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There is a misconception about graphic designing; people think it to be as easy as a pie. Is it really so? For one, my mother makes great pies but doesn’t know a thing about graphic design :-D. On a serious note, graphic designing is a professional field and requires specialization to perform. Working as a professional, one expects premium payment as well. Consider the case of doctors…why are they highly paid? It is because they are specialist of their respective field. If you catch a cold or a fever, you won’t be consulting a mechanic…would you? Similarly, when you want a graphic design related work done, you would look for a skilled designer. However, when it comes to pay the graphic designers for a job well done, the clients become too finicky and start bargaining. Due to the lack of knowledge and statistics available about graphic designing, many people think it to be inexpensive. |
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a) Graphic Designers – Underestimated! |
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The plight of graphic designers is somewhat dissimilar to other specialists and professionals when it comes to payments. In majority of the cases, clients tend to be fussy over payment matters. Thinking of graphic designing as an undemanding field, most of the clients undervalue the work of graphic designers. This makes me think… Are graphic designers correctly valued and paid? Since clients don’t really understand the effort and cost incurred in a design project, they mostly underestimate the value of designers.
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b) Quality vs Money – A silly notion! |
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The sad truth is that most clients prefer money over quality when it comes to graphic designing. Consider this… when you visit the doctor with an ailment, you wouldn’t compromise on the quality of the treatment he recommends you. Then why compromise on the graphic design quality for a few dollars? Unfortunately, when clients are selecting a graphic designer, they are looking for the cheapest way out irrespective of the quality. When designers state their salary or remuneration for the project, they face client rebuttals. In order to keep the payments at a bare minimum, clients come up with silly statements to support their cause. |
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c) The high road for designers – No compromise! |
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In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned how graphic designers should tackle difficult clients. Although pesky clients are not easy to handle, graphic designers can limit the extent of arguments. One must always bear in mind that before assuming any design project, one must be clear of the terms and conditions of the venture. Clients should be told beforehand that good quality design comes with a price tag. The best way to persuade clients on charges is to make them comprehend the overhead expenses to be borne in the project. The last resort that the graphic designers can take, if the client isn’t willing to compromise on payment, is to inform the client that low price will only yield low-quality design. This could provoke the client into rethinking the fees. However, there is one principle that clients should also remember…“In order to gain something you have to lose something.”
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I’ve encountered the situation before but not too much thankfully, there was only one client that consistently put money over quality and I eventually fired her
If client’s can be discerning over which designer they use then designers have the right to be equally discerning over which clients they work for.