How 20 designers charge their clients – part 3

James Joyce

The final part of the series — how 20 designers charge their clients. Here you’ll find more financial insights from talented designers, as well as some very useful resources from excellent websites.

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How 20 designers charge their clients – part 2

bank of England note

Following on from part one in the series, seven more top notch designers talk about how they manage their finances when dealing with clients.

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How 20 designers charge their clients – part 1

George Best bank note

I asked some of my graphic design contacts three questions about their financial practices: How do you charge clients? How do you accept payment? Why do you recommend working this way?

Here follows the first of a short series, offering an excellent insight into how graphic designers manage their finances.

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Save your time with a FAQ page

question mark

The addition of a FAQ page to your website will not only save your time, but also that of your potential clients. When you’ve been offering the same product or service for a while, you’ll become accustomed to the standard questions clients ask. Why keep typing the same responses into email after email?

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A conversation about spec work

crowdsourcing

The following article contains a conversation between graphic designer, Michael Laborde, and a potential design client. It gives an accurate portrayal of what some people wrongly expect from the design industry.

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10 things to expect from your designer

coloured rock

Choosing the right designer is vital. Anyone can design a logo, but not everyone can design the right logo. This article details 10 things to expect from a graphic designer, helping you make the right decision.

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Using freelance graphic design contracts

signing contract

Contracts can be an essential part of freelancing as a graphic designer, but when you’re starting out, it’s not always clear what you must include.

Here’s a look at how established freelancers are conducting their businesses, how I’m currently dealing with potential clients, and a mention of some valuable graphic design contract resources.

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15 graphic design interview tips

interview

The following graphic design interview tips were written by Lee Newham, a senior designer at London-based design consultancy, P&W.

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How not to approach a designer

be polite
Image copyright: ConnArtist

Today I received an email from a potential logo design client.

It read in full, “can you design my fashion logo”.

No introduction. No punctuation. No details or common courtesy.

I cannot design your fashion logo.

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The value of trustworthy subcontractors

many hands

Many hands make light work. John Heywood (1497–1580)

What do you do when a potential client asks for a service you can’t provide? Do you apologise and send them on their way, or do you refer them to a trustworthy contact who can help?

I often receive work requests that I either don’t have the skills for, or am too busy to work to the set deadline. That’s when I call on one of the talented designers / programmers / marketers / copywriters etc. I’ve come to know.

However, what happens when these people are also too busy, or the project is outwith their own skillset?

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