Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
On Aug 14, 2009, at 1:24 PM, Nasir Barday wrote: We should be careful with discounts in our industry, lest people think they can something for nothing. The best advice I've gotten is that clients should feel the pain. If we lower our estimates, it should be because we've taken something away: one less design iteration, fewer usability tests, etc. The long term effect I'm worried about is a financial de- valuing of the worth of our work as designers. Agreed completely. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY Jared Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
Oops. I missed it. Sorry. Jared On Aug 21, 2009, at 2:52 PM, Fabian A wrote: i believe it has... actually.. On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Jared Spool jsp...@uie.com wrote: On Aug 14, 2009, at 1:24 PM, Nasir Barday wrote: We should be careful with discounts in our industry, lest people think they can something for nothing. The best advice I've gotten is that clients should feel the pain. If we lower our estimates, it should be because we've taken something away: one less design iteration, fewer usability tests, etc. The long term effect I'm worried about is a financial de- valuing of the worth of our work as designers. Agreed completely. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY Jared Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
Funniest, most relevant video ever. On Aug 21, 2009, at 2:48 PM, Jared Spool wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY Cheers! Todd Zaki Warfel Principal Design Researcher Messagefirst | Designing Information. Beautifully. -- Contact Info Voice: (215) 825-7423 Email: t...@messagefirst.com AIM:twar...@mac.com Blog: http://toddwarfel.com Twitter:zakiwarfel -- In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
Our rates have stayed about the same in terms of the hourly rate on which we base our estimates. But we've gotten more aggressive in finding ways to do things more efficiently. We do an estimate based on hours but then quote the client a fixed price. We usually mark the estimate by a percentage to give ourselves some wiggle room. If you're working as a contractor to do whatever they ask (and not on a defined project scope) then you probably have to give hourly rates. I can't comment on how those have been affected. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44693 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
I can say that I've had clients say, In light of the current economy, we expected the price to be lower. And I've lowered it, 10-20%, when that happens. But it's happened less than half the time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44693 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
We haven't really seen a trend in requests for discounts. The real issue we've seen a few times is that we'll be discussing an opportunity and then the project will be cancelled and the budget completely cut. So it's not the case that the budget isn't big enough...it's that it disappears altogether. Julie _ Julie Stanford Principal, Sliced Bread Design www.slicedbreaddesign.com | 650-969-0400 x706 http://www.linkedin.com/in/jstanford -Original Message- From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Audrey Crane Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 8:47 AM To: disc...@ixda.org Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates I can say that I've had clients say, In light of the current economy, we expected the price to be lower. And I've lowered it, 10-20%, when that happens. But it's happened less than half the time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44693 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
I can say that I've had clients say, In light of the current economy, we expected the price to be lower. Of course, you should only accept this argument if your client's business has actually been affected by the current economy. There are plenty of industries doing just fine, and many others that are *thriving* because* *of the recession. -r- Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
We should be careful with discounts in our industry, lest people think they can something for nothing. The best advice I've gotten is that clients should feel the pain. If we lower our estimates, it should be because we've taken something away: one less design iteration, fewer usability tests, etc. The long term effect I'm worried about is a financial de-valuing of the worth of our work as designers. Outside of design consulting field, Professional A/V vendors (a world I'm close to as a production manager) include nice to haves: useful-but-non-essential equipment, specialized people dedicated to tasks that could be shared among existing hired staff, etc. Vendors start off with estimates geared toward people who can write a check. But regardless of the economy, I start trimming out stuff that would be nice if it fit the budget, but that we can live without on the current go-round. And you can bet when the event producers I work with can afford it, I'll have those things in mind and bring them back in. - Nasir` Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Contractor Rates
Entirely in agreement with Nasir and Robert, I do it in the light of, %u201COk, how can we pare this down or narrow its focus to fit within the budget you have in mind.%u201D It%u2019s very rare that I would agree to do the same thing, just for less $$, as if the original cost was just arbitrary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44693 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
