One of the hardest parts of starting out as a freelance graphic designer is deciding what to charge.
You might see one designer charging a few thousand shillings for a logo while another charges considerably more. This can make it difficult to know whether you're charging too much, too little, or somewhere in between.
The important thing to understand is that there is no single price for "graphic design."
A logo, poster, social-media post, business card, presentation and full brand identity can require very different amounts of time and expertise.
Don't price the design. Price the work required to produce the design.
The type of design matters.
Before deciding on a price, identify exactly what the client is asking you to create.
"I need a graphic" isn't enough information to determine a price.
A better starting point is to define the actual deliverables.
Logo Design
Creating a visual identity for a business, organisation or personal brand.
Social Graphics
Posts, advertisements, stories and other graphics designed for social platforms.
Marketing Materials
Posters, flyers, brochures, banners and promotional materials.
Brand Identity
A broader system that can include logos, colours, typography and brand guidelines.
Start with what your time needs to earn.
Instead of beginning with someone else's price, you can start by calculating an internal hourly rate.
Consider how much you want your freelance work to generate, the costs associated with your business, and how many hours you realistically expect to bill.
÷
Realistic billable hours
= starting hourly rate
This doesn't mean you have to tell your client that you charge by the hour. You can use the number internally to help calculate a project price.
The visible design is only part of the work.
A client may see the finished graphic, but producing it can involve considerably more work behind the scenes.
- Understanding the client's requirements
- Research and inspiration
- Concept development
- Initial design
- Client communication
- Revisions
- Final preparation and export
If you only consider the time spent physically creating the final design, you can easily underestimate the amount of work involved.
Decide how revisions are handled before you start.
Revisions are one of the biggest reasons a seemingly simple design project can take much longer than expected.
A client might initially ask for a logo, for example, but several rounds of feedback can significantly increase the amount of time you spend on the project.
That's why it's useful to clearly establish how revisions work before the project begins.
A logo isn't always just one graphic.
Logo projects can vary considerably in scope.
A client may simply want a straightforward logo concept, while another may expect multiple concepts, revisions, different file formats and variations for different uses.
Before quoting, clarify what the client actually expects to receive.
- Number of initial concepts
- Number of revision rounds
- Final file formats
- Logo variations
- Colour and monochrome versions
- Whether a broader brand identity is required
Don't automatically price every graphic individually.
Social-media design can be particularly suitable for package pricing.
Instead of quoting every individual post separately, you could structure a project around a defined number of graphics and a clearly agreed scope.
For example, a client might need a collection of graphics for a campaign rather than a single design.
The important part is making the quantity, format, revisions and deadline clear before agreeing on the price.
Bigger projects need a different approach.
A full brand identity can involve considerably more than creating a logo.
Depending on the project, it may involve visual direction, colour palettes, typography, brand assets, guidelines and multiple applications of the identity.
Trying to price an entire branding project as though it were a single logo can cause you to underestimate the amount of work involved.
The bigger the scope, the more important it becomes to define exactly what is included.
Remember the cost of running your design business.
Your rate isn't just compensation for the time spent designing.
You may also have expenses related to design software, fonts, stock assets, hardware, internet, electricity, subscriptions and other business costs.
These expenses should be considered when determining what your work needs to earn.
Being the cheapest designer isn't necessarily the goal.
It's tempting when starting out to reduce your price simply because another designer appears to charge less.
But extremely low prices can make it difficult to sustain your work and may leave you with little room for the time actually required to complete projects.
Instead of asking how you can become the cheapest option, focus on understanding the type of client and project you want to work with.
Your graphic-design rate should reflect the work.
There isn't one universal graphic-design price that every freelancer in Kenya should use.
A useful starting point is to understand your target income, costs and realistic billable time.
Then look at the specific project you're being asked to complete.
Consider the deliverables, complexity, research, revisions, communication and final files before deciding on the price.
Looking for another pricing guide?
Explore more guides for freelancers and small-scale service providers.
Graphic design pricing
How much should I charge for graphic design in Kenya?
There isn't one price that applies to every graphic-design project. Your rate should account for the type of design, project scope, time, revisions, costs and the value of the work.
How much should I charge for a logo?
The price depends on what the logo project includes, such as the number of concepts, revisions, variations, file formats and whether additional brand materials are required.
Should graphic designers charge hourly?
Hourly pricing can be useful, but project-based pricing can also work well. Even when quoting a project price, an internal hourly rate can help you estimate how much time the work requires.
Should beginner graphic designers charge less?
Being new doesn't mean you need to choose an unsustainably low price. Your rate should still account for the time and resources required to complete the project.
How should I charge for revisions?
Decide how many revision rounds are included before starting the project. If the client requests work beyond the agreed scope, make clear how additional work will be priced.