How do designers arrive at pricing? MSLK and spark at the how myob conference

People love meeting graphic designers. Whenever I meet someone at a party or a prospective client at a meeting — nine times out of ten, it’s a game of twenty questions. Never the same twenty, which is what keeps the game interesting. There is one question that is consistently asked by everyone: the Money Question. Everyone wants to know how much “it” (whatever “it” may be…) will cost. There’s never a simple answer to this question because there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to what graphic designers do. This is why I will be conducting one of two pricing workshops next month at How Magazine’s Mind Your Own Business Conference at the Sheraton Hotel here in NYC as a Spark event. The matter of pricing comes down to a number of factors that all designers must weigh including — but not limited to:

Because every job is unique and every solution a designer creates is custom, the answers t0 all of these questions ultimately affect the end price. We have to take all these factors into consideration in order to arrive at a price that’s fair for all parties. As a result, clients often encounter a wide variety of pricing without the ability to make apples-to-apples comparisons between firms. Pricing: The Topic That Dare Not Speak Its Name MSLK is a big fan of honest and open discussions about money which is why we talk about budgets early, and often! We want our industry to also facilitate these discussions and help remove some of the mystery from pricing and wide ranges of pricing. That is why we are hosting this workshop, so designers can discuss their strategies together and confirm that they are generally upholding the same ranges for similar work. Our Workshop’s Goal “Comparing Proposal Strategies and Pricing” is the name of the two round-tables — one for Branding and Print, one for Website Design and Social Media Campaigns. The workshops are a chance for designers from all around the country to respond to the same sample project. Sheri will be hosting one workshop on Website Design and Social Media Campaigns along with Larissa Nycz from Tribecca Designs, and Carrie Hamilton from Kismet Design and I will conduct our workshop on Branding and Print. All participants will have a chance to compare how we would price these projects and recommend a schedule of how the project will run. More Information Where: HOW Mind Your Own Business Conference Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, New York City Time: 8:00-8:50 am each day Cost: $1,195 full conference registration, – $100 discount code available for Spark members Register Here: http://www.howbusinessconference.com/register/ On October 13th we will cover Branding and Print On October 14th we will cover Website Design and Social Media Campaigns The MYOB Conference The entire MYOB conference is 3 days (October 12-14) of close-up, nuts & bolts problem-solving combined with big-picture, long-term planning. You’ll look at your work, your clients and your marketing from a whole new perspective. Find solutions to some of your toughest business problems. Organized by HOW magazine, in partnership with noted consultant David C. Baker of ReCourses, Inc., this conference is tailored specifically to address the challenges faced by creative-firm principals and owners. You’ll explore hard-hitting topics on managing for profit, leadership, and positioning your firm for smart growth. Plus you’ll have numerous opportunities to network with other creative firm principals in a non-competitive environment. Visit www.myobconference.com for the complete rundown on conference sessions, speakers, and special networking opportunities. We’ve found this is a design business conference that really gets down to business!