Comments on: Are graphic designers valued and paid?? The bitter truths!!

By: Richard Adams

Richard Adams — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:45:28 +0000

What a brilliant topic.

Recommendation is your best tool. Work to a formular and always include a
Contingency. Always insist on a retainer. never underquote, never ever discount!

If you’re confident and can back this up with skill, the sky is the limit!

By: Salvatore Marotta

Salvatore Marotta — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:31:23 +0000

I think there are three criteria for developing a price.

The definition of the piece: what is this and what is this used for. Is it an ad or a brochure?

The elements needed: are you buying stock photography and painfully retrofitting a photo to make an ad or is the client supplying the photography. Are you writing the copy or is the client.

The time it will take to finish: the hours you use to design, plus the hours you use making adjustments. (usually for the clients ego)

I can’t see how any graphic design job could be less then $1500. If you are simply setting text, you are not designing anything, you are typesetting. A common misconception in this field.

By: Mike Antonio

Mike Antonio — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:15:09 +0000

It’s a good idea to hord together any designers you can and create guilds and unions and make sure nobody slips thourgh the craks to undermine your pricing. We need to create virtual monoploies so we can value our work where it should be instead of cutting each others throats on a daily basis. That only helps the cheap business guy that thinks a 2year old can do what you do.

By: Mike Antonio

Mike Antonio — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:11:57 +0000

Also – if you think your making it and doing well – keep in mind a pro with a degree and ability like yours should be making $70,000 a year (no doubt) and if you are freelancing and pulling 40 hours it should be around $90,000.
So if you are not doing those numbers – you are just another poor sucker satisfied with the scraps and charity pay (pathetic) and missleading your fellow designers into thinking they just arent trying hard enough. DEMAND what the stiffs make and DEMAND better from your collegues in regards to denying crap pay.

By: Mike Antonio

Mike Antonio — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:07:59 +0000

We all need a governemtn regulated union and we all need to police ourselves and make sure nobody is working outside of the union. WE ARE GETTING RIPPED OFFF wholesale.
I don’t know if it’s bc we are dominated by females and art sissys or what — but the problem is real and it’s killing us. WE can’t get a fair wage for a complex job that demans a specific and talented type of individual. We should be earning more than any construction worker or landscaper or other NON-EDUCATED worker – and we don’t even come close in most cases. WHAT the heck is going on – this is a national crisis. The Colleges need to stop pumping folks out like there are jobs that can pay back our loans. This is robbery and nobody is holding them or the employers accountable.

By: harryposter

harryposter — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:40:59 +0000

I have a 50 policy:

Whatever the work, it’s going to be 50 per page, 50 per banner, 50 per business card etc. or 50 per hour

Just stick to it and leave the free work to guys in Hyderabad or school-leaving “designers”