Are those rates just for the person, or are they working from home with their own equipment? I ask as many companies are charging no more.

It's what i was advised when i moved here 5+ years ago working from home, own equipment - I charge less per hour and a flat day rate working in house 3 days a week - and charge more working from home

I would say rates are softer than 5 years ago from my experience.

So are you talking from experience as a freelance designer? I know several freelancers all charging above 100CHF an hour

Yes, generally that may be their ratecard, often gets knocked on projects of more than a few days. For 4 hours for sure.
I also assume 8.33% holiday pay, AHV, AV & pension payments are added to those rates you quote.

About "Salary in london around £70k.
Would you be able to suggest what is the match in Switzerland? My guess is ... 150K ish? "
Sounds reasonable

hey ken,
you mind if i ask where you found this job and what's the company name? i'm looking for the same job as well. i'm a graphic designer in ad agencies and i have 5 years experience.

thanks!

Whilst it sounds reasonable it's just not going to happen, which is why the OP was offered way less

From what I understand, it would seem that, for this industry specifically, Switzerland is the problem rather than that company or job offer. So it's better to be an Art Director/Senior Designer elsewhere (salary plus creativity/job interest). Correct?

Absolutely correct, budgets are based on audience , small country 3 languages that's the issue along with everybody wants to do a trendy job. Many kids have rich parents so will work for free, so salaries & standards drop.

It's the race to the bottom.

I worked on a project last week everybody except myself worked for free, I refused & got my full rate, had they asked for a lower rate I would have discounted but they were just too greedy!

fatmanfilms, i think in this industry creativity is required all the time. even if you're doing simple informational bank brochures. just to fit a lot of texts and pictures in a 3 fold brochure and make it look nice already requires a certain degree of creativity. wouldn't you think so??

but companies and organizations would still need a professional who knows the ins and outs of the industry? otherwise they won't be able to maintain good creative standards?
even in places like haiti, people spend money just to have a good design. imagine, how much more a rich country switzerland?

Creativity is not allowed much of the time, the agency will always choose the least creative version , so it's as close as possible to what was done for the last 10 years .

The majority of my work originates from London , New York & Paris, the local offerings resemble crap at the best of time.

Cheap is what they want, regardless of what it looks like.

Oh I forgot to say 'Art' comes under the police & I am not joking!

This is a "Sticky" http://www.lohnrechner.bfs.admin.ch/...d.aspx?lang=de

I could not find Art Director when I looked, am I missing something? Thanks

sounds very odd to think that switzerland was the birthplace of the international style design (a.k.a. swiss style design) that heavily influenced how we do graphic design today.

forgot to say, don't know what your experience is, but i think this is mostly true wherever you go because business people rarely understands the importance of good design and art... unless of course this affects the bottomline of their brand/products.