How to buy web design?

Question

Freelance

Good day, forum users)) I have a couple of questions for you.
1. Is it better to buy design from firms or look for freelancers?
2. How to buy a design correctly? For example, I singled out several freelancers, I have a clear TOR, but the design is a creative thing and each of the performers has their own handwriting. Choose one, give him a 30-50% advance payment and then, if he draws something that you don’t like, tell him to return the money, your design does not fit. In my opinion this is stupid. Would it be right to do this - he draws one of the pages, sends it to me in .jpg format, if I like his style, I give an advance payment and he draws all the others, after which I pay in full and he sends .psd?

Answer 1

I will answer as a designer, for myself again. It may be useful to other designers, and customers, of course.
First of all, you are buying my time. First I find out from you what's what. Why do you need a website, what goals do you set for yourself. In short, how can I help you? Then I determine how much time I will spend on it. I calculate this based on past experience, by days (calculating that in each day I have 8 working hours). I take an advance payment of 50%.
I spend my time on:
- research (analysis of competitors, needs, talking with a client, etc.)
- developing and approving a prototype
- drawing a site and approving screens
- layout (if necessary)
- negotiating, of course, in all these stages
In my work I use InVision (design, visualization, animation), Basecamp (discussion, plans, approval), Photoshop, Sketch (visualization)
I try to involve the client in what I do, show him the whole process, as transparently as possible. As a rule, the questions "Why did I pay so much?" does not occur at the end. A designer is not a creator, but a hired hand to help your business function better and earn more. Please don't confuse it with an artist who paints a portrait of your company.
This is my first reply to Toster, by the way)

Answer 2

How can you run into the answer "the fool himself" simply by not correctly formulating the question for himself.
The answer to anyone who considers themselves a performer is simple: my time is worth money, so eat, don't get dirty. But money up front.
Customer question: nothing at all.
Neither side is right at all.
The correct statement of the question:
"How can I choose a design that will solve my problems and tasks?" What the hell does it matter to you, as a customer, whether you personally like it or not, if the new design solves the main task: it increases conversion, attracts customers, is easy to navigate, etc. You, as a customer, must clearly formulate the main TASK, and not argue like / dislike. You are not an art critic and WEB design will not be hung on the wall in the bedroom.
The correct answer of the designer: This design can solve your problem. And then convincingly explain and prove - why so! You work for money in the interests of the client. And if you are super-cool and design is an end in itself, not a means: go to the fields to draw landscapes and wait for world fame.
You cannot explain to the customer how you will successfully solve IT!!! task, and do not satisfy your ambitions - nafig, close the topic. Either the customer is a complete problem, or you are not the level of worker that is required.
I apologize for the possible harshness ....
By the way, I myself am the customer.

Answer 3

Since when did the customer become a specialist in the preparation of technical specifications?
1. Choose a designer for the work
2. Explain on your fingers as you like, where you liked it, where you didn’t like it using examples of finished works. What should it look like, etc.
3. And be prepared that you will have to pay for the work that you do not like.

Answer 4

Design should solve problems and not “like you”.
Like it or not is subjective. You can’t write this in the technical specification for design. If you have such a question after writing the TOR, then you wrote the TOR incorrectly.
In addition, in addition to the TK, it is very desirable to provide the designer with content. Why is this important I wrote here . In the same place, by the way, about the correct preparation of technical specifications for the designer.

Answer 5

I take several designers at once. For ten years of work, I realized that the amount of payment does not greatly affect the result. Even eminent designers drew shit more than once when novice designers delved into and got used to the requirements and then it turned out to successfully complete the work.
In my experience, the main thing is to find a person who is ready to constructively solve the tasks and accept comments on the project and not at his own expense. This is enough. Of course, you need to look at the portfolio.
And I'm still guided by experience. Less than a year - the designer then performs the work much more slowly.
I never pay in advance! This is probably the golden rule!
After all, when you get a job, do not ask for a salary in advance, and this is quite reasonable! When the performer applies all his knowledge and skills to do the job perfectly, then he has the right to receive the agreed and there may be a bonus and praise. Moreover, the designer has no physical costs, only time.
What if the job doesn't work? What should the customer do, pay? The designer claims everything is cool and it’s according to the technical specifications and it’s fashionable, etc. The customer also lost time and possibly missed the project.
This has happened many times in my history. I launched a store for the exhibition and the designer ruined everything! He made a bad design, very bad, but I still paid for and launched the store in this design. I just didn't have the time to hire a new designer and redo everything. The exhibition will not wait. And about 500,000 rubles were invested in the project.
If I sent a designer to hell without being paid, he would lose his time and I lost 500k. Who has more risk? Of course, after several such failures, I never pay up front again, never!
They do not agree to my terms, so I do not take him to the team.
If you search for a long time, you can find a designer for 100t.r and 1t.r. Thank God there are many offers. And once again I repeat the cheap design for payment is not shit-design at all.
Look for just adequate performers and customers and fulfill your obligations by 120%

Answer 6

Would it be right to do so - he draws one of the pages, throws it off to me in .jpg format

But if you don't like it, just out of subjective preference, then you won't pay the person for the job? And he may have spent the whole day poring over the layout.

Answer 7

If he draws according to the TOR, but you didn’t like something and the argument will be “This line in the TOR should have been misunderstood”, the contractor has the right not only not to return the prepayment, but also to demand the entire payment. Of course, you won’t take into account everything in the TOR, but this can be corrected in the working order, but if the changes are significant, then some performers may require additional payments

Answer 8

I recommend templatemonster.com and others like it. Choose what you like and buy. Everything is immediately visible and the price tag is low.

Answer 9

It would be correct to buy a sketch for a fixed price, in the region of 5-10 thousand per option. If you like it, order more. Directly and to formulate: "there are 10 thousand, make for this money as you consider appropriate the elaborated vision of my task; if I like it, we work further." It's called a paid tender.

Answer 10

Freelance through a secure deal. Some questions will disappear.
Second moment. There are designers who know how to paint what you need (and with high quality. For example, according to a sketch), and there are designers who will make sure that you don’t recognize your sketch.
Look for the latter if budgets allow (they are more expensive).
It makes sense to go to the company if there is a lot of money.

Answer 11

How many faced, the customer wants money, and not the very fact of creating a site and its design. This entire chain of creating a working site is a necessary measure that separates it from its cherished goal. Therefore, the designer should be able to bring the customer closer to this main goal - and not to a fake one in the spirit of "I like it."
The customer usually cannot draw up a TOR - it's more like a brief.
I didn’t see one important fact in the answers above, and your question doesn’t have it - first think about the content, and then design it. This will save a lot of time for everyone. Maybe this is clear to everyone, but for 5 years of experience, only a few do it.
You can look for freelance project managers. This is not a studio yet, but it is no longer a lonely freelancer.