Let’s say I design a logo for you in a couple of hours.
You love it. You can’t stop looking at it. It’s clean, memorable, exactly what you wanted.

So now what? Do you feel a little cheated because it didn’t take me a whole week?

This is where both designers and clients sometimes get it wrong. They assume time spent equals value. It doesn’t.

But in reality, the faster and clearer the solution, the more valuable it actually is.

Hourly Pricing Creates Weird Thinking

Hourly rates sound logical on the surface, but they fall apart when applied to creative work.

• If I take longer, do you feel better about the price?
• If I solve the problem faster, do you feel like I should be paid less?

You’re not paying for hours. You’re paying for the outcome.

It’s a bit like asking a magician, just before their show:

“Can you break down your pricing? How much for the rabbit trick? Is the coin trick cheaper if it’s shorter?”

You’re not paying for how long the trick takes. You’re paying for the moment, the feeling, the “wow.”
Design works the same way.

Why I Can Work Fast… And Why That’s a Good Thing

I’ve been designing for over 25 years. I’ve built up my own systems, refined my process, created custom mockup resources and internal tools that let me work fast without cutting corners.

I know what questions to ask. I know where people get stuck. And I know how to avoid costly mistakes down the line.

That speed isn’t a shortcut. It’s the result of experience.
If I give you a clear, usable design in a few hours, that’s not less valuable, that’s exactly why you hired me. You don’t want to waste a week going in circles.

The Work You Don’t See

A lot of what we do as designers isn’t visible to the client. You see the final image or the approved design, but behind that are hours of prep, checking, and exporting.

Take a logo for example. Once it’s approved, I still need to:

• Export it in multiple formats (SVG, PNG, PDF, JPG)
• Prepare versions for web, print, dark background, light background
• Include inverted, white, black, and greyscale versions
• Create a vector master file that will still look sharp on a billboard
• Make sure it works at 30px and at 3 metres wide

Same with something like a banner or poster — the file needs to be print-ready, which means:

• Flattening the text to vector so fonts don’t go missing
• Converting to CMYK if needed
• Making sure bleed and crop marks are correct
• Checking that it won’t print blurry or pixelated

Every project has its own set of hidden steps that most clients never see. And they shouldn’t have to, that’s our job. But that time still exists, and it still needs to be valued.

For Designers: Don’t Let Speed Undermine You

If you’re new to design, you might charge by the hour because everything still takes a while.
That’s fine in the beginning. But as you get better and faster, you’ll realise that pricing by the hour actually punishes your experience.

The faster you are, the more people expect to pay less.
Don’t fall for that trap.

You’re not being paid for how long something takes. You’re being paid for knowing what to do, what not to do, and how to do it with confidence. That’s value. That’s what they’re buying.

For Clients: Why This Matters to You

If you’ve ever wondered why a design job seems expensive for something that didn’t take long, here’s the simple truth:

You’re not paying for my time. You’re paying for me to make your life easier. To give you something that works, something you can use proudly, and something you don’t have to second-guess or fix later.

That’s not a cost, it’s a saving.

You’re paying for peace of mind. For direction. For knowing that the logo or design you’re getting was done right the first time.

Final Thought

I don’t charge by the hour because I don’t sell time.
I sell clarity. I sell reliability. I sell designs that help you grow and move forward.

And if I can deliver that quickly, that’s not a reason to question the value.
That’s exactly why it’s valuable.