WHAT INFORMATION YOU SHOULD PROVIDE AS A CLIENT TO QUICKLY GET A GRAPHIC DESIGN QUOTATION THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR PROJECT AND REALISTIC.
This is NOT an article for designers, you will not find here how to budget or how much to charge.
Finally, you made the decision to look for a professional designer to make or redo your logo. You did a quick search on the internet and found some offices or professionals that you liked. And now you would like to know how much they charge for making your logo so you send them a message like this:
“I am requesting a quote for logo design for a company.”
Most probably, if you receive a reply, it will be full of questions like “What is the company about?”, “When do you need it for?”, etc. These types of questions are for those who will actually answer your email. Because you must know there may be agencies or designers who won’t even bother to answer such a message.
That’s why we leave you some tips when requesting a graphic design quotation. Whenever you do it, you will avoid wasting time receiving quotes that do not fit what you need. And consequently, it will make your work with the designer much more fluid and successful.
I. DESCRIBE YOUR PROJECT
The first thing you should know is that there is no standard price for a logo. A corporate image design is a customized project. Therefore, the complexity, time, dedication and scope of the design work is directly proportional to the type of project we are dealing with.
When asking for a graphic design quotation, start by explaining what your business, project or event consists of. This way the design team will know what you need, what kind of work is required and will be able to give you a better quote.
Moreover, try to make your message or email answer the following questions:
- Is it the redesign of a logo or the creation of a new one? Does the company already exist or is it a start-up?
- If it is a redesign, why do you feel the need to change it?
- Does the business sell a product or service?
- If it is a product, does it have variations in taste, size, color, size, etc.?
II. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
In our experience, there are two types of customers. Firstly, those who oversell their business. Secondly, those who do not. Please don’t be the former. Here’s why:
You can say you are going to open a “different” coffee shop that will have X, Y & Z qualities. Then say that 5 years from now you intend to open 15 more locations across the country. Your design budget will be precisely for a project of that magnitude and you will be scared of the budget and run away. Variants such as iconography, typography for signage and a series of elements that a smaller project, say a normal neighborhood coffee shop, does not need, will be considered.
This is not to say that you should undervalue your business or hide your growth plans from your designer as this will result in poor work. It is simply a matter of being honest and realistic.
There is no need to sell your business to the designer. It is enough to talk business directly as neither of you will be doing the other a favor.
III. LET’S TALK ABOUT DEADLINES
The ideal scenario will obviously always be to work without rushing. But as we know that this is not always possible, it is important that, if you are against time, you let the agency or designer you want to work with know that. Sometimes it is necessary to hire more hands or work on weekends and this obviously has a cost.
Talking about deadlines before starting is also important so that both parties agree on what to expect from the development of the project. This way the designer will know exactly when to deliver and you will also be able to organize your time accordingly.
Would you like to request a graphic design quotation? We invite you to review our PORTFOLIO or write to us here if you have any questions.