One of the major dilemma any designer is faced with is deciding how much to charge for any given project. Unfortunately there is no one right answer. The number of variables is too great to create a basic price list for design services. Lucky for us, the internet is a wealth of knowledge and many designers have decided to share their thoughts and ideas on this subject.

Online Articles on Web Design Pricing

What does a website cost?
This is probably one of the best articles I have read on the subject. The article covers pricing for everything from basic website design to complicated CMS. It also addresses the differences in each type of design, as well as a rough outline of what the price includes and doesn’t include. This article is a must read for any web designer.

How much should a web design cost?
This is a really great post from Pearsonified that talks about his own pricing ideas as well as prices for other designers. He does a good job at explaining why even a simple blog design should start at around $1500 if your services are worth it.

How to set a price for web design work
An article that covers a list of things you should consider when pricing your web design services. The article also includes some good tips for new web designers. If you aren’t sure of all the factors to consider when creating prices or quoting prices, this is an ok read.

How much does a website cost?
Not really an article about prices, but offers some good advice on explaining the pricing structure to clients.

Online Articles on Logo Design and Brand Identity Pricing

Why logo design does not cost $5.00
You have no doubt seen ads for “contest” for logo designs with a “prize” of $5.00. Instead of sending them some hate mail telling them how idiotic they are, send them to this article by Jacob at Just Creative Design. He has created an excellent post to compares professional logo design against those of the five dollar variety. Hey explains what a logo is and why its worth more than a mere five bucks.

How much should I charge?
Written by Creative Latitudes, this article covers some of the aspects you should consider when creating a price quote for logo design. The articles goes in depth on how to include your overhead expenses into your price quote.

Figuring fee for logo design
Another good article by Creative Latitudes to covers the question of logo design pricing. This article is geared more toward new and student designers to help them better understand what should be included in the price.

How much is that logo in the window?
This article is short, but sweet. It explains why logo designers need to understand the value of their work. Be sure to read the comments in this post. There is a very nice discussion about the pricing of logo design in the comments.

How much to charge
A short article that explains why you should stick to your guns when quoting prices for logo design or any other design work. It explains why you should have a base price and never do work for less than that amount.

Freelance Pricing Guideline Articles

• Nine Factors to Consider When Determining Your Prices
• How Much is Your Time Worth?
• Opportunity Cost: the Freelancer’s Aid for Better Decision Making
• Pricing and Selling Design Services
• Freelancing Pricing Part 1 Set Your Rate
• Pay Me Please: A Freelance Web Designer’s Guide to Billing and Pricing

Tools for Helping Your Figure Out Your Rates

Rate Calculator

From Freelance Switch: We have developed this hourly rate calculator to give you a guide based on your costs, number of billable hours and desired profit. It is a simple tool for you to play with.

Remember your hourly rate should always take into account factors like market demand, industry standards, skill level and experience - things that unfortunately we can’t put into a calculator!

20 Invoicing Tools for Designers

From Six Revisions: Every web designer has a need to create invoices and track payments that have been received or have not yet been paid. Fortunately, there are a number of tools that can streamline this process, and we’ll look at 20 options here. There is a good deal of variety in terms of features and pricing. Some are better suited for organizations that have several employees, while others may be a good fit for a freelancer. Some of these tools will simply help you to create attractive invoices and other will extend further into the area of accounting software.

BOOK: The Designers Guide to Marketing and Pricing

Description: The Designer’s Guide to Marketing and Pricing will answer all the common questions asked by designers trying to stay afloat in their creative business—and also successful designers who want to put a little more thought into their operations. Whether you’re a freelancer, an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned small-business owner, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to market and price your services.