Preparing a Design Brief

Figment

I put the first draft up tonight. It might be of interest to some of you.
http://www.dgi.ie/business/brief.asp

DadaKopf

Hey, c'mere, could you good people at DGI do some research and come up with info ant help about how to draft contracts for sole-traders/freelancers and agencies etc?

There's a drought of information on this in the Irish context, although AIGA has done the same thing for the US.

Figment

Whats your email addy?

RicardoSmith

Just started looking at your site. I can't believe that in Ireland the Average salary for a graphic Designer is 34k. I'd say thats at the higher end and the majority of people would be at 20-30K. Certainly any jobs I've seen recently were 20-25K.

Figment

That is high, but its just a quote from the Indo.

Actual salary survey results from last year are here: http://www.dgi.ie/salary/default.asp

RicardoSmith

Senior Designer 16-60K does that not seem a little odd? Seems like they made up those figures of the 20 or so graphic designers I know the range is more like 22-32K. Seems like fantasy figures to me.

Figment

There is a broad range of designers on a broad range of salarys. Some of those senior designers could own their own company. Some just have a thick neck and wont settle for less.

In many cases that i know a designers salary is determined by self worth. If you think you are worth a high salary its more likely that an employer will think that you are.
I do know designers who make that.

My last job i was on 30k. Now i work for myself(and have no idea what salary i am on yet).

RicardoSmith

Senior Designer on 16k?
Senior Designer on 60K?

Does any one know anyone on those wages?

Figment

I do unfortunately. That was the major driving force to get the salary survey done. There needs to be an openness in the industry to stop designers being ripped off either intentionally or accidentally due to lack of information.

RicardoSmith

Can I ask in board terms what both Senior Designers are doing that merits a wage of 16K and 60K for the same role.

Figment

Probably the very same job.

My thinking is that the 16k designer got the job straight from college, its a family firm of non designers and they decided they needed someone inhouse instead of paying the expensive designer down the road. They are the only designer in the company so "Senior Designer". Family dont know what salary a designer gets but sure he is the same age as john in the ware house so it should be about the same.
The designer sets up the design part of the business themselves, established process and practices and learned on the job how to meet and liase with clients. Very self motivated.


The 60k designer probably works in a big advertising firm, handles accounts from big blue chip clients. Moved around a few design companies getting a raise with each move. Probably got their current position during the design and tech boom around 2002. Might do some project managment.

There is probably little difference in the design and the job spec.

RicardoSmith

Probably? I thought you said you knew these designers?

Figment

Its an anonymous survey, I am not going to give you their life’s details

I tried to give a hypothetical reason for the differences.

The survey is very far from perfect. We are working on this years at the moment and aiming for a wider sample of designers and improved catagorisation. It wont be due until about august/september though.

RicardoSmith

I can appreciate the work thats gone into it. But what you're saying and the figures given don't seen credible.

Figment

You will always get extreem figures in the highs and lows. Most surveys take them out and show the average. we didnt get enough replies on this first one so we showed them all.

The guy on 16k posted to creative ireland shortly after the survey was released about his salary. I will see if i can find it.
Why doesnt it seem credible? I am sure people on boards know network admins or programmers with the same lows and highs. Its not that different in design.

RicardoSmith

Of all the programmers I know the range is more like 24-45. The average wouldn't be skewed upward to 34K as the average if there weren't a lot of above 34K. I don't see that as been consistent with my experience of the market. If it was I'd see a lot more designers driving nice cars and owning bigger houses. Thats just not what you see. Obviously its only my opinion and relates to the people I know, but anyone I showed the salary scale to, didn't believe it either.

Network admins would span a greater range for sure. But thats a completely different issue. We're talking about graphic designers here.

Figment

Each of those Salaries listed there are individual replies. We didnt do any editing or or sums with the numbers.

It is possible that someone lied about their Salary. They could just be very lucky or they could run their own company with many minions. I dont know.
As i said we didnt get a very large sample. I think it was 200 - 300 submissions. It is possible that only a certin type of designer replied to the survey. We can only show what we are given.

Did any designers you know fill it out?

RicardoSmith

No not to my knowledge.

DadaKopf

figment, any word on that draft contract stuff?

Figment

I sent it to the email you gave me. Not get it?

DadaKopf

Nope!