I know that my question is akin to that of 'how long is a piece of string'... but I just wondered if anyone had any examples of the average price of getting web or graphic work done in Switzerland. e.g how much to have flyers/brochures designed - how much for a simple website?

I used to offer 'packaged' web/graphic services from simple sites at $1000USD to full blown flash/ecommerce sites of $5k+.

These days I charge $40/hr instead, and the average going rate here in Florida seems to be around $50-60/hr.

Any info would be very useful, thanks!

*I also do audio/video work and if anyone knows how much a 'cheap, local' tv commercial costs to produce, that would be helpful too!

As the web is so international prices tend to be much the same for the 'west' with impossibly low prices for the 'east' for set packages.

Where you may encounter extra costs in Switzerland for print/ graphics/ web work is if you want service in the form of meetings, reports, recomendations and custom coding...

Well I'm studying webdesing at the moment and for what I can say, the prices you mentioned are slightly lower than what it costs around here.
It depends, 'cause there are so many designers and wannabe-designers around. In my opinion, the true struggle is to find a really good one 'cause they cost you exactly what you get...
Back to the money question: I'd say rates for webdesigners are CHF80/hour rising quickly the more professional you want the site to be!
But I don't think you'll get a flash site for 5 grand... If we mean the same thing by 'full blown'!
BTW: How is the job market in the US - especially florida - for graphic-, webdesigners?

Cheerio

See i have the same question and i have been trying to research..

I am a graphic designer in India and am soon to move to switzerland.... I have a team of developers and web programmers and i'll continue working with them and doing my projects while i'm there.. Though it seems that there's no "going rate" in the market.

As crazy as it might sound i charge $800 for a corporate identity here in india. But i get shocker from people abroad if i say $200

There's no material on the net stating average salaries or rates for certain materials.

Someone ought to make a statistic site on this.. wink wink!

As I suppose there is also a Verband für graphic designers... the Swiss
Professional Photographers (Schweizer Berufsfotografen, SBf) in which I
am a member has a guideline that suggests the prices that members
should ask for/demand.

Of course, these prices are based on downtown Zürich, not backwoods-
Rheintal where I am loacated. If I demanded those prices, I would be
sitting here without a single contracted job!

Check around, there is surely some price guidelines for web- and
graphic-designers out there somewhere.

I know of a local company, not one man show, that ask CHF 2500 for a
website with 8 static pages and contact page. Basically the company
sets up CMS and the customer does the updating.

I ask for just about half that for the same number of pages. Also, I base
my time/money on 15 minute blocks. I ask for CHF 28.- for a 15 minute
block. Therefore my booking more flexible if it takes only 30 or 45
minutes.

Hmm,

That brings in some clarity.

Search is on people.. Share what you got.. Thanks scott

Probably because they think you are going to pull it out of a Christmas Cracker.

I should imagine a corporate identity and design is going to cost you $200 just for the paper you will be printing your ideas on.

At least!

CI complete, with diverse logos, letterhead, envelopes, web CMS... should
run minimum CHF 5k. Local Gemeinde offered 12k. Large company (no
names here) paid 22k for a London based firm to redo the entire company
visualization.

It all depends on who you are servicing. Getting good money from small mom and dad type of clients is almost impossible. Also no one will pay big bucks if your work is not outstanding.

I've watched a company spend millions on their corporate identity.

Swiss International Air Lines paid a London outfit some CHF3 million to think up the name 'Swiss' and plonk the Swiss flag on everything and paint it either white or red...

Hey guys,

I saw that you were interested in graphic design as much as I am... so I was wondering if you are working for any company here in Switzerland.

I am desperate still looking for a job but it is getting much more harder every day. The market seems to have stopped somehow, nothing really moves!

Did you have luck on that? Are you people working in the field already?

Responses will be highly appreciated!

Cheers!

Georgi

I can't remember where I read it but I read last year that the UK average hourly rate, found through a survey, was 30 GBP. Like anything, you get what you pay for. Sadly I think the web industry has been damaged by cowboys.
The main culprits being IT companies with no design experience and at the other end, artists with no computer/Internet experience.

If I were paying for a recent graduate or junior designer it'd be 15-20GBP (that's in the UK so 30-40CHF)

Web 'specialisms' (Flash, programming, SEO, Accessibility) were closer to 100GBP (200CHF) per hour (in London)

Again, with Flash, you get a lot of cowboys who make pretty but very clunky files.

One way to work out your hourly rate is estimate your salary, if you had a full time job, deduct holidays, weekends etc and work it out to the hour. That's your hourly rate! Make sure it covers expenses, rates, costs etc.

Incidentally, certainly for the UK, the market hasn't slowed. There's a gap in the market for Intermediate to Senior Designers. The problem at the moment is there are too many people with out-dated skills and a lot of beginners with little experience (that's not to say a well skilled beginner wouldn't be much in demand). Thankfully, much like a plumber, carpenter or any other 'trade' a web designer is now becoming something every company needs.

So my boss wants me to update his website after two different companies have let us down (it's only a small job). The thing is it was written years ago and doesn't take advantage of lots of stuff we'd both like to see on it. It was written in html/php at least, but I have no php skills.

Can anyone recommend a good book that can help me on my way? I did do computer science years ago at uni, but I only really learnt C and I've forgotten most of that now anyway.

You can buy a book called PHP and MYSQL for Dummies, available at any good bookstore or website...
MJ

http://www.php.net/

http://www.zend.com

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/

http://www.phparch.com/

If it's written in PHP, it should have been for a reason - such as it is a database driven site. In which case it is unlikely you will need to learn PHP, but simply update the design template and edit from an admin section.

However if two companies have already let you down and "it's only a small job" means your boss thinks small job = cheap job, this could be the reason for being let down. Beware as you seem to know little about website building that you are going to be lumbered with a dog of a job...

I seem to know little about website building? And what exactly do you base that on? I'm curious to know.

I'll definitely use the online reference guides.

mjones, have you used the dummies book yourself?

If you ask me, it is simple. Just read your own text.

I comply with AdFab, be sure your boss knows that the time and efforts he
allows you to work on the site will reflect in the quality of the site.

Good luck! Why don't you post a link to the website here so we can
perhaps help you to use the right support material. Would interest me
why your boss is not satisfied and "let down". Let us have a look.

It's a subscriber-based only website so the public front page won't give you many clues the changes required.

Both companies got as far as reading my requirements spec and did not even quote on the job. I'm guessing that's because they realised there was little money in it.

Obviously you think it was something I wrote, as neither of you have anything else to go on. But I fail to see where I've displayed knowing 'little about website building'. You've both just read what you want into it: I've been in IT for most of my working life, including working at web development companies. I've just avoided php until now.