DESIGNA MAGAZINE DESIGNA ISSUE III 2019 2 | Page 103

shown, one chosen to be created as final art. After final artwork is
presented, the client may request up to two rounds of minor
revision. Additional revisions after this point will be billed at
Kshs. 2500/hour. If the client chooses to not move forward after
pencils are presented, a kill fee of Kshs. 35,000 will be paid for
completion of sketches. If artwork is completed to final, the full
fee will be paid.
Usage Scenario 1: + Kshs. 50,000
The client may use the artwork in magazine and newspaper ads
(domestic and international) for a period of one year.
Usage Scenario 2: +Kshs. 75,000
The client may use the artwork in all print media (domestic and
international) including but not limited to magazines,
newspapers, point-of-purchase displays, posters, and billboards
for a period of one year.
Usage Scenario 3: +Kshs. 100,000
The client may use the artwork in all print and online media for
a period of one year.
Usage Scenario 4: +Kshs. 140,000
The client may use the artwork in all print media, all online
media, and broadcast media for a period of one year.
Buyout: +Kshs. 250,000
The client may use the artwork in all media including print,
online, and broadcast in perpetuity.
Thanks so much for thinking of me for the project, let me know
how these numbers go over and if you need any clarification
about the different usage points.
All the best J
So this is a pretty basic breakdown, but it gives the agency/client
a lot of price points to consider. If I wanted to break it down
even further, I would price based on two-year and five-year use
and give different prices for Local, National and International
only, etc. Most importantly, note that all of the usage scenarios
are on top of our original presentation only / artwork creation
price. The prices are not cumulative in this example quote, so
each +Kshs. 1,000 is only added to the presentation fee. The top
price in this scenario is Kshs. 320,000. These prices might seem
completely outrageous to you, but they're actually pretty
reasonable when we take into effect who the clients are and what
kind of rights they'll probably need. If you're an up-and-comer,
your prices might be a bit lower but the percentage markup
should remain about the same. Imagine if we had priced this
hourly!
If the clients write back immediately and say, “These numbers
look great! We'll send along a contract for you to go over in a few
days!” It probably means your prices are too low. If they write back
and try to negotiate you down a little bit, you were probably pretty
spot on, and if they write back and say that this is well beyond
their budget, you get to decide whether or not you want to figure
out a way to work within their budget or whether you want to
walk away and take one for the team. When you're offered a very
low budget by a very huge client, you can always feel good about
turning it down knowing that you are helping to raise the
standards of pricing for others.
8. Why doesn't anyone ever talk about pricing?
There are a lot of reasons why designers and illustrators are
reluctant to talk about pricing, the most obvious being that no one
wants to shout their annual income to the masses. Once you start
giving away your general prices, it's not incredibly difficult to add
things up and figure out a ballpark of what an individual or
company makes in a year. A personal note: don't assume that the
pricing structure above means that I'm swimming in a pile of
money.. A half-retired dentist , Magistrate or Accountant still
makes more than I do. The fake job I used as an example above is
an advertising job, and I used it as an example because pricing for
advertising is one of the darkest arts of all. There are wild
differences in pricing from presentation to buyout, and a ton of
factors that affect the price. It's great to surround yourself with
friends or more experienced designers that can help you price a
job. And as it is with all other professional careers like Doctors,
Advocates, Engineers and Architecture there is no, National
design policy that can guide designers in various aspects of pricing
as per their qualifications and experience in the industry. Its time
we agitated for one.
9. The Pricing Domino Effect
It's incredibly important for even young designers to always quote
respectable prices. It can be very tempting to create artwork for a
“cool” company for very little pay and the promise of insane
exposure/ an incredible portfolio piece. Every successful designer
and illustrator has at one point succumbed to the siren song of the
“cool” industries (there are a few “cool” companies that don't try to
take advantage of designers but they are the exception and not the
norm). When you are starting your career as a freelancer, it will be
incredibly tempting to take on any work that comes along, no
matter how unfairly companies are trying to compensate you.
Remember that you are talented and that your talent has value
and that ultimately it is up to you to determine how much people
value your talent. By helping keep pricing standards high, you not
only help as to say design doesn’t come cheap you also help every
other young designer struggling to get paid out there, and help
every designer that came before you to continue making a living
7. How do you know if you priced right?
May
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June 2019 | D E S I G N A