Quote:
|
Talk to graphic designers who work in this industry and they will tell you that they are getting more and more enquiries from webmasters who seem to have no concept of the value of a graphic designer's time and talent. One designer I know was asked for a quote on a pay site tour and when he quoted his standard figure of around $1300 was told that the webmaster expected to pay less than $50.00.
|
Yes ... this statement is not far off ... although personally I have not had anybody expect to pay $50.00 for a full tour, I often get people telling me that they were hoping to pay considerably less than our prices are ... and our prices I think are VERY fair for quality work ... they are not the cheapest going, but at same time are far from the most expensive too !! I have many of my clients tell me that my prices are very reasonable, and even a coulple that have told me that I am ripping myself off, and insist on paying me MORE (right Jim ... lol)
Bottom line is this .... Design is a skill ... not everybody posesses it (and thank god for that, or we'd be unemployed ...
). With ANY skilled profession, even Doctor, lawyer, plumber, electrician, whatever, you pay a bit of a premium for the work, but it reflects also on the time, tools, experience, and know-how that the tradesperson has invested into being an "expert" at what they do.
And in our case, although myself and Vid do design for many hours of the day, we currently have a staff of 6 talented designers that we must pay also, this is not just a hobby for us.
Our prices are not always etched in stone, and if asked, we try our best to work with clients budgets, on a per case basis.
As a program owner, when you think of all the money that a well thought out design will help you make, the price does not seem all that high really. Program owners make mone on a recurring basis, with us ... we make it once per job, and that is it (maybe little changes down the road, but you cannot bank on that). This is all we do to make our living.
For the most of you, what I say is nothing new ... but there is an ever-increasing number of newbies that expect the world for a couple of bucks ... it is frustrating to spend 30 minutes on ICQ with somebody who really likes your work, and spells out to you exactly what they want done, and it sounds all but a done deal, and then as soon as you start talking prices to them they freak out ... maybe call you a ripoff artist ... and several other choice words ... and then disappear into thin air ...
While I am on this rant ... let me take a second to address several "up and coming" talented designers, without naming any names ... FOR CHRIST SAKES GUYS - TAKE SOME PRIDE IN YOUR WORK, and charge resonable rates! You do not have to WHORE YOURSELF at rates 5 times cheaper than everybody else to make a buck. If your work is quality, the clients who will keep food on your table will not mind paying for it within reason, and there is more than enough design work out there that we really do not need to cut each other's throats.
I am friends with many of the other great designers/design companies out there - AMP, Fletch, bhutocracy, Ryan(AGFX), Teen Angel, Todd O. (webinc), VooDoo, MachineGunKelly, Quashe, Naughty, Druid, RedShoe ... just to name a few. The adult internet is so vast, that there is enough pie to share, we don't need to be "rivals".
And now that I am almost all ranted out, I would like to make one last point ... WTF is up with all these "design contests" ?!?
I mean honestly ... if you own a few acres of land, do you have 30 different homebuilders come and build you a house, and decide to pay only the one you like best ?!?
IMHO ... I think design contests are LAME !!!
Stop being lazy ... go and research a few companies, look at their portfolios, even contact them personally (most of us have contact pages and portfolios, and have taken alot of time building them for you ...), and use the info you collect to make an informed decision (kinda like going shopping for a new TV).
Alright ... I have had more than my say, and thank anybody who read this post to this point ... HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL !!
