How much does a professional designer cost?
Project pricing and what a quote contains.
Quick answer: There is no single rate, and serious professionals quote by project: you pay for a defined result, with revisions and files included, and you know the number before work starts. As a reference, with Keryx Design simple print pieces start at 170 euros, a professional logo at 700 euros, a website at 2,400 euros. The right number depends on what the material has to produce: always ask that, along with what is included. Our method: how we work.
Hourly rates shift the risk onto you
With an hourly rate you pay for time, and time is controlled by the person doing the work. If the project drags on, the bill climbs, and you find out when the work is done, once it is too late to push back.
A project-based quote flips the position. The number is agreed before work starts, the result is defined in writing, and the included revisions are listed. If it takes more hours than expected, the problem stays with the professional.
There is also a less visible effect: hourly billing penalizes experience. A designer who solves in two hours what a beginner does in ten would earn less at the same rate, precisely because they are good. That is why experienced professionals quote by project: the price pays for the solution, and you know your spend in advance.
Starting prices, line by line
| Material | With Keryx Design starting at |
|---|---|
| Simple print pieces (e.g. business card) | 170 euros |
| Flyers and postcards | 280-330 euros |
| Professional logo | 700 euros |
| Magalog (layout only) | starting at 2,490 euros |
| Website | 2,400 euros |
The "starting at" has a precise reason: no serious professional gives you a closed number over the phone without seeing the material. Three things push the price up: the number of pages, the starting material that needs fixing (text to reorganize, photos to source) and above all the goal of the piece.
A flyer that introduces the business takes less work than one designed to make the phone ring: the second case needs an offer, a structure and a measurable call to action. The difference between the two crafts is explained in why design quotes vary so much.
The five line items in a serious quote
- Written objective: what the piece has to produce (calls, requests, visits), in black and white
- Scope of work: how many concepts and how many revisions are included
- Deliverable files: print-ready PDF, vector files and open source files (what files you should receive)
- Delivery date, written into the quote
- External costs listed separately: printing is paid at the print shop and must appear as its own line
If a line item is missing, ask for it before you sign. A quote that stays silent on files and revisions usually charges for them later, when saying no is harder.
Price is judged by what it produces
A number only makes sense next to the result it buys. An example from our archive: a three-fold brochure designed by Keryx Design with a precise job, getting recontacted, with a clear offer and a clear call to action, distributed to B2B companies.
Three questions you are already asking
Why does almost nobody publish an hourly rate? Because it is a number that confuses: an expert solves in a few hours, so a high hourly rate can cost less than a low hourly rate multiplied by full days. A closed project makes the comparison honest.
With AI and Canva can I do it myself? For many uses yes, and you should. The critical point comes when the material has to bring in clients: the full answer is in do you still need a designer with AI and Canva.
If I bring the text myself do I spend less? It depends on how it arrives. Text that is ready and in order lowers the hours; text that needs rewriting raises them. Say so during the quote: the number gets more precise.
The first step to a number on your case
The Feasibility Analysis costs $147: we review your material and your goal and tell you in writing what we would do, at what cost and with what realistic expectations. If the project goes ahead, the $147 is deducted from the deposit.
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