Average Price of a Graphic Charter: Analysis of 2000+ Projects
Last update: 28 April 2023 at 09:09 am
5.00/5Establishing a consistent visual identity is crucial for any company or organization looking to make an impact in the market.
A graphic charter is a working document gathering all the fundamental rules of use of the graphic signs that constitute the visual identity of a company or a brand.
On the other hand, branding guidelines encompass a wider range of elements related to the brand’s identity and strategy, including its mission, values, target audience, and brand positioning.
While both graphic charters and branding guidelines are essential, you may be facing challenges trying to determine the cost of creating a graphic charter.
This article explores the factors that influence the cost of a graphic charter and provides insights into the typical price range of projects that include a graphic charter and how companies can calculate the cost of outsourcing one to a graphic design or branding agency.
Do You Need a Graphic Charter or Branding Guidelines?
Both a graphic charter and branding guidelines are important for establishing and maintaining a consistent visual identity for a company or organization, but they serve different purposes.
While a graphic charter focuses on the visual identity of the brand, branding guidelines encompass a wider range of elements related to the brand’s identity and strategy.
Branding guidelines often include information on the brand’s mission, values, target audience, and brand positioning, as well as examples of how to use the brand in different contexts.
Elements of a graphic charter
A graphic charter, also known as a visual identity manual or style guide, is a set of guidelines that outlines the specific design elements and specifications that should be used consistently across all visual materials. Some of these materials include:
- A logo and its variations (monogram etc.)
- A color palette
- Typography
The graphic charter aims at ensuring that all visual communications are consistent, clear, and representative of the brand’s values and personality.
On the other hand, branding guidelines go beyond just the visual elements of the brand to include the brand’s voice, tone, messaging, and overall brand strategy. They provide a more comprehensive guide for how the brand should be represented across all touchpoints, including advertising, social media, customer service, and more.
Graphic Charter Cost
A graphic charter is a blueprintor guide to a rebranding or rework of either a whole company’s visual identity or just certain elements.
If you are looking to outsource the creation of a graphic charter to either a graphic design agency or branding agency, calculating the precise cost of a graphic charter can pose challenges due to several factors.
- They encompass a wide range of elements related to a company’s branding
- They can be on a ‘pick and choose’ type basis
- They are often part of a more comprehensive rebranding process
If an agency only provides a company with a graphic charter as a reference guide without actually executing any changes, such as redesigning the website with the new logo and color scheme, they will still have to conduct significant research for each branding component. Consequently, the total cost of the graphic charter can be regarded as the culmination of multiple redesigns for a company’s visual identity.
Despite these difficulties, it is possible to calculate the size and average price of projects that typically include a graphic charter e.g. a company rebranding, a logo redesign, a change in visual identity etc.
Over the past 4 years, Sortlist agencies have worked on at least 478 projects that included the creation of a graphic charter. The average price of these works posted on our website from our agencies has slowly been decreasing.
To have a clearer understanding of how much you should expect to pay for a project including a graphic charter however, it’s worth noting that the average prices of such projects typically fall within the range of £11,967 to £14,844.
Considering that the graphic charter is often an element of a broader project listed by companies on our website, the following are the most frequently paired areas of expertise associated with graphic charters.
Components of a Graphic Charter and Individual Costs
As previously mentioned, a graphic charter is the sum of several elements that combine to represent a company’s distinct visual identity.
The following is a breakdown of these components and how the graphic charter’s final cost can be a result of adding up each of their prices.
(Disclaimer: this is not how all agencies decide on the final price of their services)
Research
An experienced branding or graphic design agency will always start by conducting in-depth research on its client.
Research for any graphic charter could be considered as creating branding guidelines, and for them to be effective for the creation of a graphic charter, the company must have a clear brand strategy.
The guidelines must show a clear understanding of the company’s mission, vision, values, target audience, competitors, and industry trends. This information provides insights into the company’s personality, tone, and style, which should be reflected in the graphic charter.
Additionally, research can help to identify the preferences and expectations of the target audience regarding visual design, ensuring that the graphic charter resonates with them.
Price of market research
In general, you can be looking at between £3,200 and £16,200 for in-depth market research. However, there are various ways to conduct market research, depending on the specific information you are looking to uncover.
For instance, if your aim is to better position your brand vis-à-vis competitors, you may want to do a competitor analysis. On the other hand, if you wish to understand your customers’ preferences better, you may look into conducting interviews or focus groups instead.
Any element of a graphic charter (logo design, color scheme, typography, etc.) will require market research. A branding agency must analyze the data to offer valuable advice to a company seeking consultation.
Here are some average prices of market research analysis methods:
Logo
A logo (and its variations, such as a monogram) serves as a visual representation of any company or business and reflects many aspects of said organization.
A logo plays a crucial role in building brand recognition by establishing a business’ brand identity and differentiating it from its competitors, leaving a lasting impression on consumers. Moreover, a logo can convey different qualities to potential customers such as trustworthiness, reliability, or credibility as well as the company values through its different elements such as color, font, and symbols.
Given the intricacies and careful thought that goes into the creation of a logo, the price of planning and creation can vary quite a lot and sometimes be quite high.
Price of a logo
Logo design or redesign is a common type of project we see on Sortlist’s platform. In the past 4 years alone, we’ve seen 1600 projects that required a logo design averaging at £17,673 per project.
However, the price range of these projects can vary significantly due to the diverse scope of logo design needs, ranging from small changes in details to full company rebranding or even creating a simple monogram.
But it is not only the scope of the project that can influence the price but also the location of the agency to which you decide to outsource the logo design too. With agencies present all around the world, we can analyze price trends depending on location.
For example, the median logo design cost is lowest in Spain and France and you can find a wider range of prices in countries such as India and the United States.
How Much Does It Cost to Create a Logo?
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Color scheme
Although it may not be obvious at first, color scheme is a crucial element of any company’s graphic charter as it shapes how the brand is perceived by consumers.
Consistency in color across all marketing materials creates a sense of familiarity, making it easier for customers to recognize and remember the brand. Moreover, colors can influence how consumers perceive a brand.
For example, with blue conveying trust and reliability, and red evoking excitement and energy, by carefully selecting colors that align with the brand’s values, companies can create an emotional connection with their customers and foster brand loyalty.
Price of a color scheme
It’s very rare that an agency provides the simple option of giving consultancy on color schemes. Usually, this is part of a wider branding package that comes together with other elements such as a logo, packaging, and possibly typography.
Typography
Just like a logo or color scheme, typography plays a significant role in establishing the brand’s visual identity and conveying its personality.
The right typography creates consistency and conveys the brand’s personality and values. For example, a sans-serif font can communicate a sense of stability, while a classic serif font can evoke tradition and respect.
In addition, typography can enhance the readability and legibility of marketing materials, making them more engaging and accessible to consumers. Font size, line spacing, and letter spacing can improve the overall readability of the text and enhance the user experience.
Price of typography
Just like with a color scheme, it is uncommon to find typography consultancy on its own. Therefore, it is difficult to estimate a price just for this element of a graphic charter.
Outsourcing vs In-house Branding Costs
As mentioned before, a graphic charter is usually part of a larger project a company is looking to do, such as a complete transformation of a company’s branding.
If that is the case, the company can do one of the following:
- Do both the graphic charter and the rebranding job in-house
- Outsource the creation of the graphic charter and redesign their brand themselves
- Have a branding agency handle both the graphic charter and the redesigning
If the company is looking to keep things in-house, in order for them to produce a high-quality graphic charter and rework their company branding, they will need to have a skilled team of employees across different departments. The team may include an experienced graphic designer, web designer, brand manager, etc. For these three positions alone, the company can expect costs roughly at:
- Graphic designer – £43,231
- Web designer – £39,505
- Brand manager – £61,952
Since the beginning of 2019, Sortlist agencies have worked on no less than 2,082 branding projects with an overall average price of £41,763, per project.
By working with a branding agency, a company can leverage the expertise of a team of professionals who specialize in all the necessary disciplines required from a mere logo redesign to a full-scale company rebranding.
Due to their extensive experience, the agency can provide valuable insights and recommendations on the best branding strategies for a company’s specific sector or industry based on its current needs.
In addition to guiding the company through the entire branding process, the agency can help avoid the extra costs, both in terms of time and money, associated with hiring and managing in-house employees, such as onboarding, insurance, and recruitment.
Examples of Graphic Charters
Sortlist
Sortlist has evolved significantly in the past nine years, transitioning from an algorithm-driven agency directory to a complete matchmaking service. In 2021, a fundraising round and expansion into new markets marked a turning point for us, and it was time for a rebranding.
Sortlist benefits from a clear advantage when selecting an agency for rebranding. We posted a project on our own platform and found La Superboite.
For them, it was clear what Sortlist’s graphic charter would look like. It was to include rework on :
- The logo
- The typography
- The color palette
La Superboite created our graphic charter around our brand strategy development.
Logo
Along with a brief explanation as to why the new logo looks the way it does, it also shows us the recommended use.
Color palette
The same went for our new color palette. Not only did the new logo have new colors, but our whole branding had a new hierarchy of colors and specific ways of using them.
Typography
And lastly, La Superboite went and looked for our new font. Different occasions call for a different voice, and a company’s voice through text comes through not only its words but also its font. It was crucial for us to have a typography that would fit with whom we wanted to portray to our audience.
C&O
Similar to Sortlist, our platform has seen thousands of companies posting projects requiring graphic charter services. One such project was completed by the agency C&O, who were tasked with creating a new visual identity and logo for l’Alchemist.
L’Alchemist is a company that specializes in artisanal syrups. Initially, they had a very traditional, artisanal image and were seeking a more contemporary, dynamic lookwhilemaintaining a natural feel, just like the ingredients used in their products.
To solve this challenge, C&O chose to create a logo that incorporated the company name, L’Alchimiste Siropier, which could also serve as a brand and product name. The logo was designed to be simple and easily recognizable, with the name L’Alchimiste accompanied by a tagline: Artisan-Creator-Siropier.
C&O also used a consistent color code to highlight each flavor range of syrup products produced by L’Alchemist, with the packaging labels designed to reflect a modern and dynamic feel, in a refined graphic style that exudes an upmarket image with a hint of craftsmanship. The choice of typeface and colors played a crucial role in setting the desired tone.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a graphic charter is important for creating a consistent visual identity for a company.
The cost of creating a graphic charter can vary widely depending on the elements included, but typically falls within the range of £11,967 to £14,844.
The cost can be influenced by factors such as market research, logo design, color palette, typography, and other design elements. Regardless of the cost, a well-designed and executed graphic charter can help a business stand out and create a strong brand identity.
