Raising Your Prices with Confidence: A Designer’s Take on the Psychology of Value
Let’s talk about something that makes even the most experienced founders uncomfortable: raising your prices. Whether you’re a designer, coach or creative business owner, learning how to raise your prices with confidence can completely transform your business.
The fear behind the price rise
You know your work has evolved. You’ve gained experience, refined your process and your results speak for themselves - but when it comes to adjusting your pricing, the self-doubt creeps in.
“What if people stop booking?” “What if no one thinks I’m worth it?”
I get it - because I’ve been there too! Most of us start out charging too little, playing small and trying to please everyone. But I think that confidence in your pricing isn’t to do with the numbers, but with how you see your value - and how consistently your brand communicates it.
So let’s talk about how your visuals, messaging, mindset (and yes, your confidence) all shape the way people perceive your worth - and how to raise your rates the right way.
Know your worth: the mindset shift that changes everything
In my experience, most founders start with pricing based on comparison (I know I did!), fear or what feels ‘safe’. Women are chronic underchargers! But premium clients don’t just buy what you do, they buy how you make them feel.
A strong and intentional brand foundation will give you the confidence to own your worth publicly - I’m not just talking about a logo here - I’m talking about your whole brand world. Your positioning, your copy, your visual identity and how you present yourself online - that’s what really reflects your expertise. This is where premium brand strategy becomes your secret weapon - it gives you clarity and confidence to charge what you’re truly worth. With the right mix of strategy and presentation, you will naturally show up differently (and with pride!) and your clients will respond positively to this energy.
When your design, messaging and experience look premium, you believe it too.
The psychology of perceived value
On the whole, people will decide what something’s worth before they even see the price tag (in the same way we ‘judge a book by its cover’). The positioning, branding and overall tone of your business will be setting subconscious expectations in terms of quality and investment in the minds of your customers.
We want customers to trust our brands - and consequently our pricing - and this trust is built and justified through cohesion and communication.
This is what one of my clients told me after we rebranded her beautiful wedding cake design business:
“The quality of enquiries I’ve been getting since the rebrand is insane! I obviously knew I needed a rebrand, but seeing the enquiries I’m getting now, it’s crazy – I’m ecstatic!”
- Jasmine, Sugar & Stories
This is such a great example of the power of alignment. When your visual identity and experience communicate quality, your audience believes you’re worth the price - because every detail reinforces it.
Why you won’t lose the right clients
By far, the thing I hear most from clients and other business owners considering a price increase is: “but I’ll lose clients!”. To be blunt, yes, you probably will! But, this is a sign of growth and not loss.
The reality is that as your business evolves, you’re likely to be niching down and defining your ideal audience which is such a positive thing. You’re no longer for everyone, and as your audience shifts slightly, your alignment with the ‘perfect people’ will be strengthened.
Realistically, it’s unlikely that many of your clients will be thrilled about your price rise but communicating clearly and early means you can make this change in the kindest and least disruptive way possible. Give loyal clients advance notice, honour any existing commitments and always explain the value behind the change.
A way to communicate this might be:
“As my business has evolved, so has the depth of strategy and support I offer. My new pricing reflects that. I’m giving my wonderful existing clients plenty of notice, and new projects from [date] will move to my updated rates.”
My advice is to keep it clear, calm and confident and absolutely NO apologies!
Don’t be a “busy fool”
I know that the reluctance to increase pricing for many founders comes from a place of genuine concern or even fear - I’ve been there myself. But having successfully upped my prices to suitably reflect the value of what I do, I can also tell you that it can help give you a more balanced, profitable and most importantly - sustainable - business.
This is one of the biggest mindset shifts in moving from early-stage business owner to premium brand - understanding that you don’t need more clients, just the right ones.
Yes, a price increase might result in booking fewer clients or selling less products (or the complete opposite might happen!) but, your income and quality of life often rise.
And who wants to be a busy fool?! There’s a huge difference between being busy and being successful.
I personally would rather work deeply with five dream clients than spread myself thin across ten who aren’t a good fit or who drain my energy. The space makes me a better designer, offering a better service with better results - because a well-balanced business is more profitable and more sustainable.
Align your brand with your next level
When your brand looks like your next level, your confidence will naturally rise to meet it. By elevating the perception of your brand (through a cohesive brand, website and positioning) you will attract the clients who are ready to invest, not those who want to haggle on price and deliverables!
Branding and pricing are essentially two sides of the same coin - they are both signals of value.
Something I’ve noticed about female founders I’ve worked with is that when they’ve updated their brand and website to reflect their growth, it doesn’t just change how others see them - it changes how they see themselves. And that’s where the confidence to charge more truly begins.
Your value, redefined
Raising your prices isn’t about greed, it’s about growth. It’s about creating the space to serve better, show up stronger and build a business that truly sustains you.
In my experience as a designer, I notice that so many women hesitate to charge their worth - we second-guess, over-deliver or worry what people will think. Yet the truth is, most men wouldn’t think twice - they recognise the value they bring and price accordingly.
It’s time we did the same!
If you’re ready for your brand to reflect that level of confidence, clarity and value - that’s exactly what I help my clients do. A brand that looks, feels and performs like your next level - so you can step into it fully.
If your brand no longer reflects where your business is heading, it might be time for a refresh. Let’s create something aligned, elevated and built for your next chapter.
