I see a lot of posts like "5$ banner", "web-site design for 45$", etc. Even in Belarus (with second to none pay-level) you wont get design work done for less than 100$. Good studios will add 1 zero to this price. What happened with American design market i wonder?
Why told you that those 5$ designers are americans ? Plus it doesn't matter what your nationality is, you are controlled by the market mechanism So if the average price in the market (DP forum) is 5$ then your 10 or 100 or 1000$ price will not work.
Your nationality doesn't matter when it comes to the internet, You are in direct compeition with people in the US so you prices are controlled by what other peopl are offering!
American design market? you know theres a whole world outside of America my friend. The beauty of the internet, it opens up our world.
True that, its same in every field which can be marketed on the Internet not just "design" called competition
Very much so, its made business possible for so many, and info available to many and helped people progress. Thats a good thing, people are able to help themselves without needing thousands of $$ for a startup.
I still see the difference between normal competition and price damping.... Good work cost money, that should be obvious (yet its not for some), no matter what "other people are offering"/
Its natural that if you want to charge a certain amount for a service that other folk are going to undercut you in order to get the business, but that happens everywhere, its perfectly normal to say to clients we can do this and this and cheaper than the next guy. You really cant control what someone will do and for what price. Slighty off topic but related to pricing, i think Virgin and BA airways are being fined large amounts for price fixing, here in the UK the supermarket chains are always doing it, they pretend to be in price wars when really their working together, they get investigated though. We really dont want to see too much of price fixing in online business, every person is entitled to go as cheap as they want with their services, if that means they undercut you then you need to compete to survive. That is business, adapt to change. I run directories, i offer very cheap listings, other guys have their prices set at 50 times and 100 - 200 times my charge. I appeal to small budgets, people look for something decent without having to pay through the nose for it.
that sort of competition is normal for you activity (DIRs), but design is on the edge between business and art. I am against monopoly in any way, just curious, why do they choose smth related to creativity instead of cleaning toilets for the same amount of money...
Well what may seem like toilet cleaning rates to you is actually fair money for some in india, pakistan and other parts of the world, the $ goes a lot further in india for example, as far as im aware. Im in the UK and i have to accept that when i accept payment, which is in $ that i only get half of that in £ and minus transaction fees because of the currency conversion. Because i dont know anything about design i honestly dont now how it works and can understand your frustration, but designers around the world i guess are doing no different to what any other type of business does. The guys doing it cheaper are just proving that they can provide a fair quailty service without forcing a client to remortgage their home. Added Text: Austell Where i live i can go to the sports shop and buy a pack of 3 pair nike sports socks for about £8, or i can cross the street into a mega cheap clothing store and get 5 pairs, same color, same thickness, just without the nike logo, the price £2, 2 quid for 5 pairs of good quality socks, guess where i shop for my socks now. Nobody cares about the nike sign not being there when their that cheap.
Nice allegory of design through socks, Pipes... but overpaying for a brand name and overpaying for a quality are different things. You may reasonably say that cheap work doesn't mean low quality. And that will be true... But that's not the point. The point is - now matter how different are pay-rates in Mumbai and San Francisco, designer should always remember about SELF-RESPECT.
Sorry socks isn't the best choice is it I see what you mean though, as a designer you will feel differently about certain things and strongly about your work, i can respect that.
I know what are you speacking It happens in evry market people who on't respect themselfs and work for pennys (even if those penny are enouf to live in there countrys) sincerly this is geting ridicoulous sometimes ...
Competition my ass... Respect towards each other and self-respect - that is the only way to sell your art talents! I think I shouldn't create ritorical threads like this in future as I got negative rep along with "silly boy" comment
Take no notice of a rep comment, anyway at least you voiced your opinion, it wont make it any easier for you but i guess were all up against tough competition.