Graphic design is a medium of visual communication which shapes brand identity and contributes to factors such as marketing and product packaging. For many companies and brands, the right designs are essential to their success. Designers often face problems when dealing with clients who are inclined to the business side of the product and have little to no knowledge about the aesthetics or fundamentals of design.
Custom design services such as logos are sold to brands at prices ranging from $100,000 to even $100. This difference comes with the types of clients the designer is providing the service for and the worth of the designer themselves. However, the question remains, what sets the price of the services provided by a graphic designer and is it equal to the actual utility and quality of the design. The following three factors answer these questions:
Design agency
The first and foremost thing to consider is who the client approaches for their design and branding needs. An acclaimed agency with famous past clients, a huge number of employees and constant delivery in terms of quality will obviously charge a bigger amount for their services. These agencies spend more and therefore demand more as well. A designer working in their basement or an agency with their office in a small apartment building will only charge as per their reputation and quality which can never be of comparison to an agency with proper infrastructure, employee hiring and a reputable past.
The value to the client
The client must have some need which is why they approach design agencies and it is up to the agency to understand the value of the designs for the clients. It is about maximizing revenue at the end of the day and in return provide quality services for client satisfaction. The agency must tackle each client differently as they all represent a different brand with different corporate identities and needs.
A multi-national conglomerate will require something totally unique in contrast to a local brand that only has its reach to a few shops. The agency will certainly be required to do more for the former and will also price them differently according to their needs and budget.
Factors such as expertise or hard work have little to do with what agencies will charge for their design packages. Designs can be minimal and simple but yet be more expensive than a complicated floral or gothic style just because of their value to the client. The apple logo is simplistic and looks like it can be designed easily but it is worth billions today and represents a company which has taken over the world. A local tattoo parlor likely has a more complicated logo which requires aesthetic sense and technical skills. For the value of the logo itself, companies are ready to pay millions.
It must be understood that these logos go on to represent an entire brand throughout the world for years to follow. The logo will be printed on their infrastructure to promotional products which is why the investment must be worth it. Many brands, for this very reason, do not experiment with different agencies and only contact reputable ones for their designs. These agencies do a simple but very valuable job for their clienteles who can, in turn, use their designs for a long time as their glory and build their brand’s identity and standing in the market.
Design components
The pricing of design services by an agency also depend on the number of design components they are offering to their clients. The basic and foremost component being the logo; is then used on all following designs. Companies can design for customized business cards, typography, letterheads, folders, notebooks, color schemes, posters, and illustrations etc. Well-designed components like these give companies a professional outlook and helps distinguish themselves from competitors.
Clients can be difficult to deal with and demand work without considering the principles of design or the policies of an agency. They want the highest quality work for the cheapest price and go as far as to ask the number of labor hours required for a certain design. This is where the designer must take a stand and show the clients that they are professionally trained visual communicators hence their service is their customized dedicated creation after a thorough mental and physical process.
