Designing / Artwork Charges?

[kmmcrafts]

I rarely charge my customer for the design or artwork of a design so long as it's not a personalized item or an item I feel I could not sell to someone else..

I just recently ordered a new design puzzle from Scott ( Harveys Patterns ) and it got me to thinking about it.. I didn't charge my customer the design fee.. nor will I.. Yes.. I'm going to just break even with the order.. but any one after that is money in my pocket.. Many of my popular selling items are that of something someone requested in the past.. Their idea that I brought to life and now one of my best sellers.. Should I have charged them a design fee for something they requested and now I'm making money of their idea?

What if the design fee tacked to the price of their request made the item too expensive and they decline to go through with their order.. and then I never made that best seller piece? I just feel it to be wrong to charge a design fee unless it's personalized.. Then again... designers and artist make a living off of just that.. I've ate the cost of designs almost since the beginning.. I used to charge. started out that way.. BUT some of the ideas I thought was brilliant and so I started just making them and eating the cost.. yes even deigns that I have to pay for.. 

What do you guys that sell do? Or even if you don't sell.. if you order something from someone and they charge you artwork fees.. then you see the said item offered on the website at a lower cost... how would you feel about that?  I'm probably asking the wrong group of people since most of us know what goes into designing.. but I feel like it's wrong to charge that cost if I'm going to sell it to others later down the road at a less cost.. 

In communicating with my customers I let them know that I don't do the artwork.. and that I charge for it on some instances but I like what they are wanting and I'll wave the fee as I plan to offer it in my store..  This has always been one of my struggles in pricing.. I don't mind charging a premium price for a product.. but I also firmly believe that tacking a $30 charge to the first customer is wrong if I'm going to be putting it in my store $30 cheaper in the next couple weeks too.. Then again.. I typically charge higher prices than many others do too.. and can somewhat absorb these design fees..

 

Anyway.. what's your thoughts? I hope this brings on some good discussion.. I'd like to see others opinions good or bad on this.. 

 

[JimErn]

I look at like this, if you are going to charge for a design, then that should be a one off situation and once sold you do not use the design again.

For me I don't charge for the design work at all, whether I do it or I buy it.

[Crosstimbers]

Kevin, I don't charge anything for the design.  In fact, if I like their idea and plan on selling more of them, then I may give the customer a break on the price (especially if they are a repeat customer).  The additional sales will more than make up for the time I spent on the design phase (and any discount given).

Yes, pricing is hard.  I struggle with it too.

[Paladin]

I don't charge for the pattern price unless it is a completely custom design (like a name/names) that i know i will not make for any one else.

[kmmcrafts]

Thank you all for replying with your thoughts on this.. I read all the time where people charge for the design ( understandable if it's personalized item ) and I just always felt it is wrong to do that.. and then continue to sell the said item.. 

Pricing for me isn't super hard.. I time myself on a first run of a project and then I have a hourly rate etc etc.. I don't worry about what others will think of my price.. If they don't like the price they don't have to buy it... I don't have to sell it either, LOL ... I will say if I have a item that doesn't sell well I don't rush out and make more of it, LOL... I rarely lower the price either.. I typically will hang onto it for a long time then finally I will donate it to a charity.. 

Anyway, Thanks for the replies.. 

[tgiro]

I basically build design and artwork hours into the total price. If I have to do a piece from a photo or picture, then I am upfront with the costs of creating a wood cut from the picture.. The customer knows they are getting a unique  piece that will never be duplicated, so they usually don't mind the extra charges.

[BadBob]

I don't charge anything extra for the design, even if I have to buy it. I figure that if one person wants one, then others will want one. I almost always make two because it doesn't take much longer, and it is insurance against breakage. If all goes well, the extras get listed in my shop. Last year my best seller came from a custom order.

I might charge extra for a personalized item, but so far, all of the personalized things I have done are quite simple and only took a few minutes.

Admittedly, my selling experience is somewhat limited.

[John B]

I have charged a design fee twice, $30 each time as it was a portrait and I paid to have them made. Actually cost me $25US, so I probably lost a dollar or two.
Another three times I have sent a copy of the photo to a designer, for a price and added this (Itemised) to the quote and never got the job. I Very rarely do custom portraits now as they are just too much trouble.
I have also made a couple of $25 donations to the RFDS in the name of designers who have kindly done portraits for free.
Now if the pattern was something I could use again and again and be pretty sure I'd make a quid, I wouldn't charge.
Another thought, cutting a personalised item is usually a one off, however others I can stack cut so this must also be taken into account, Portraits of-course.
BTW heartfelt thanks to the many people who lend their time designing on this forum, at no cost, you are all special.

Edited May 30, 2020 by John B
another thought