Topic: web design gig

hey all -long time -no post

i've been offered a part time job creating websites for a video game developer. one for the company, and essentially one for each game they make.

i'm wondering though how much per hour i should ask for. i'm a 20 year old graphic design student. i haven't had a LOT of experience but enough to know what i'm doing. i know photoshop pretty well, and i would also use dreamweaver on the sites. i think they want me to learn flash as well. i know html, but no other web languages. another thing i shoud point out, i don't think any of the people i would be interacting with know much at all about web design.

i think at LEAST $10/hr, but would like to get $15.

here's some stuff i've done in the past

quick draft for the game developers
LOA-band site
skate shop site draft
wallpaper
experiment

manofsuede: Over to Outpatient Counselling for you

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them's carhop wages man.

Jason

carhop wages for my skill level? i am fairly new to the game. i've been involved with graphic design seriously for only a year.

JK- do you have a dollar suggestion? keep in mind, as of now, this business is small

company's current site



[This message has been edited by manofsuede (edited 09-21-2002).]

kinda of a complicated topic... try these links-
http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum5/HTML/000167.html http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum5/HTML/000151.html http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum5/HTML/000142.html <-- a good one about time



Code - CGI - links - DHTML - Javascript - Perl - programming - Magic - http://www.twistedport.com
ICQ: 67751342

I dunno man but 15 is low. Depending on what you're doing, how much you really know (how fast you can work) the market there etc...

There's tons of threads around here about quoting costs. They're all pretty foggy but you can at least get an idea from them of what you'll come up against, unexpected things to try and expect.

The tools you mention, Flash, HTML and Photoshop seem to say there's not gonna be any dynamic content at all? If this is the case and you're just kickin out static brochure type stuff and not coordinating hosting, domains email etc, charge 30-50 an hour, you'll fly through it right? May as well get paid for it.

There was a day not long ago that you could confidently ask 50+ and not bat an eye. It's a little different right here and now, knowing your market and competition helps tremendously in baggin jobs and winning referrals. What? web design became a real business lately? Unfortunately yeah, and money's a little tighter these days. Be confident though, it's not child's play to put together a site that going to achieve the goals of the business owner, lots of noggin time on top of Photoshop and Dreamweaver, that counts too you know ;-)



Jason

my advice:

• get them to name a price for you, instead of asking your own price.
• if you're happy with it, take it. a poorly paid foot in the door is still a foot in the door. If you see your value in the organisation growing, then you ask for more. but first, you have to get in there.

well if this is in Nashville.
Definitely start at $15.
I mean the cost of living there isn't bad, but it most definitely requires a start at $15, I'd think.

You may also want to do a lump sum fee. You know, do the whole website as spelled out for $500 and any extra items the client wants will be by the hour.

1) worry about the client (A BUSINESS) using you.
2) worry the client will ask for the moon and then not pay you what you ask cuz you can't give them the moon
3) they are a business and they get to pass this expence onto their customers so don't worry too much about the price.
4) even if they are friends, get it in writing what is expected and how much will be paid.
5) in business you can ask for some money up front to make sure the client is for real (no more than 20%). This way if they tell you to take a hike after 10 hours, you still get paid
6) keep your rights to display your work in your portfolio. NEVER GIVE THOSE AWAY.

well i'm not really sure how they plan on doing it, but i have a feeling that i will more or less be a part time employee of this company. I will be doing multiple webpages/setup(probably) and possibly other graphic related things as well.

I kinda doubt that this is going to be a short contract job, they want a inexperienced college kid to do the stuff they don't know how to for a low low cost! not that i mind a whole lot, i want the real-world experience points, but at the same time i don't wanna get ripped. i'm sure many-a-member here has experienced the same situation when starting out.

better to be a regular contractor than an part-time employee...


Code - CGI - links - DHTML - Javascript - Perl - programming - Magic - http://www.twistedport.com
ICQ: 67751342

I would say start at $25-$35 an hour. If they're smart they'll take it. To me a low end (aka little experience) web designer is worth around $25 an hour, and a graphic designer $35 an hour. As you get more experience the price goes up from there - upto Doc's prices of $5400 a job (that probably takes him around 35-40 hours I would suspect) - which are still reasonable - then the insanely priced ones at $500+ per hour.

JMJimmy

If someone out there is asking $500 an hour, he'd better not be getting it. I'll kill him myself.