Understanding Design Prices

To start off my continuation of writing in this blog, I wanted to take the time to try and explain my opinion about design prices. Basically, to explain that some people understand and some don't when it comes to realizing how much design work actually can cost you depending on who you ask to get the work down.

There's no right and wrong in this posting. This is my opinion.

When it comes to people wanting work done, if you're starting your own business you need the basics like, most importantly, a logo. After that, things come in stages as you see fit but here's how I see an order:

1. Logo
2. Business Cards
3. Stationary (which includes Letterhead, Invoice, Quotes/Estimate, etc.)
4. Website

I mention getting a website done last simply because it is one of the two items on that list that would normally cost the most (logo being the other). Remember, this is not an order of "what's most to least expensive", it's a list of what I feel is an order of getting this kind of work done.

The Logo
The Logo is the most important image of a business. Whether it includes the business name or not, it is the visual that people come to relate to your business. Quick examples include IBM and Apple. Both are iconic where IBM includes it's name and Apple doesn't. You recognize them both instantly though. Saying all this though, should also mean that this is the one area of your business where you can expect to pay a decent amount to get done. This is the beginning of your branding that is than transferred on all other material that is later created. Don't get offended if a designer asks for over $50 to do just the logo... it could cost over $1000 depending on who you end up getting. Freelancers might be a bit cheaper than a larger firm due to hourly rates and the like but in the end, this is where it will all start.

Business Cards
This can be done cheap and quickly. Turn around times, those that I've experienced, can be from a few days to 2 weeks depending on who and where. I have continued to get mine done at a place in the states because they offer great deals on business cards all the time. Some places will say you can only order a minimum of 500 or 1000 cards at one time, this place brings it down to 250 and is VERY reasonably priced! I can't remember exact cost but my last batch of cards cost less than $50 for 250 coloured business cards. It's a great place to get them done if you're just starting out, but of course, I'm not going to give out who they are cause that would defeat the purpose of me offering you a good deal on business cards in case you need some! :)

Stationary
Another area that utilizes your logo. The type of stationary you decide to start with depends on the kind of company you are hoping to start. Typically, I'd recommend a letter head, invoice and possibly a quote/estimate sheet (but you could also consider using your letter head). Using my services, this area is fairly cheap as most of the work is already done (logo) and the rest comes from combining something artistic with the logo/branding colours.

Website
Websites take time. Time is money. The complexity of what kind of website you want will take time to design and build and so don't expect to get a good/decent running website for $250. I'm quite surprised to see ads that offer websites for such a low cost but understand that most of the designs are templates that they reuse. By spending more you're making sure that you get a design that was specific to your needs, company and that no one else is using. Now at this time and age it is getting harder to design 100% unique websites because there are aspects from one site that you might like and are implemented into the design of your own site, but make sure that the site is not a 100% copy of another. Budget for this site and let the designer know what you're able to spend so that he/she knows how far they can go with design and complexity.

Last but not least...
Understand that designing your business logo and other branding necessities is a job for us. Just as you have a business to run and need to have an income to keep it going, so do designers. We're not out to bankrupt you with what might seem to you as "high costs of service". We're here to help you advertise your business so that you have a greater ROI (Return on Investment).

What's Your Opinion?
Have you had an experience where you felt over-charged by a designer? What did you ask them to do and if you don't mind sharing what the cost was, did it look like what they charged you?

For reasonable prices for the items listed above, feel free to contact me! www.jansenmedia.ca!