GRAPHIC DESIGN PRICING
“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?”
This is an issue I deal with a lot. I’m absolutely dedicated to making quality images, whether they are for a personal project or for a client, because I am constantly looking for ways to improve my visual vocabulary. Making pictures and designs is a large part of my life eduction and I have no desire whatsoever to take any short-cuts. It also means asking for a price that reflects the value of my work.
It’s a great exercise to think of pricing from a client’s perspective. Why pay $900 for a logo, when you can get one via Craigslist or a freelance site for $25? What can a solo designer offer that a large corporation can’t? These questions and more are answered in an interesting article by Shaun Hensher called “Graphic Design Pricing.”
I remember sitting in an illustration class one day, marveling at how thoroughly the more advanced students had built their images. I had labored over the proportions in my drawing, and had come to a solid conclusion, but in that same amount of time there were other students who had already worked through the issues of form, composition, values and contrast, texture, movement, color harmony, and line quality. I noticed that, while I could see and understand the needed proportions, the more advanced students could see a litany of other visual problems and solutions, all at the same time.
Now I can’t approach an image without considering all of these factors all at once – these principles and elements of design, techniques and treatment of subject matter – they all work together to create the image. It’s not just about making something look nice, it has to do what it is designed to do. A scary story that fails to scare, but is written in a flowery language, does not do its job as a scary story. A logo design that looks nice, but doesn’t tell us anything about the company’s services, products, views, or background, does not do its job as a logo.
In any case, if you’ve been stymied by the pricing monster, you’ll want to read Shaun’s “Graphic Design Pricing.”
Also, be sure to follow-up with Shaun’s addendum at the bottom on choosing a graphic designer for your project.
Hensher
(that was weird) Hensher wrote a great article; his points cannot be stated often enough. Thanks for linking