Forum

How long should a designer take on designing an artwork?

3 January 2013 01:59

Hiya!

Please help! I am really confused about how to charge people for design work.

Currently I am designing a postcard/A5 double sided flyer as a freelancer and maybe as a one-off but could be more work after this.

My questions are:

How long should a postcard design front and back take?
And what is the norm on charging for something like this?.

The client has given me their logo and a brief of what is the purpose of this flyer and their website link to do research about them. They would like to see what I can come up with which probably means they don't really know what they want.

I am a graphic print designer who loves trying to create new things and sometimes gets too passionate about the design that I end up using more hours than the client probably needs.

I have been working in the design industry for roughly 2 years now as a freelancer in a company and on small monthly contracts.
This is a client I would like to win over so I don't want to over charge or under charge him either.

Please let me know what do you think?

If you have anymore questions then please do ask me.

Graphics & Print 6 March 2013 09:37

The question you ask is one that can be difficult at times as every client & every order are different.
We as a company charge one hour each side for the design but if it is a new client that could possibly lead to new work then we would consider reducing it to half of that to get the order.
From a personal point of view just let him know you have reduced the cost as its a first time order then it will put you in good light for future work.
Hope that helps & best of luck 🙂
robertanderson 20 June 2013 05:19

Hi

Regarding the cot issue I would say it totally depends upon the load of work and the time period issued to you for completing the work. So consider both these factors and if you have to complete a huge amount of work in less time i would definitely advise you to charge more for that but if it is you regular customer you can definitely offer discount to him.
king-henrey 3 October 2024 20:47

Last week, I pondered how long a designer should take to create artwork. From my experience, quality matters more than speed. When I sought logo design services in the US, I learned that taking time for revisions and client feedback truly makes a difference. What are your thoughts on this? 😉
Free-Worker-1311050 14 January 2025 12:28

The time a designer takes to create an artwork depends on its complexity, purpose, and the designer's expertise. Simple designs may take a few hours, while intricate projects could require days or weeks. Proper research, brainstorming, and revisions also influence the timeline. Designers at the Best Graphic Designing Institute in Dehradun are trained to balance creativity and efficiency, enabling them to deliver high-quality work within deadlines. Learning time management and advanced tools at such institutes helps streamline the design process. Ultimately, the focus should be on delivering impactful and well-crafted designs, irrespective of the time taken.
redapplelearning 8 April 2025 12:03

This is such a relatable situation — especially when you're passionate about your work (which is awesome, by the way!). For a double-sided A5 flyer/postcard, the average time can vary depending on how clear the brief is and how decisive the client is with feedback. But generally, 4–8 hours is a common range for experienced designers — including research, concept, design, and revisions.
Since your client hasn’t given super specific direction, you’ll likely spend extra time exploring ideas. In that case, it’s totally fair to charge either hourly (e.g., $25–$50/hr depending on your experience and location) or offer a flat project rate that includes a set number of revisions. For something like this, a flat fee of $80–$200 is pretty standard, depending on your market and how polished the final product is expected to be.
Since you mentioned you’ve been in the industry for about 2 years, I think you’re in a great position to charge with confidence. You clearly care about quality, and that’s valuable! And if this client could lead to more work, you could consider a slightly friendlier rate this time but make your time boundaries clear — like how many revisions are included.
P.S. If you ever find yourself wanting to sharpen your pricing skills or creative edge further, a good graphic designing course that focuses on freelancing and real-world briefs might be a game-changer too. I took one a while back and it helped me massively with client work and confidence.
Hope this helps — and feel free to message if you want to talk pricing strategies more. You're doing great! 🙌