Graphic Designer v Client
- Thread starter scotty
- Start date
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Sean Lee-Amies
Guest
It's almost like we're providing therapy for you guys 
Seriously though, it's unknowingly frustrating to be in this situation and it astounds me when clients think this is acceptable. What's worse is when new designers come into the industry and accept these working payment conditions, encouraging the delusional notion that it's acceptable way to behave.
Seriously though, it's unknowingly frustrating to be in this situation and it astounds me when clients think this is acceptable. What's worse is when new designers come into the industry and accept these working payment conditions, encouraging the delusional notion that it's acceptable way to behave.
iDesign
Member
I spent the earlier part of my career questioning whether I wanted to be a designer after-all. I stumbled across a few rants and infographics eventually and realised "hey, that's what I have to deal with too" and then it wasn't so bad.
I thought I should have known that all clients were like this. But thankfully they're not. There are some good ones out there - And yes, it is like therapy There is only so much "stoopid" one can deal with in a working day when trying to be creative hehe
I thought I should have known that all clients were like this. But thankfully they're not. There are some good ones out there - And yes, it is like therapy
There is only so much "stoopid" one can deal with in a working day when trying to be creative hehe
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Sean Lee-Amies
Guest
I'd love to hear about some of your experiences on the matter, what was the worst situation you've been in so far?
iDesign
Member
Well i've had a lot who don't give a brief (learnt the hard way). Many who have specified papyrus as the font for their logo.Sean Lee-Amies said:
I had one who asked for a refresh of their logo. I came up with a few ideas, taking into consideration what they'd be using if for etc. Then after several revisions, they decided they just wanted me to vector up the jpeg logo they'd be using previously. I still put forward the designs that I felt most met their requirements in the hope they'd see the light and also included the refresh of their previous logo (very reluctantly). I advised them (after they predictably still insisted their previous logo was still the best) against it said there could be issues when using it in small print ads or in black and white. They didn't listen. They insisted it would be fine and that I should proceed.
I did (all the while cringing and gritting my teeth that my creative mind was being wasted on rubbish that will not work).
A month or so later, they came back to me with worry that their logo was unreadable in a small newspaper ad and asked that I make the text bolder. I did, it looked worse than it did before, and now I have to live with the fact that something I designed (or refreshed) is absolutely horrendous and it's floating out there somewhere. What's the point of having a professional designer if you're just not going to listen and you're telling them their professional opinion is wrong? I just ended up being told where to move things and what size it should be. It wasn't a client I was working with as a freelancer. It was for a former employer's friend within work hours when there was nothing else on. So I couldn't refuse. But still, regardless, I think it's still important to feel a sense of pride about your finished work. I would never ever use it in my portfolio. I'd never get work if potential clients thought that's what I delivered haha!
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Sean Lee-Amies
Guest
I think that's one of the biggest differences between the professional designers and everyone else. They have systems in place to screen out these type of clients people.
They won't start working on the project until they have provided sufficient information and detail on what it is that they want and provided sufficient information with which to create a proper design brief, all the while requiring the client to sign off on decisions made to ensure they don't backtrack. As well as requiring deposits and many, many other little tricks to make working with clients easier and safer, they have the luxury of being able to turn away less desirable clients or projects. So for anyone reading who is in a similar situation, just keep building up your portfolio and the rest will come!
On the subject of clients ruining good design with their ill-informed design decisions, not all is lost and you can still get a good portfolio piece. Once the project is over and done with, and you've recovered from a couple of nights of heavy drinking, simply pick your favourite version of the design and work on that until it is completed to the best of your abilities. Now when you go to write up your case study, present this as one of the concepts you developed during the project and treat the rest of that case study/portfolio piece as you would any other project. You can even include a section at the bottom explaining that whilst you had developed this version, the client chose another direction, and then you can post up the image of what they chose - sorted.
There is an argument to say that a large part of our jobs is in educating our clients to allow the to make the best decisions, but often clients are simply not willing to learn and when the budget is low, or it's for a friend of a friend it's probably not worth your time to do so.
They won't start working on the project until they have provided sufficient information and detail on what it is that they want and provided sufficient information with which to create a proper design brief, all the while requiring the client to sign off on decisions made to ensure they don't backtrack. As well as requiring deposits and many, many other little tricks to make working with clients easier and safer, they have the luxury of being able to turn away less desirable clients or projects. So for anyone reading who is in a similar situation, just keep building up your portfolio and the rest will come!
On the subject of clients ruining good design with their ill-informed design decisions, not all is lost and you can still get a good portfolio piece. Once the project is over and done with, and you've recovered from a couple of nights of heavy drinking, simply pick your favourite version of the design and work on that until it is completed to the best of your abilities. Now when you go to write up your case study, present this as one of the concepts you developed during the project and treat the rest of that case study/portfolio piece as you would any other project. You can even include a section at the bottom explaining that whilst you had developed this version, the client chose another direction, and then you can post up the image of what they chose - sorted.
There is an argument to say that a large part of our jobs is in educating our clients to allow the to make the best decisions, but often clients are simply not willing to learn and when the budget is low, or it's for a friend of a friend it's probably not worth your time to do so.
scotty
Ultimate Member
iDesign said:Love these videos. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that, for a designer this is a universal problem. I spent the longest time thinking it was just bad luck that I'd work with clients like this, but everyone does. Pleased we can come to places like this to laugh it off
It really is quite amazing isn't it?
I mean, it's like complete idiots can exist completely independently from each other and probably not even be aware of each other yet, when placed into an environment with a creative, something happens and they seem to revert to some sort of default thought process that really doesn't make any sense.
It's always the same script like some a kind of recording or something they've had implanted into their tiny brains.
A bit like 'sleepers' in the spy world.
I personally don't think this is coincidence and strongly suspect that there's something fishy going on and we need to do some proper research into this phenomenon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri8VPpg3Zh4
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Sean Lee-Amies
Guest
Hahahaha, I just watched all of that. It sure goes a long way to explain.... something...!
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Sean Lee-Amies
Guest
But more real :S
