A Designer’s Guide to Commissions
Getting the most out of GameWisp Commissions as a Designer
We’ll be opening up GameWisp Commissions very shortly, but in the meantime we wanted to talk about how to get the most out of Commissions if you’re a designer!
Just a little overview before we get started.
Commissions works on a bid process. Content creators will post a job, listing all the design work they require. Designers will then browse available jobs and place bids on the ones they feel suit them.
Prepare Your Portfolio
When you create a designer profile you’ll be prompted to create your portfolio. Make sure you’re showing off your best work. It’s always better to share more because you want to give potential clients more reasons to choose you for their commission.
It’s important that you describe yourself in a way that represents your work and your experience. Be thorough. You’ll be able to share links to your social media and portfolios, so make sure those are in order as well.
Payments
All payments made through Commissions will be processed on Stripe. If you don’t create a Stripe account ahead of time, you’ll be able to create one after creating your Commissions account. When Commissions launches we will only allow credit card payment through Stripe. Paypal is planned for the near future.
Market yourself
Instead of waiting for jobs to be sent to you by Commissions, you can still do things the old fashioned way and encourage clients to book you directly! Your designer profile will feature a “BOOK ME” button. The commission process will then proceed the same way.
Make sure you’re marketing yourself on your own, too. Place the link to your designer profile all over the place, on your social media and streams, making for easier commissions and a great way to showcase your work.
Making a Successful Bid
Commissions works on a bid process. Content creators will post a job, listing all the design work they require. Designers will then browse available jobs and place bids on the ones they feel suit them. Designers can alter the clients proposed price for their bid and also share images from their portfolio that showcase the work required by that specific job listing.
When placing a bid on a potential job, make sure you’re able to complete all design elements in the listing. Really look at what the client is asking for. You’ll be able to ask for clarifications during the revision process, but Commissions itself is set up to make sure the client provides you with the information to help make your job easier.
When posting a job, client’s have the ability to suggest a price. It’s important to know your worth as a designer. If you feel a client’s asking price is too low, don’t be afraid to place a higher bid. When a client is deciding which designer to work with, a lot more goes in to that decision than simply who costs the least. It’s much more complex and unpredictable, so it’s important to always ask for what you think you’re worth, not what you assume a client will accept. You’ll always be better off in the long run.
During the bid submission process, you’ll also be able to share images showcasing your skills for that particular bid. We want you to show off the best work possible to win that bid!
A bid consists of:
* The date that you can deliver the finished work
* The cost for doing the work
* The maximum number of revisions you’ll perform for the work
We Will Take No Fees For the First Month!
For Commissions’ first month we’ll be charging ZERO on the designer side. The designer fee will be waived! We want to give you the option to try us out and see if you like us first.
Following this, our fee on Commissions will be dictated by pricing tiers and taken out of the agreed upon price. The tier prices are listed below. We encourage you to bid at the higher end of that tier, so you can make the most profit for your awesome, amazing work!
- $0-$25 — $1
- $25.01-$50 — $2
- $50.01-$100 — $4
- $100.01-$250 — $8
- $250.01-$750 — $16
- $750+ — $32
Revision Process
Commissions facilitates the communication process between you and the client, making it easier to get responses and move forward at a reasonable pace. We know that’s a constant frustration for designers, waiting for communication and what direction to take your design.
When submitting a bid you’ll propose how many revisions will be included in the price. During the commission, you’ll upload a revision, and the client will be able to monitor your revisions and proposed next steps and give notes on whether to proceed in that direction or change course.
Commissions automatically provides a watermark on this revision so it can’t be taken and used elsewhere.
Deadlines need to be clear, to both parties, at the beginning of the commission process. Keep diligent track of your due dates, and don’t overextend yourself. There’s a limited amount of time in a day, and you can only take on so many projects. You never want to have to return to a client and tell them you simply don’t have the time to complete their project by deadline, and you never want to drive yourself into the ground by overworking to prevent that from happening. Keep a schedule, and know your limits.
Remember to have fun! Commissions is here to help designers do more of what they love, design, and remove the hassle of handling the business aspects of a commission. You do the fun stuff, and we take care of the rest. That’s what #GWCommissions is all about.
That’s all for now, but be sure to check out our Commissions announcement for more info, and keep your eyes on this space or our Twitter for more as it comes!
