Bobby Parker 9/29/15 Bobby Parker 9/29/15

Market Price for Architectural Renderings

The market price for architectural renderings has a wide range, just like anything else. Just as a pair of jeans can be either very cheap or very expensive, the cost of an architectural rendering can vary greatly.

Would you buy a car for $50 and then use it to drive your kid to school? Probably not. When a car is being sold for a ridiculously low price, you know something stinks. Maybe the engine is rotten, or the police are looking for it. You know you get what you pay for, and a $50 car is probably a bad idea.

Some clients do think that architectural renderings are a commodity. Some think that all illustrators do the same job. We know that’s not the case at all.

Personally, I have a niche. I live and breathe architectural renderings. I have been in architecture for 25 years. Working within a niche means that I only work with clients in architecture. When I work on these projects and with my clients, I have increased my value for other clients in that same niche in the future.

I am always trying to improve my skills. Too many people stop improving on their technical skills as soon as they finish school. Do you think you know all of the shortcuts in Photoshop? Do you even know if Photoshop is the most efficient tool for you? Have you tried Sketch?

By investing time in improving my technical skills, I can get stuff done faster, which means a more profitable project. Even better, it means improved results.

I try and innovate my process. That’s right, innovation is not only for companies like Apple, it’s also something I do. What I mean by innovation is simply trying new ways of working, all the time. A new ways to send proposals, I try new workflows, I try running my meetings differently. The point of innovation is to find a better way to do the things I already do. By investing time in trying new and better ways to work, I can save a lot of hours and make myself more profitable. Trying new things takes time. Not every idea I have improved my workflow right away, but I consider this an investment that will pay off in the long run.

The architectural illustrator who charges too little, in a few weeks into the project, they will inevitably realize that they hadn’t priced the project correctly. They would then start suffering. The low-priced illustrators would lose all motivation and become hostile to their client, because they knew that they were losing money. The client would have no clue why, that they weren't nice anymore, and the project would stop being fun for both.

One of the biggest questions I am asked is, "how much do you charge for a rendering?". After 25 years of doing architectural renderings, I am still confused by this question. An example would be to call your local real estate agent and ask how much does a house cost. There are many questions to get answered before a price can be given.

First, I would need to see the plans and elevations. Each project is unique and each project has its own obstacles and challenges.

Also, doing something I love and find meaningful is a major part of why I chose to be in this business in the first place. And some clients have more exciting projects to work on than others. To be totally transparent, As a rule, if I’m not that excited about a project, I always charge more. By doing so, I make it worth my time to work on something that’s probably going to bore me. It also makes it possible for me to take on more interesting, but less profitable projects as well. On the other hand, if I’m super interested, I might not push the price too high, to increase my chances of getting the project.

Every project I take on is another part of my career journey. It will have an effect on my future. Understanding the long-term effect a certain project might have will help me to understand the true value of the project, and therefore how to price it correctly.

Bobby Parker 9/25/15 Bobby Parker 9/25/15

Tamarac Village Renderings

Tamarac Village is a large development in Florida. My objective was to produce 12 photo realistic renderings of the exterior, which included 3 commercial buildings, a clubhouse, several parks, and 3 different sized residential buildings, including these larger units.

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Bobby Parker 9/23/15 Bobby Parker 9/23/15

Adam's House Rendering

What a pleasant project to work on. I really enjoy helping architects, builders, and developers show their clients what their client's dream house will look like. Architectural renderings really help the client get engaged and excited about their future dream home.

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Bobby Parker 9/15/15 Bobby Parker 9/15/15

Recommended on Houzz

Always an honor to be acknowledged for my work. I have received a Houzz Recommended badge.

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Bobby Parker 9/15/15 Bobby Parker 9/15/15

Modern Townhouse Rendering

Modern living! It took me awhile to warm up to these modern building renderings that I have been illustrating, but I think I am liking them. I like the metals with the stone and the hard clean lines.

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Bobby Parker 9/14/15 Bobby Parker 9/14/15

The Gramercy Architectural Rendering

I shared the project earlier last month, but the project was sold, so the new owner has made some changes in architecture prior to a press release.

“Those are incredible!!!!!!”

— Owner

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Bobby Parker 9/11/15 Bobby Parker 9/11/15

Commercial Architectural Rendering

“Bobby is extremely talented with his rendering abilities, very accommodating and quick turn around times.”

— River Valley Architects Inc.

Quite a lot of architecture flows past my desk and I am not a fan of some, however, I really appreciate the proposed building for 220 Graham Ave., Eau Claire, WI.

220 Graham Ave Proposed Commercial Rendering

River Valley Architects approached me to prepare them a presentation rendering for a city council meeting. I received a solid Revit model, which is always nice, and a complete color board. Since the model wasn't built to illustrate, I had to spend a few days working the model into something I can use. I created many custom textures, which no repeating pattern can be seen, set up the lighting, and arrange the composition.

Since I had some good architecture to start with, the final architectural rendering turned out great. I wish the architect the best of luck and I hope to see it built.

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Bobby Parker 8/29/15 Bobby Parker 8/29/15

See it Live: Autodesk 3ds Max 2016 Extension 1

Join Chris Murray as he takes you on a tour of 3ds Max 2016: See how new tools and new workflows help you get started quickly, work better, and collaborate like never before.

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Bobby Parker 8/29/15 Bobby Parker 8/29/15

Custom Elder Care Interior Rendering

Definition of CUSTOM: adjective

made or done to order for a particular customer.

From the furniture, to the artwork, and the fabrics, everything were custom modeled and texture mapped to the interior designer's specifications.

After a couple iterations, here are the final renderings for a proposed elder care. The space is rather tall and I wanted to show the height of the space, so I chose this aspect ratio. With a subtle depth of field, and some warm lighting, I think the space turned out beautifully.

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Bobby Parker 8/18/15 Bobby Parker 8/18/15

How to get your first high paying client (step by step)

Hey there guys and gals of the nuSchool, Ran here.

If you got yesterday’s email, then you know I was blown away when I discovered that my designer friend was charging more money for 2 days of work than what I got for a full time position.

I was set up to try and create that for myself.

This email is not about telling another story, but rather explaining to you EXACTLY what I did to get my first client to pay me the same.

Pay attention, because these strategies can really make a difference in your freelance business:

The Meeting

There’s a lot of psychology going into meeting a potential client for the first time, much like in a first date. How you behave before, during and after that meeting is crucial to how much you can charge and whether the client wants you more than you want them.

Here’s what I did:

I set the meeting on my own terms: I told them I can only meet on a certain day and time for 30 minutes, and mentioned the location where I can meet them. This created the impression that I was so busy and therefore probably very good and expensive.
I asked most of the questions: I did not let the client lead the meeting and interview me. I came prepared with a set of questions and I interviewed them. This is much more professional and creates the impression that I have to PICK THEM, rather than the other way around.
I told them I will get back to them: after I got everything I needed to know about the project, I did not tell them how much it would cost right away (even though they wanted to know), I just said: “let me think about it, and see what I can do for you”. Again: the ball is in my court.

The Proposal

The client was a startup that needed help designing their app.

I realized that if I gave them a proposal for the project they just asked for, I will probably lose 90% of the design work in this project, since all the work is going to happen AFTER the app actually launches.

Here’s what I did:

I created a project gantt: I broke down the work into weeks so that I could show them how we’re going to meet their deadlines, and what’s going to happen each week. I did this for 12 weeks - the next 3 months.
I created a retainer program: I told my client that I will charge them $5,000 a month, and that we can end the relationship at any time if we are not happy together. That means that for the entire project (total of 3 months) they will pay me $15,000.
I showed them what we can do next: I created an additional list of things I thought the startup could benefit from - new branding, a marketing video and a new website, among others. I showed them how we can fit some of them in before the launch, and as for the rest, we’ll continue working on them should the first three months prove successful.

It took the client about 2 days to think this over (and compare with other proposals he got) before they got back to me to tell me: LET’S DO THIS!

While other designer’s just gave them a price tag for the app design, I showed them how we can work together as a team, for the long term and I was invested in helping their company succeed. I showed them more than they’ve asked for and I helped them imagine what a great brand and design will do for their business.

Here are the key takeaways:

Negotiation starts before you even discuss money. If your client desperately wants to work with you because you are a superstar designer, they will be willing to pay. Present yourself as that superstar designer (without being a douchebag of course.)
Don’t give the client a proposal for what they asked for. A lot of times clients are not even sure what problem they are actually trying to solve. Do some thinking and then propose to them the best thing for their business. And guess what - the best thing for their business is in many cases to work with a designer on a regular basis.
Make it easy to say “YES!”. Your proposal needs to address your client’s fears and also to fulfill their dreams. It’s not only about the money - it’s about what that money buys.

I hope you think about this the next time you are about to meet a potential client.

There’s no reason why you won’t be able to make them happy with a proposal like this.

Now go kick some ass!

Ran.

PS -

Yesterday I’ve mentioned that we’re working on a new guide book that will help you get your freelance business to the next level. There are only 3 days left to pre-order it at a crazy $9 price, so if you’re interested, check it out:

Check out our new book