevant. It seems most other blogs, books and resources are afraid of giving actual numbers. This is very accurate to what I’ve done in the past as well.
I understand why graphic designers are worth their weight in gold. I spent hours this summer trying to design a label for a jar. If we ever get our business up and running, I will gladly pay someone to do the graphic design. It is not as easy as it looks….
Well Written and Very informational
Very Well Written!! Thank you so much for the information!!
Thanks so much fro this excellent article! It’s such a great guide and I would like to reference you in some of the work Im doing to train clients and designers about pricing and things like that, if that’s all right! Thank you so much!!
Pricing can be confusing to understand but what it comes down to is you get what you paid for. If you pay more your logo is probably going to be better, simple as that.
I have been wondering how to charge my overseas customers, specially in Asia. Great Article and a big help.
Twitter: TheMiamiCondos
says:
Impressive information about graphic design.
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Thanks for the good read! although written years ago, it’s quite relevant today. 10 years ago I made $50K a year, last year I made $12K. I just can’t make a living, as people want to pay $10 an hour, if I can find work. I’m very sad, depressed and frustrated about it as I have 20 years experience and it’s about all I’m quite skilled to do, and I love it. :(
I am in the process of quoting on a large multi-page document – I will quote on cover design and overall design separately from the actual formatting of the many pages. Is there a standard amount (30 min per page for example) that one would use to quote on something like this? there are over 100 pages. thanks
PLEASE, for the love of my eyes and the eyes of all other readers, PLEASE change the typeface of your blog to something remotely legible, not Gill Sans black.
Sincerely,
A Professional Graphic Designer.
Twitter: henshercreative
says:
Please, for the love of your future clients and colleagues, learn the difference between Myriad regular and Gill Sans Black. At any rate, this theme is as old as the hills and I plan to update it as soon as my workload slows down to a reasonable rate.
Sincerely,
A Registered Graphic Designer without a chip on his shoulder.
And what about labels? How do we charge out client for that? I have a cliet right now who has a small dishwashing liquid business and she wants me to design a label, big and small so that’s two labels, how much do I charge her?
Twitter: getajolt
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Thanks for such a thorough coverage on this topic! Sadly, still very relevant today. Anything that you’d update on it today? Thanks!
Twitter: henshercreative
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Aside from the horribly outdated design of my entire site (Oh the life of a busy designer – everyone else’s jobs take precedence over my own)? ;)
I don’t think I’d change much. Perhaps my “bare minimum” prices listed should be a bit higher now.
Totally true and i would just add 1 more method, sometimes i feel it works and that is pricing per template, for web design and front-end development, and keep the highest rate for the homepage
Twitter: Kitty_Canuck
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It’s so true. You get what you pay for. Designers are so underrated.
The things I like most is that right price chart. Thanks, mate!! Many of us don’t know the exact price of graphic design.