A Unique Estimation Tutorial

It won’t give you the numbers but it will give you the concepts

Estmating a design job–it’s one thing that causes the new independent designer to quail. Brave men quail, stern women’s insides turn to ice, sirens wail, the heavens torn asunder, the oceans rise, empires fall..

Well, maybe I’m overstating things a bit. Just a bit.

But to the independent just starting out, estmating for a job is a instant growth experience. Often asked of tyros to the experienced, “how much would you charge?”, but there’s rarely a list of numbers that serves as a good guide. That’s possibly because, just like everything in design, estmating isn’t a list or a menu but a process: assaying the situation, evaluating the options, and approxmating a decision. Knowing the costs is important, but having the problem solving strategy of estimating is essential.

In what should become one of the most consulted tutorials on the web, illlustrator Mark Monlux has created a slide presentation that leads the view, step-by-step, concept-by-concept, through a series of things one ought to know to estimate competently.

You can (and should, if you’re a beginner) view it, here.
Mark’s list of useful links can be found here.