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I did one logo contest for SA Mart just to see how it was and found the rush, the lack of available communication, and the offered cash to be really unsatisfying even though the money wasn't really a big deal for me. In the end, I was really unhappy with my entry because I could have done a lot better with more time and more face-to-face discussions with the company. The other problem with spec work (aside from the devaluing of design and designers) is the lack of time and lack of client involvement. These design contests are up for a couple of weeks and then the buyer picks one and pays out for it. Sometimes the buyer gives feedback on what he or she likes about one design over another, but it's no replacement for working one-on-one and exchanging ideas to come up with a good, long-term solution that works across various mediums. I mostly just hate seeing designers not getting paid fairly for what their work is worth though.
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Jul 6, 2012 22:33
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SleeplessInEngland posted:I know this is a 'how long is a piece of string' question but it's regarding payment! I'm in the UK & I just got an ongoing freelance contract type thing with a company I used to work in house for. I just gave them a quote for my first 'official' freelance piece for them since I left the company & I think I might have seriously lowballed myself I don't think there's an exact science or even a reasonably accurate way to quote prices and it all depends on a bunch of factors including how long this job might take you, if this is your chief source of income, where you live, and who knows what else. The way I quote prices for clients is to roll all of my operating expenses for the duration of the work into a sum then charge what my work is worth on top of that depending on how long I estimate it'll take me. How much my work is worth is never a set value, but it is always something I feel I can live on depending on how long the project would take. For example, I might charge a client $4000 for a project if the project will take me a month and I will be working full time on it. Maybe half of that cost is business operating expenses. The remaining $2000 should be enough money for me to pay my mortgage, pay my bills, buy my groceries, etc. The fact is, you will make mistakes when you haven't done something on your own before and all you can do is shrug, learn and move on. If you feel you've lowballed yourself this time then take a note of it and try pricing higher next time. Don't feel too bad if you think you hosed up. I got my first client during my first year in college. A company needed me to design and develop a website on the (back then) relatively unknown Drupal CMS. I should have charged them $10000 for it. But I charged them $1000. I was an idiot, but I learned.
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Aug 1, 2012 22:32
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