This Is Why I Think 'Charging By The Hour' Is Bullshit...

Stop Penalising Creatives for Being Good at Their Job.

There’s a misconception that the longer a task takes, the more valuable it is.

In the creative industry, that idea is not just outdated - it’s actively damaging.

It punishes the exact people who are skilled enough to produce high-quality work quickly and allowing back-room designer and AI to penetrate the design industry and create a landscape of cheap, crappy brand that does you (and the Highlands) no favors.

Let me say it clearly:

If it takes me two hours to do what takes someone else ten, that isn’t luck.

That’s mastery.

It’s the product of:

• Over eight years of design experience...

• A background in strategy, UX, branding and development...

• Hundreds of client projects...

• Pattern recognition and instinct that only come from repetition...

• A fast, ADHD-powered brain that processes solutions quicker than most...

You’re not paying for the hours. You’re paying for the years that make those hours possible.

Would you doubt a tattoo artists prices?

Why Hourly Pricing Punishes Skilled Creatives

Hourly pricing sounds fair… until you look at it logically.

If Designer A takes 10 hours and Designer B (the expert) takes 2 hours, why should the expert earn less because they’re better?

That model rewards inexperience and punishes proficiency.

It encourages slow work and undervalues high-level thinking.

Real creatives (like me) don’t sell time. We sell:

• Insight

• Problem solving

• Strategy

• Ideas

• Execution

• Results

• Experience

• Efficiency
  

And most importantly…we sell outcomes that work.

The Real Value Isn’t the Time - It’s the Transformation

A brand that aligns with your audience, positions you correctly and increases conversions is not the result of “two hours of design.”

It’s the result of:

• Long-term strategy

• Deep industry understanding

• Clear messaging

• Strong visual direction

• Practical experience

• Knowing what to avoid, not just what to create

• A brain trained to solve creative problems quickly and accurately

That’s what you’re investing in.

Speed is a Skill - Not a Discount

One of the biggest misconceptions is that fast work = cheap work.

No.

Fast work that is strategic, intentional and effective is the result of mastery.

If I can deliver a better result in a shorter time, that doesn’t make it worth less. It makes it worth more.

You’re paying for the ability to skip the years of trial-and-error, inefficiency and inconsistent results - because I’ve already lived those years for you.

This Is Why I Don’t Price by the Hour

Hourly pricing:

❌ Penalises efficiency

❌ Undervalues expertise

❌ Rewards slow work

❌ Ignores strategic thinking

❌ Makes creatives justify every minute

Outcome-based pricing:

✅ Rewards mastery

✅ Values years of experience

✅ Ensures you pay for results, not time

✅ Includes the strategic thinking behind the work

✅ Creates a healthier client-creative relationship

You’re not just buying design. You’re buying clarity, direction, identity, confidence and long-term brand strength.

That’s the real value.

If You Want Work That Changes Your Business, Not Just Your Branding…

Then you want someone who can work efficiently because they’re experienced - not someone who takes 10 hours to still produce a poor result.

Creatives should not be punished for being brilliant and I refuse to let my work be valued based on time instead of talent.

This isn’t about hours. It’s about impact... and that’s exactly what I deliver.