As a graphic designer who has been working freelance since graduating in 2003, I have been through all the trials and tribulations that come with working for myself. For the first 2 years I was literally selling my soul, hellbent over backwards trying to get jobs and clients to add work to my portfolio. Craigslist was one of the sites I used to check on a daily basis for work, and although it helped me land a great long-term position with Yahoo!, most of the job postings were absolutely insulting to qualified graphic designers. And yes there were times I swallowed my pride and took these measly paying jobs, with clients from hell, because I was a newbie and felt like I needed the experience, but mostly because I was broke. I learned my lessons the hard way, realizing I was underestimating my own potential, but I soon learned that most designers experience this nonsense and agony when first starting out.

It’s not that I still don’t get the clients who try and haggle me after I give them an estimate, it’s that now I’ve learned the art of negotiation and I also don’t have a problem turning down work, especially if I get the feeling early on that this will be a difficult client to work with. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned and word of advice for freelancers: Let go of the cheap clients who cause you nothing but stress and headache and instead concentrate more on the ones who are easy to get along with, appreciate and respect what you do and are willing to pay you what you’re worth.

Speaking of Craigslist, I recently received a fantastic email that I wanted to share with the rest of you designers and artists. The following is a Craigslist post from a graphic designer in reply to a job posting with the subject: “Graphics Person Able to Bring my Logo to Life ($100)”.

Kudos to this designer for an excellent and well-written reply. If there was a graphic designer’s bible, this belongs in it. I’m also hoping that it will inspire some graphic designers to realize their own potential and better deal with prospective clients.

It is not my purpose to bash the OP, or call them cheap or whatever. I realize that you might not have a large budget to get the type of work you need. Probably have no idea what the current rates are, and what goes into a logo package. I’m sure there’s someone out there who will “bring your logo to life” for $100. That person is not me. That person isn’t most designers with any real talent and skill. And this isn’t just for you, Mr. do-my-logo-for-a-hundred-dollars, this is for everyone who devalues the work of good graphic designers. If only “designing” was my job, life would be so much easier.

Here’s why: When a potential client comes to me, basically asking the same thing you are, I tell them my price. Never less than $400. Of course, I get scoffed at, and am told any number of things including: My nephew/cousin/brother-in-law/friend, whoever, has Photoshop, and said they’d do it for $xx or free. Why should I pay so much for you to design something that I can’t even touch? Well so-and-so over at logomilldotcom told me he can do it for much cheaper… The list goes on and on, and I won’t bore you with it. Working designers know what I’m talking about. We deal with it every day.

Now, I’m going to tell you why I would charge you $500 –at the least. When you hire me to make your logo, I not only have to come up with numerous ideas based on what you think you want, I also have to take into account where you’ll be using it, and what for. I have to explain you out of many poor decisions based on your lack of understanding why your idea won’t work. We LOVE it when you have a great idea, but it happens rarely.

What kind of business are you in? Who are you marketing towards? What do you hope to do with the logo in the future? Is it a trendy look that will blend in and disappear? Is it too ambitious and full of unnecessary elements that take away from the message? Does it make any sense in any way? Am I taking someone else’s work and digitizing it so you have a proper .eps file? Why didn’t you have them do it in the first place? Was it because you got it for $50? I could spend hours rehashing the millions of questions I’ve come across, talking with potential clients.

The last logo I did, I charged 1k. That 1k got my client almost 25 different ideas to choose from.(could’ve been more, ended up with the original idea -doesn’t negate the hours I spent on other mock ups) It got him the proper colors that best suit his business and work well in print and on the web. It got him letterhead and business cards. It got him branding and marketing strategy.
It got him the proper files so that he could send the logo out to be printed on everything he needed for his business. Ultimately, it got him more business. Now I design brochures for him and frequently update his website(that I also made)… because his business is growing, and the strategy worked. I get emails from him all the time, thanking me for everything. Why? because it was professional, and it was well thought out and it meant something. I didn’t hand him a cd with a logo on it and say “good luck”. That’s what 100 bucks gets you.

100 dollars also ensures that no matter how bad your idea is, or how ridiculous you logo looks, the “designer” will keep their mouth shut and give you the exact crap you’re asking for.Then you’ll wonder why it isn’t working, or why you have to keep getting it in different formats for different people. You feel robbed, and now think that, what designers do is bullshit.

I can’t tell you how much more than just designing, I do with my clients. I’m regularly walking them through everything. I’m dealing with teaching them how and where to use the files to accomplish their business plans. I’m always consulting them. I can be counted on for ideas and strategies to get their business seen, in a market that is flooded. If you can get all of that for $100… then you’re a lucky man, and should never tell anyone about your guy –Of course, you will also in a way be putting him out of work, but that’s ok, because you got your cheap logo.

I will however apologize in advance if I misrepresented you in this post. More so than anything, it’s what I want to tell every person who looks for low priced work. I know from years of experience and hand holding, everything that goes into designing your logo, and everything else I do in that process, is what the future of your business is hinging on. Stop thinking of designers as people who make pictures, or who do work that has no real value, because you’re wrong. A good designer with any marketing savvy can take your shitty idea for a logo, and turn it into the centerpiece of your prosperous business. Great design is not stuffing 10 lbs of shit in a 5lb bag. And it’s definitely not happening with $100. If you don’t have the money, work out a deal, make payment, but please, stop undervaluing what we do. I swear, once you shop around and talk to some people, you’ll see that if you care about the future of your business, it’s money well spent.

I’d like to know from other artists and graphic designers how they deal with haggling clients and what their past experiences have been with this issue.