How much to charge for designing?
January 17, 2009 1:28 AM Subscribe
How much should a jewelry designer charge for a product that they are designing?
I usually do cad work for the jewelry industry and was recently approached by a company to design a product for them. I am efficient at making jewelry, I know the scale and proportions, and usually can whip out a few pieces a day, but for this I am a little nervous because it is not what I normally do.
Should I charge what I normally charge in my industry? I was asked to write a proposal and I feel that if I estimate my time I will be screwing either them or myself over. I want to give them a per design charge and then charge per hour after that. Is that reasonable? How much do you newbie industrial designers out there charge? And do you charge to write the proposal for a new product?
I usually do cad work for the jewelry industry and was recently approached by a company to design a product for them. I am efficient at making jewelry, I know the scale and proportions, and usually can whip out a few pieces a day, but for this I am a little nervous because it is not what I normally do.
Should I charge what I normally charge in my industry? I was asked to write a proposal and I feel that if I estimate my time I will be screwing either them or myself over. I want to give them a per design charge and then charge per hour after that. Is that reasonable? How much do you newbie industrial designers out there charge? And do you charge to write the proposal for a new product?
Remember, you are only one half of the customer/service provider dialogue. You only need to figure out your lines, and let them figure out theirs. How long will it take you to do it, and what do you need to get for that time, to make it worth your time? That is how much you charge, unless the market rate is even higher in which case you charge more. It's up to your potential customer to decide whether they still want you to do it.
posted by jon1270 at 4:38 AM on January 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by jon1270 at 4:38 AM on January 17, 2009 [1 favorite]
I can give you the figures from custom jewelry jobs I've had done for me (though I provided the designs) commercially, including labor:
.25 inch heart on slide chain - sterling: $50, gold: $80
size 6 ring, outside engraving, yellow gold - $300 (ouch)
For design and creative consulting gigs, I always upcharge heavily and negotiate down from there. I prefer to do a lump package (not splitting into hourly) because it reveals less about you (if that makes sense) and protects your technique. For instance, if they know that you can churn out X amount of product in one day, they've got you by the balls when it comes down to checking out your time clock.
Lump sum is how most consultants do it because there's no way to gauge the amount of time you will spend thinking about the design, tweaking the design, and perfecting the product - it's your creativity and craftsmanship that they are paying for.
And if you cast all at once (if you are using metals), it is even harder to track how much time is spent on that project alone if you have other things going on.
Plus, a lump sum makes it easier for the client to sort of just say yes right away and for you to know exactly how much money you will get at the end of the job.
Your proposal should include the number of designs, an awareness of the client's brand image / direction, perhaps some material pitches and a deadline. Also be aware of what should be included in your contract.
The artist friends of mine who have taken commissions have always done a lump sum. And definitely definitely charge WAY up from what you think you deserve. Usually, the client can afford it and most artists tend to undercharge for their work anyway.
posted by HolyWood at 10:57 AM on January 18, 2009
.25 inch heart on slide chain - sterling: $50, gold: $80
size 6 ring, outside engraving, yellow gold - $300 (ouch)
For design and creative consulting gigs, I always upcharge heavily and negotiate down from there. I prefer to do a lump package (not splitting into hourly) because it reveals less about you (if that makes sense) and protects your technique. For instance, if they know that you can churn out X amount of product in one day, they've got you by the balls when it comes down to checking out your time clock.
Lump sum is how most consultants do it because there's no way to gauge the amount of time you will spend thinking about the design, tweaking the design, and perfecting the product - it's your creativity and craftsmanship that they are paying for.
And if you cast all at once (if you are using metals), it is even harder to track how much time is spent on that project alone if you have other things going on.
Plus, a lump sum makes it easier for the client to sort of just say yes right away and for you to know exactly how much money you will get at the end of the job.
Your proposal should include the number of designs, an awareness of the client's brand image / direction, perhaps some material pitches and a deadline. Also be aware of what should be included in your contract.
The artist friends of mine who have taken commissions have always done a lump sum. And definitely definitely charge WAY up from what you think you deserve. Usually, the client can afford it and most artists tend to undercharge for their work anyway.
posted by HolyWood at 10:57 AM on January 18, 2009
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In general, the most common practice I have used and seen other use seems to be to privately use a high/fair hourly rate (perhaps $100), building in the cost/time of making the proposal and all documentation, adding a small percentage (perhaps 10%) for overhead and administration, and then quoting an estimate in the total amount fixed fee-for-service, without breaking it down into hours and such.
(You use the hours and such internally so that you're sure you're not cheating yourself by accident. Designers are notorious under-estimators.)
posted by rokusan at 2:40 AM on January 17, 2009