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charging for concepts
Hi Everyone,
I'm new to the forum and looking for a word of advice. I do some freelance web and graphic design and I was recently asked to come up with the layout idea for a website for a recruitment company that has currently their website refurbished by a marketing company.
I was asked, because:
1) The management weren't sure about the layout proposed to them by the (marketing) company's in-house designers and wanted to see some more approaches.
2) Somebody I know very well works for this company and suggested me to the manager...;)
At the same time another graphic designer was called to do the same job(sample drafts)
I created 4 different drafts which the management liked and decided to go with some of the ideas but merging it with ideas from he other designer and that to be done by the in-house designers from the marketing company.
Basically- supplying the rough idea was where my job ended.
I have just received an email from the management asking me to invoice them for my work.
I do not know how much of my initial ideas they've used in the final design yet. I would not mind not charging them at all for possible good future relations sake, that but I want to avoid falling(again) into situation where people start taking me for granted(I did spend good few hours doing it and to a rather tight deadline) cause it's a pain in the neck as you probably know yourselves.
Please, help me on this one with some good advice - should I, or shouldn't I charge anything and if yes, how much, roughly?
I really appreciate time spent reading this and your kind replies even more:)
Many thanks
Filip
I'm new to the forum and looking for a word of advice. I do some freelance web and graphic design and I was recently asked to come up with the layout idea for a website for a recruitment company that has currently their website refurbished by a marketing company.
I was asked, because:
1) The management weren't sure about the layout proposed to them by the (marketing) company's in-house designers and wanted to see some more approaches.
2) Somebody I know very well works for this company and suggested me to the manager...;)
At the same time another graphic designer was called to do the same job(sample drafts)
I created 4 different drafts which the management liked and decided to go with some of the ideas but merging it with ideas from he other designer and that to be done by the in-house designers from the marketing company.
Basically- supplying the rough idea was where my job ended.
I have just received an email from the management asking me to invoice them for my work.
I do not know how much of my initial ideas they've used in the final design yet. I would not mind not charging them at all for possible good future relations sake, that but I want to avoid falling(again) into situation where people start taking me for granted(I did spend good few hours doing it and to a rather tight deadline) cause it's a pain in the neck as you probably know yourselves.
Please, help me on this one with some good advice - should I, or shouldn't I charge anything and if yes, how much, roughly?
I really appreciate time spent reading this and your kind replies even more:)
Many thanks
Filip
- Contact in PM
mds
Messages count : 9Likes count : 0Registration : 16 March 2008
Congratulations Filip on the project. From my experience both online and in life generally, people do not seem to value things that are free. i will suggest you charge them what you have been charging others and if you are sure you can do a good job which you have obviously proved to them then it's better you charge them just enough for everybody to be happy.filip, post: 6368 a écrit : Hi Everyone,
I'm new to the forum and looking for a word of advice. I do some freelance web and graphic design and I was recently asked to come up with the layout idea for a website for a recruitment company that has currently their website refurbished by a marketing company.
I was asked, because:
1) The management weren't sure about the layout proposed to them by the (marketing) company's in-house designers and wanted to see some more approaches.
2) Somebody I know very well works for this company and suggested me to the manager...;)
At the same time another graphic designer was called to do the same job(sample drafts)
I created 4 different drafts which the management liked and decided to go with some of the ideas but merging it with ideas from he other designer and that to be done by the in-house designers from the marketing company.
Basically- supplying the rough idea was where my job ended.
I have just received an email from the management asking me to invoice them for my work.
I do not know how much of my initial ideas they've used in the final design yet. I would not mind not charging them at all for possible good future relations sake, that but I want to avoid falling(again) into situation where people start taking me for granted(I did spend good few hours doing it and to a rather tight deadline) cause it's a pain in the neck as you probably know yourselves.
Please, help me on this one with some good advice - should I, or shouldn't I charge anything and if yes, how much, roughly?
I really appreciate time spent reading this and your kind replies even more:)
Many thanks
Filip
Think of it this way, they can lay you off anytime and then your effort and time would be wasted and because you wanted to do it free at first, then you wouldnt get any compensation. Make everything official with them and then get on with the job.
I have never seen any business man that became rich through being nice in business. Business is Business and no sentiments. After all they are going to make money with your work. - Contact in PM
filip
Messages count : 2Likes count : 0Registration : 6 May 2008Hi and thank you for the reply. I needed someone to confirm what I've been thinking about this myself and you're right - the 'nice to people' attitude won't take me far in this business. I'd better stop being grateful to people for giving me a shot at the project and get putting an invoice together.
Thanks again.