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Freelance Fee - Friends & Family Rate
Hi All,
I'm a full time designer in the print/publishing industry who does the occasional freelance job for friends and family.
Up until now I have generally done small jobs for free but a friend of mine has just asked me to design a logo for his new business venture. I am certain it is going to be quite a time consuming job, which will also probably lead onto to corporate stationery etc.
As I work full time, I'm not entirely sure what a reasonable freelance fee would be. I've got 5 years design experience and live & work in london.
So my question is this, what hourly rate would you suggest I charge a friend?
Thanks,
Claudia
I'm a full time designer in the print/publishing industry who does the occasional freelance job for friends and family.
Up until now I have generally done small jobs for free but a friend of mine has just asked me to design a logo for his new business venture. I am certain it is going to be quite a time consuming job, which will also probably lead onto to corporate stationery etc.
As I work full time, I'm not entirely sure what a reasonable freelance fee would be. I've got 5 years design experience and live & work in london.
So my question is this, what hourly rate would you suggest I charge a friend?
Thanks,
Claudia
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samdesign
Messages count : 3Likes count : 0Registration : 13 July 2011ere we go
I have been self employed in design for 12 years now, I stopped using hourly rates a long time ago and I dont know why designers stick with hourly rates. In theory this is the last business that should be governed by hourly rate pay. What you do in an hour can be hugely different to what others come up with in an hour due to who has what creative vision, in what area of design style and how your work process is arranged.
I did a branding design for an exhibition stand a while back for a new beauty cosmetics brand. It took me 3 hours as it was real short turn around from a failed relationship with their previous designer. They liked it and took it on to run with their logo and other merchandise etc. If I had an hourly rate I would have earned very little from that but I told the client I understood their area of style and had researched an recorded references over time which meant I could jump in and hit it right, quickly. I charged them a good fee that they were happy to pay. They were buying my experience and knowledge of style in their area, hourly rate doesn't come into play.
If I was in your position I would charge as follows
1.(If applicable, personally I dont do this part much) First fee for gathering and presenting logos and style to give you some direction and idea of what the client likes.
...or (best if you ask them to send you things they have seen that they like, clients quite like this and always know something they have seen they like or will soon see something the next day on the way to work and send it. Obviously you dont charge for this option.This would work well if its for a mate to cut down time.
2. Fee for supllying ideas x 3 or how many you come up with trying things out.
3. Fee for adapting logos to second stage following feedback from above
4. Fee for finalising some options that client will pick
You can specify this kind of thing as a set process and give it all a fee as the logo job. Anything outside of this like MD returning from holiday and having other ideas etc is all on top as the creative process was broken.
Others may disagree but this works for me and stops clients being too fussy getting you to try all sorts and running up time.
Also dont forget logos shouldn't cost the same all the time if a client wants a complex coat of arms it will be a more costly, if a local small time plumber wants a well chosen font with some little shape with it then it will take less time.
Sam