Great visual content takes time, but if you aren't a designer, you might not realize just how much time must be invested into custom work. There are countless low-cost providers that rely heavily on cheap labor, templates, stock imagery, or a combination of all three to maintain their rates. With providers like these, you may like the price point, but when you're paying for a cookie-cutter solution, you'll get cookie-cutter results. In other words, it can become extremely hard to ensure your brand shines through, your target audience is accommodated, and your goals are truly considered.

To help you understand what you should pay for high-quality visual content, the table below outlines the hours required to create something customized for your brand, audiences, and project goals.

The hour estimates in this table represent the level of effort required to create a custom, high-quality end deliverable that adheres to the rules of visual communication. These are the total combined hours required of a full project team, including at minimum a project manager, content writer and strategist, and designer. In the case of animated or interactive content, an animator, editor, developer, and/or sound designer's time is also included.

Finally, it's important to note that these hour estimates are based on averages only. A request for more illustration than normal may increase hours. A request for shortened content may decrease hours. Use these estimates as a jumping-off point, and collaborate on solutions if unique needs lead to an unmanageable scope.