I've got a client that's querying what I charge for designing a poster. This was not a fancy design poster, but more a poster to convey information. The basic poster was designed, approved, but then went through 5 or 6 rounds of changes.

No changes in design, but numerous text changes and addition/removal of sponsor logos.

I know this is difficult to estimate, but could you tell me what your thumbsuck estimate hours would be, and secondly, how many years commercial experience you have.

Not knowing what the changes are, it's hard to estimate.

I can tell you that about 2 years ago I had a project that sounds similar to what you describe, with substantial text changes and about 20 logos that needed to be added/removed, it was a poster listing a bunch of sporting events and sponsors. Of course, at the last minute the salesmen decided to print it on untreated canvas for a "raw" effect I hadn't designed towards, so it looked like shit. I'd guesstimate 12 hours spent on it, maybe 15. There were a LOT of really stupid changes - of the "could you make the comma a colon and make that logo a little bit bigger and change "the" to "our" on the second line?" variety that only take a second to do but you have to read the email, open the (enormous) file, resave it, make a lower res version for an email proof and email it back, basically meaning about 15-20 minutes work for even the most minor change, and of course I didn't get them all at once..

At the time I had 13 years commercial experience.

Without knowing specifics, or the client, or the details of the poster - I'd probably guesstimate:

5 hours original design @ your hourly rate.

Then of course, the new edits came in.

2-4 hours edits @ 2/3 hourly rate

I'm not going to venture real numbers because I have no idea what your rates might be. I'm also assuming since it wasn't a "fancy design poster" you don't have a project creative fee or any illustration fees or anything.

I have a bit more than 10 years of commercial design experience.

I agree that approximatley 5 hrs for original design sounds fair, not knowing what graphics or content are involved.

I should mention that my poster experience was in-house so I'm sure the people asking for changes were more cavalier than they might have been if I was charging them freelance rates.

Originally posted by: arigato I should mention that my poster experience was in-house so I'm sure the people asking for changes were more cavalier than they might have been if I was charging them freelance rates.

cavalier