Here’s a pretty good concept from David Airey , the Design Pricing Formula .
He also lists a few interesting links to articles about Design Pricing:
12 Realities of Pricing Design Services , by Steven Snell
Nine Factors to Consider When Determining Your Price , by Collis Ta’eed
Is Charging More the Right Thing to Do ? on Men With Pens
The Subtle Effects of Pricing on the Mentality of Clients , on FreelanceSwitch
Edit: After reading through all this, I feel it like it’s the same old song sung by different birds. This is the same problems as for kids coming right out of college of any design schools. First thing. why is it that almost no schools never teach how to value ourselves? (Please leave a comment if you come from a school that actually teaches you how to do the business of design). Yes, we are not trained to lead the management side of a design studio, however, how many of us end up to be freelancers, and are just left running around having no fucking clue as to how things are done.
More often than not, I have a feeling most designers are undercharging. Perhaps most of them are not very good, but is that really the point? Has design gotten to a point where it can be compared to a painter for your house? Have we become ‘interior decorators’? Let’s move your ugly couch over here, painting there, logotype here, acid green there.
Any case, what strikes a chord with me, is that if you call a plumber to check on your pipes because there is a leak, the moment he/she steps out the office, that’s €50-€75. He takes a look at your pipes, thinks for a second or two, the meter is rolling! €50/€75 isn’t unheard of.
