The above logo designs was a rush job I completed about a month ago. These were the comps I sent to the client for review. He picked the bottom right hand corner. The logo design from start to finish, took me about 10 hours to complete. Was it expensive? That depends.
Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is all that is expensive; well in my opinion anyway. What maybe expensive for you, might be reasonable for someone else. Now in speaking in terms of graphic design, a lot of people beg the question, “Why is it so expensive?” When you factor in all that goes into good graphic design (and by good I mean quality, original & professional design) it’s really not that expensive. I look at it as an investment in your business, which you will definitely see a return on.
There are many different factors that go into a good custom graphic design, with the main factor being time.
Time is the main factor in deciding how much a graphic designer will charge for a project. As a freelance designer, I charge based on how long I think a project will take me, then I pad the number a little that factors in project management, research, revisions, consultations, customer service, my skill level and my expertise. Most design projects average anywhere from 10-60 hours of work (this includes the aforementioned). For example a logo design can take me anywhere from 10-40 hours of work, depending on the type of business. This includes research of your target market, the understanding of your brand, hand drawn logo concepts, logo comps, revisions, consultations and the complete logo. This is why it is so hard to give a quote right away and why I always give a starting price. There are many factors why the starting price will increase. The price of a logo for a small business or blogger, will not be the same for a medium sized corporation. Design is not a one size fits all service.
Web design is an entirely different animal. Working on the WordPress platform or even creating a website from scratch, requires extensive coding, formatting and cross browser compatibility checking, not to mention the design process. While purchasing free or premade templates is a great way to save time and money, there is nothing like having your very own custom blog/site design. A simple clean WordPress site design can take anywhere between 10-20 hours to complete.
Some people tend to think that all graphic design consists of is opening Photoshop and slapping some text and color together to make a piece of printed or web related artwork, which is a huge misconception. Good design takes time, research and creativity.
There is value in good graphic design. Think about the last time when you visited a well designed site or noticed a well designed logo. How did it make you feel about the company? A good designer will ask you questions about your business and your vision. It is our job as designers to solve your problems visually.
Do you think design services are expensive? Why or why not?
I use to think it was until my hubs got into doing websites and the time it took was a lot. I then understood why people charge what they charge. It takes time to get things the right way and color and to please the client because some clients are very picky. Great post and it’s something to think about when hiring a designer.
Yes Kita! I want a client to just side saddle with me one day and see all that goes into designing. I wish I had the ability to create a logo in 10 minutes LOL! I could make a lot of money that way! Unfortunately, I don’t even start designing on the computer until I’ve done about 5-6 hours of research and sketches on pencil and paper. I’m glad you see the value and all the hard work and effort that goes into making designs! Thank you for visiting!
It’s difficult to say whether or not graphic design is expensive because obviously different designers charge different prices and “expensive” is subjective. I do know that many people have a problem with paying for creative services. Even though they can’t do it themselves, they think of it as “easy” and don’t understand why it takes so long or why you’re charging what you’re charging. It’s always a struggle, especially when dealing with small businesses/entrepreneurs. I definitely understand the financial constraints but I can’t work for pennies.
It is definitely subjective since it all depends on your budget. If you can however afford a graphic designer, it is definitely an investment just like anything else you do for your business. Having a consistent brand, will definitely help a business grow and help them stand apart from the rest. I am also a small business so I definitely understand how fickle this economy is and I work with many budgets large and small, however I have bills to pay as well, so just like you said, we can’t work for pennies. Thanks for visiting!
I’ve completely undervalued the work and expertise involved with a GOOD graphic designer. There are so many people who claim they do “graphic design” and will charge a few bucks plus with all of the stock images available online and such initially I was just annoyed with anyone who charged more than I felt it was worth. Since having my logo designed and researching web designers, my view has completely changed. I better understand the art and work involved in designing a good logo and clean site. Completely undervalued area unfortunately because it is so saturated.