“How much should graphic design cost?”
August 12, 2015, by Lisa Saville
“How much should graphic design cost?”
No one wants to be ripped off, so how do you know what a fair design fee is? Unfortunately there’s no simple answer to this question, but certainly there are some things you should know before you ask…
WHAT DO YOU WANT AND WHO IS YOUR TARGET MARKET? Are you looking for a ‘quick logo’ for a small business that you will manage from home? Or do you need to create a ‘brand’ that is relevant and can carry your business into the future by appealing to the correct target market?
For quick logo’s and basic DTP there are young designers and copy shops who offer design for as little as R250 to R350 per hour, and while these services suffice for certain needs, if you want a professional solution you will need a designer who is experienced enough to offer a holistic approach to all your elements with the requisite skills in each area. Naturally this will come at a higher hourly rate, how much higher depends on who you choose.
An advertising agency will be capable of really researching your potential future market and guiding you with not only aesthetics but a marketing strategy as well. These kind of services offer specialist expertise and advice and will be quoted per project.
Perhaps you don’t need advice on how to market your business, but simply on how to develop the creative elements – a comprehensive “look and feel” that’s appropriate to your product/service. There are many good design studios/designers around and fees can be anything from R450 upwards per hour. Get to know people and check out their portfolios before you commit to working with them – you don’t always get more when you pay more.
Hot Ink is not an ad agency but we do have 18 years experience to offer start up businesses or those wanting to update their brand. We really try to understand more about your business before beginning new projects in order to create an authentic result, so our current design fee of R480 is pretty reasonable considering the depth that we can add. (View Hot Inks’ design portfolio.)
Most importantly you should choose to work with people with whom you feel comfortable – the creative journey is a delicate thing – part objective; part subjective and often fun! We’d like to think that we offer technical skill, creativity and a positive experience in equal measures so give us a call when you need help with your next creative project…
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