Calculation

How much does design work cost?

For almost 30 years the Collective Agreement on Fees for Design Services (Vergütungstarifvertrag Design or VTV) has regulated payment for design work in Germany. This publication summarises a contractual agreement between two major designers’ associations and is accorded legal validity by Section 12a of the German Tariff Law. Since the wide variety of possible design work entails calculation of fees on an individual basis, this agreement provides guidelines for designers as well as clients concerning the usual rates for specific work and degrees of utilisation.

This information is of crucial importance in avoiding misunderstandings and uncertainty in fee calculation and subsequent invoicing. A clear scale of charges allows fees to be calculated easily in the following design branches:

• Photographic Design
• Graphic Design
• Text and Concept
• Fashion Design
• Textile Design
• Product Design

The Collective Agreement on Fees can be ordered from the AGD Shop as a brochure or CD-ROM.