WHAT DO I CHARGE? The Value of Design

So you like my portfolio and you’d like to hire me… Congratulations. If I may so, you have impeccable taste and I’d love to work with you. So now comes the question. What do I charge? It may look effortless, but a lot of work goes into good design and it takes years to develop professional design skills. All too often a client needs some work done for $250. The reality is the work they need is actually worth $1500. Before you get sticker shock lets talk about a few things and what actually goes into a design. Sure, I could throw together a brochure in a few hours for $250 but that would be doing you and your company a disservice. We both care about your company and how it does. I want you to do well, and want you to get a huge return on your investment decision to hire me. In order for that to happen, I want to get to know what it is that you do. I will want to discuss your job specifications and scheduling; "what makes your company tick; what sets you apart from your competitors; what are you trying to communicate; and what are your biggest challenges?” Although this process may seem somewhat time-consuming, it is essential to sharpen the focus and objectives of your project. This ensures that the designs I produce for you are not only creative and of good quality, but strategically targeted as well.

If you wish, you can compare me to other designers and other sites that will design you a brochure for $250. Look at my portfolio. Look at theirs. If you are happy with those designers, then I am happy that you have identified a solution that will work for you. We probably would not have been a good fit. If you look hard enough, you could also probably get a logo for even cheaper. Ask yourself, “can the logo be trademarked or has it been plagiarized?” Are you comfortable in risking a potential lawsuit from the entity that actually owns the logo trademark? My business model is focused on giving a differentiated and custom solution based on your unique business strategy so that you will stand out in the crowded marketplace. It is a lot of value for your money.

I understand that the reality is that many people and companies are on a very tight budget, and can’t afford the prices that first class designers charge. There is nothing wrong with this; cost discipline is an important component to your business margins. It is important though to understand the value of good strategic design. I offer a package of services for those interested in establishing a relationship based on personal strategy and differentiated value. If my design services are still out of your budget then that is okay. I will still be here if you become dissatisfied with less expensive, “templated” solutions, and I will love to get to know and work with you.

Image from Designing a Life Blog.

BRANDING AND CROWDSOURCING

Hundreds of websites run contests for everything from logos to brochures designs. All you have to do is write a description of what you want, post an amount you are willing to pay for it. An online company will then act as a go between you and designers. Designers from around the world submit their entries in the hope that their work will be chosen and they will win the money. If you select one of the designs as a winner, that specific designer, and only that designer, gets paid for their work. If no design is selected, no one gets compensated. This practice is now called 'crowdsourcing'.

WHAT IS CROWDSOURCING IN RELATION TO LOGO DESIGN & BRANDING? At first, it’s easy to understand how crowdsourcing might have an appeal. It doesn’t cost much and it tends to have quick results. This is what people tend to see and why it has grown in popularity. There are some things that a business cannot crowdsource to create its brand: like its name, culture, or point of view. There is value in hiring a talented design firm that is well versed to create a brand for your company. At face value, crowdsourcing might have that immediate appeal but in the end the costs are damaging to your company’s success. Why would you trust your new identity to DIY designers who don’t understand your brand, business strategy or core values? The reason companies spend so much time and effort to create a unique brand is because it’s essential to the longevity of their business.” To build a bond with the consumer, you really need to have insight into who they are and what compels them. Don't waste a few hundred dollars and get something that won't work.  Make a good investment on your brand identity.

CROWDSOURCING IS A REALLY BAD IDEA FOR YOUR BUSINESS. It’s not wrong because it’s cheap. It’s wrong because it lacks value and doesn’t help a business with its brand. A logo is not a brand. The brand makes a company mean something to its audience. A logo is a single element that goes into making a brand. It’s part among many things to make up a company’s story. A brand cannot be built from one or two statements that ill-informed designers will use to set off in every direction to create a logo.

THE QUALITY OF CROWDSOURCING TENDS TO BE LOW. The quality of the final designs of crowdsourcing contests is mostly determined by the quality of talent, the contest set up and how it is well it is managed. Crowdsourcing designers tend to have less training in the fundamentals of graphic design, which often times result in logos based on stylized trends and fads with nothing to do with your company’s core values. Most of the people that participate in crowdsource work are students looking to increase their portfolio or DIY hobbyists self-taught on Photoshop without ability and experience.

RESULTS AND MOTIVATION GO TOGETHER. Designers are like other people and are motivated by compensation, respect, and a sense of being part of a team. The relationship between a crowdsourcing client and a crowd source designer is vague and has no underlying motivation. Crowdsourced designers are not vested in the success of your company. Hundreds of people are working for free, from countries all over the world in the hopes that they might get a few hundred dollars from a contest that you posted. Without proper pay, designers don't have a lot of time to spend creating custom work that will connect with your consumer and target market. Instead, what you get is work that has been submitted that is recycled that has been rejected by a 'real' paying client. Is that the level of talent that you want working on your logo and brand? There are many well-documented cases in which work that was submitted violated trademarks, copied logos from well known designers.

GREAT LOGOS ARE WELL RESEARCHED AND BUILT ON STRATEGY. Brand identity has to connect emotionally with your consumer and target market. That doesn’t happen from a just a pretty logo. That comes from really knowing the consumer and the company. It takes lengthy discussions and research to get feel for an industry and company. Who is making sure that your crowdsourced logo will work on a strategic level? Who is making sure the design will compel consumers to choose you instead of the competition? Most likely you will get a logo that won’t have any longevity of a well-designed and thought out logo that has your overall branding in mind from a skilled designer/firm.