HIRING GUIDES / DESIGN

Design

Identities, sites and campaigns from independent designers.

$300–$2,500 per projectApparel designer

What an apparel designer actually delivers, what artwork and tech packs cost, and how to hire one who designs for the way garments are really made.

$300–$2,000 per projectBook cover designer

What a book cover designer really delivers, what a cover costs, and how to hire one who designs for your genre and every place the book sells.

$400–$5,000 per projectBrand designer

What a brand designer actually does, what it costs to hire one, and how to tell a great one from a template-flipper.

$250–$1,500 per projectEmail designer

What an email designer actually builds, what coded, tested templates cost, and how to hire one who makes email render right everywhere, not just in preview.

$35–$120 per hourGraphic designer

What a graphic designer covers (and doesn't), typical hourly rates, and how to brief one so the first draft lands close.

$200–$3,000 per projectIllustrator

What an illustrator creates, what original artwork costs, and how to hire one whose style fits your project and whose contract covers your usage.

$60–$160 per hourMotion designer

What a motion designer makes, what the hourly rate really buys, and how to hire one who can animate an idea, not just move logos around.

$800–$6,000 per projectPackaging designer

What a packaging designer actually delivers, what dielines and print-ready files cost, and how to hire one who won't blow your print run.

$300–$2,500 per projectPresentation designer

What a presentation designer actually does to your slides, what a polished deck costs, and how to hire one who improves the argument, not just the fonts.

$250–$2,000 per projectPrint designer

What a print designer produces, what press-ready files cost, and how to hire one who understands ink and paper, not just pixels.

$400–$2,000 per monthSocial media designer

What a social media designer produces each month, what a monthly retainer buys, and how to hire one who builds a system instead of one-off posts.

$50–$150 per hourUI/UX designer

What UI/UX designers actually do, what they charge per hour, and how to hire one without needing a design department.

$500–$8,000 per projectWeb designer

What a web designer actually delivers, what a small-business site costs, and how to avoid paying for a pretty mockup nobody can build.