How to Find the Right Designer

However, I don't agree with stating a number upfront, at least not always. I'm not a designer, but in my own freelance development work I've personally never minded if a number wasn't given up front because it left more room for negotiation (for both parties).

While that's anecdotal, I feel it makes sense. If a non-technical person comes to me with a budget of $2000 and doesn't know that what they're asking could be done by any seasoned developer for $500, they're maximizing their budget up.

In general, I feel you should try to not state the first number. True, many developers and designers are more expensive than this, but many will also gladly tell you a rate (usually a combination of expected project length * hourly rate for one large fee). If you are patient, you might find it's lower than your budget, in which case you benefit by not stating a budget upfront.

This is all just from the "other side's" perspective. Negotiation functions a bit differently in freelance work than it does in a salary situation, but I feel that both parties should at least have a vague idea of whether or not they can work together and what the project is before they crunch the numbers.