19 comments

  • Aaron Wears Many HatsAaron Wears Many Hats, almost 4 years ago

    Do you all agree that studio's or agencies should have pricing upfront?

    No

    27 points
  • Account deleted almost 4 years ago

    nope. My rates would be different for an independent theater and a finance consultancy company. I don't want the finance company asking me for the price that I've charge to support small independent organisations so no, it's not a good idea to list the price.

    Also I hate when client's start question and sending me rate pages like this to me. It's not a grocery shop. I don't believe pricing should be listed upfront.

    7 points
    • James Young, almost 4 years ago

      Totally agree, we have a base rate that works for most projects or clients but it can vary for the same reason you mention.

      We're here to provide a service and make a profit as well as do actual good work and so our rate does vary.

      As I also mentioned on another comment below, the calculator on that site is just a gimmick that spews out some random value anyway so beyond it being a bit of fun I don't think it's something we'd use.

      If clients want to talk about projects, typically we ask up front what their budget is and we frame the conversation from there and discuss what we can deliver for them within that.

      3 points
  • Perttu Talasniemi, almost 4 years ago

    Our company is doing something like that: https://hintalaskuri.sangre.fi/ It's in Finnish but you can use Google Translate on Chrome to get the point.

    2 points
  • Corin EdwardsCorin Edwards, almost 4 years ago

    I wouldn't expect a creative solution from a studio that has already defined my problem before having met me.

    1 point
  • Chris Johnston, almost 4 years ago

    Unless you are doing exactly the same thing over and over again, maybe; however, it you are doing the same thing over and over again, you are probably doing something wrong.

    The point is that every job is different and should require different deliverables, different effort, and just be different. Pricing is definitely one of those things that falls into the "it depends" category.

    1 point
  • Bart Claeys, almost 4 years ago

    No, because what is "pricing"? An hourly rate? If so, then it all depends on which agency is more efficient than the other.

    1 point
  • Thomas WilhelmThomas Wilhelm, almost 4 years ago

    If you would be selling the same thing all the time: yes. However, that's not what we do - at least I'm not. Every project is different, has different requirements and starting points. Yes, this makes comparing costs for customers very difficult at first, but I believe that it is very important to talk to the customer first about what he wants so you can make him and offer that is best suited for him.

    1 point
  • Andrew C, almost 4 years ago

    It’s a good idea. But I don’t know if I’d say they ‘should’ be doing it. Many design projects shouldn’t be billing by the hour so giving a figure up front is virtually impossible.

    1 point
  • Richard SisonRichard Sison, almost 4 years ago

    This is such a tricky one and honestly, I do understand the intention. But generally speaking, I disagree with showing pricing.

    That said, it would be valuable for clients to have an idea of some sort of price range just to know what to expect (and if it's even in the ballpark of asking further questions). Because they'll see your portfolio and may be interested in pursuing further discussion, and they'll want to know (ideally without a phone call) whether it's in the range for them to even consider (like are you in the 5k, 10k, 50k, 100k or higher range).

    Obviously I get the industry's apprehension (for all of the reasons in the comments and more), but I do see it from the prospective clients' perspective — and it's tricky.

    0 points
  • Elias Proctor, almost 4 years ago

    I like it! I do believe this is a competitive advantage.

    0 points
  • John LeschinskiJohn Leschinski, almost 4 years ago

    A lot of comments that don't see the customers point of view.

    -1 points
    • Andrew BeckwithAndrew Beckwith, almost 4 years ago

      On the contrary, some of the biggest relationship breakdowns with clients come from when a project hasn't been scoped properly and awkward conversations have to happen about extending budgets or de-scoping the project.

      0 points
      • John LeschinskiJohn Leschinski, almost 4 years ago

        For the client, having at least a rough estimate allows them to make a decision and compare prices. Having to go through an entire consultation process to get a definitive number doesn't make that a tenable option for consumers. Being able to see quickly a ballpark figure to determine who they'd like to engage with is more convenient and then they can engage in more detailed budgetary discussions with the studio.

        0 points
  • Jordan Zeit, almost 4 years ago

    Truthfully its really helpful - Also like the calculator is really really cool: https://www.trypixel.co/get-a-quote-branding

    -1 points