Pricing is one of those subjects that can feel touchy to bring up in polite conversation but it’s important to determine if what you’re charging aligns with the services you’re offering and the clients you want to attract.
There are so many factors that come into play with pricing. And, let’s get honest here — if you charge too little, you won’t be able to keep the lights on. On the other hand, if you charge too much, you may price yourself out of the market. Finding that happy balance definitely takes some trial and error and it’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
When I first started taking on paid design projects in 2006, I was still in college. Because I was working a retail job and had a paid internship, my basics expenses were covered. I was still growing as a new designer while learning my way around the Adobe Creative Suite so charging top dollar wasn’t even an option. Making any amount of money from something I enjoyed doing so much was exciting enough.
When I founded Branch in 2013, I had to get really clear about pricing — design was now a full-time job – and I had office rent, taxes, employees to pay and oh yeah…there needed to be enough left over at the end of each month to pay myself!
In an effort to demystify what to charge for design services, I put together a post for YELLOW dedicated to the subject and you can find it here
