Don't worry about getting into specifications and definitions if you're not sure of them yourself. Concentrate on what you need as an end result, and put together a brief detailing demographics of your target market, the message you wish to convey, your organization's mission, and any personal inclusions. Allow the designer to draw from those aspects to create something original for you, which you will be pleased with. There's no need to start restricting the creativity of your designer when you don't have a firm idea yourself on where you need to go.

Thank you, Ned

My hope here was to remove possible areas of future disagreement. I had not considered that the flip side of that is reducing the creative input of the artist.
My concern is that I'll need a bunch - 150 or so - of these, of varying complexity, for different grade levels of students. I'm trying to come up with a pricing scheme so that the artist and project manager are both on the same page. If the text calls for a graphic with 2 people in the background and 3 items layered onto it in the foreground, it's going to always cost $x.xx. A text which calls for 4 simple items to be layered onto a neutral background will cost $x.xx. And so on.
I'm all for artistic expression - but you and I both know that everyone's happier with a project like this when all questions are settled up front. Or do you think I'm being too controlling? I'm like that sometimes.

When you say "graphics" in this case, do you mean illustrations or photographs? And I agree with Ned, the artist/designer needs the background and direction provided in a brief.

There are all kinds of ways to hire designers...what you really need to do is decide what your budget is and what you want! Don't forget, your budget will include the printing costs.

I would never charge for design the way you are trying to figure it out (how many layers, etc.) Here is how I work - you tell me what you want and I give you a price.

For example, tell me you want a design for a trifold brochure that has 2 photos that you will supply and one logo that I will design that incorporates little kids playing with rocks.

In my head, I am thinking that I will create a couple of sample designs of the kids, you select one, and then give you 2 revisions. Plus I will layout two 8.5x11 pages (remember, it is front and back, and then you fold it together.) with appropriate colors, etc.

How do I tell what is appropriate? The question you need to answer is WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE? If it is about domestic violence, it's going to look a lot different than if the intent is getting people to try out for the school play.

At the end you'd get a fixed price quote for the artwork -- and maybe a suggestion for where to go to print it. It's pretty easy.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Grace Graphics