This week, I found myself staring at a blank page, crafting a contract for a few months of product design work.
What I hoped would be a straightforward task, quickly mushroomed into a web of complexities I’ve been grappling with for years. The process accentuated the intricacies of pricing & contracts, while continuing to remind me of the personal growth required to navigate this aspect of professional life.
Perfectionist's dilemma
As a designer, I’m trained to scrutinize every pixel, every line of code. But when it comes to pricing work, this perfectionism can be paralyzing.
I found myself caught in a loop of questions:
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Am I charging too much? Or am I undervaluing my skills? - What's the "normal" rate in this constantly changing industry?
- What’re “typical” contracting practices for this type of design work?
Beyond hourly rates: The value of impact
This multi-year journey on pricing led me to explore various pricing models, from hourly rates to project-based fees. Some of the extremely valuable resources of my learning journey:
- The Dark Art Pricing by Jessica Hische
- Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro
- Contract Killer on 24Ways by Andy Clarke
- Standard Form of Agreement for Design Services by the AIGA
The model that resonated most was impact-based pricing.
This approach shifts the conversation from time spent to value delivered, aligning our work more closely with the client's goals.
I've settled on a fixed-base retainer model for now, offering flexibility to clients while providing a steady income stream. It's a compromise between stability & adaptability, much like the balance we often strike in our design work.
Broader implications
It’s a crucial gap in many creative fields: the lack of openly transparent business practices. This imbalance isn't unique to design; it's a common thread across many creative and technical professions.
By addressing this gap, we not only empower ourselves as individual practitioners but also elevate the perceived value of creative work in the broader market.
It's about recognizing that our worth extends beyond our technical skills to encompass our strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Practical Takeaways
As you navigate your own pricing journey, consider some of these questions I continue reflecting on myself:
- What unique value do you bring to your clients beyond your technical skills?
- How can you structure your pricing to reflect this value?
- What resources or mentors can you seek out to fill gaps in your business knowledge?
Pricing isn't just about numbers; it's about confidence of worth while clearly communicating value.
In the end, the perfect contract doesn't exist
What matters is creating a fair agreement that respects both your worth and your client's needs. It's about finding balance:
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between “professionalism” and flexibility; - between value and accessibility.
Give yourself permission to learn, adjust, and grow.
It’s why they call it professional practice.
Everyday is practice.
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