Sharing your Rates and Fees

I recently had an enquiry from a prior colleague asking if I could provide them with a rate card. It was a phrase I hadn't really heard thrown around within the creative industry, but it did make me reflect on the very first iteration of my website, some 6 years ago.

I'd spent quite a lot of time researching other freelancers and design studios, and I realised how difficult it was to find any kind of pricing on their websites. Absolutely no one was sharing their pricing, and I was so FRUSTRATED. I had only good intentions. I just wanted to know the market rate to make sure that I was on par - not driving potential clients away with above average fees, nor ripping myself off with dirt cheap prices formulated by my naivety.

I made a point to put prices on my website, to help guide customers and to ease the sense of frustration that I'd felt when trying to do some innocent research.

This served me well for a while, but it also caused me a myriad of issues. If someone had a project that didn't fit EXACTLY into the specific, cookie-cutter template that I'd presented, I had to backtrack quite a bit. If their website project included 5 pages, but they were all exactly the same layouts, how could I justify charging a full design fee for each page?

If their packaging project was for a well-established brand, which would reach millions of customers and be used and expanded on for years to come, how could a measly $1,800 fee justify the ongoing profits and intellectual property?

Over time, I learnt more about the complexity in quoting, which then launched me into a phase of absolute fear. How was it ever possible to get enough information to quote correctly? I'd spend hours on work proposals and quotes, considering every angle and detail, and by the time the project started I'd already be exhausted.

However, since going full time freelance, quoting has become much more of a joy. I've more about myself and my clients. I know quite well how long I'll need to learn a brand language, and to create specific assets. I know which of my existing clients like to revise and review the finer details, and which ones want a quick sign-off. I know that the first project with a new client is always unknown territory, and that's part of the joy. And finally, I know that prices can be reviewed at any point in the project, if new information comes to light! And as such, very quickly in this new era, I took all my pricing and rates off my website and moved into the territory that I'd previously despised.

I used to worry that not sharing my prices would drive away potential customers, but the truth is, it's (simply and frustratingly) the best way to do things. I want clients to fall in love with my work and my processes - not my prices.

I have to trust the process and hope that if a client does feel like their budget is misaligned to the project cost, they'll be open to a discussion. To all new or established designers out there, this is arguably the hardest part of the job. When in doubt, look up the industry standards. Ask your network. Message ChatGPT. And then, go with your gut and hope for the best. If you miss this one, there's always another project just around the corner.