Pricing your own work is one of the trickiest parts of running any creative business.  With something as subjective as art and design, you are placing a concrete value on very nebulous qualities, like talent, taste, and experience.  In this session, our fabulous panel of experienced and successful professionals will help you navigate those tricky waters.  We’ll discuss topics such as pricing for both product- and service-based businesses, open-source design, and how to avoid the dangerous pitfalls of underpricing, work-for-exposure and “spec” work.

Our panel includes Becky Stern of Craft and Make (maga)zines, Lisa Congdon of Rare Device, Leanne Winslow of Vertu Cakes, and is moderated by Lauren Venell of Sweet Meats.

Becky Stern (sternlab.org) is an artist, tutorial maker, and Associate Editor for Craft (craftzine.com) and Make: Online (makezine.com). She has a background in design & technology from Parsons the New School: School for Design and enjoys freely sharing projects online through excellent documentation. She produces Craft’s bi-weekly tutorial video podcast covering topics from metalsmithing to homebrewing, machine knitting to electronic embroidery, and everywhere in between.

At the age of 33, Lisa Congdon took a crack at making art.  She quickly became a household name amongst the art and craft communities and her story and art + design work have been featured in countless print magazines and art + design blogs.  Her illustration clients include the National Poetry Foundation, Urban Outfitters, Galison Stationary, iPOP magnets, Yankee Magazine, Random House, Chronicle Books and Pottery Barn. She has a line of stationary with Chronicle Books.

In 2007 she became the co-owner of Rare Device, a small boutique and gallery space in San Francisco. She also serves on the board of directors at Southern Exposure, a 34 year old, non-profit, arts organization in San Francisco dedicated to presenting diverse, innovative, contemporary art, arts education in an accessible environment.

Lauren Venell is an independent toy designer, artist, and small business consultant from San Francisco, whose Sweet Meats plush toys can be found in stores all over North America.  She runs Biz Miss, a small business blog for creative professionals, and teaches small business workshops around the Bay Area.  Lauren is also a contributing “Biz Lady” for design*sponge, and the Indie Business columnist for the Bazaar Bizarre SF blog.