Should I back off from this design work?

Hello! first time poster. I was hoping for some advice please. I've worked as an in-house designer for about 15 years now. I do the occasional freelance job, but am lucky in that I do have a main income.

A parent from my child's school approached me recently asking me to take on a logo and leaflet for them as a freelance job. TBH they were a bit pushy and I caved and agreed to do it. They brought a sketch of what they wanted to our first meet up. I took a photo, went away and redrew it on my laptop, trying to simplify it as it was quite busy. Anyway, we met up again, I showed them 4 versions of the logo, they seemed happy enough, but at home time came running up to me with an updated sketch, bringing back the detail and yet more details that I don't think add anything except fussiness and a rather juvenile colour scheme to a pretty grown up project. To try and be helpful I have spent most of my evening trying to polish the logo, but hate every aspect. I get what they are trying to do, they want a picture that encompasses every aspect of their project, but I think they are missing the point of a logo. It's not simple and is memorable for the wrong reasons. What should I do? Would you cut your loses? I have to see them at every pick up :(
 
Have you explained your concerns regarding their design, they may want everything under the sun but if you explain to them that the design they're trying to 'develop' the work into will not work well with smaller media etc and was why you 'simplified' their design originally.

Communication could possibly solve the issue but at the end of the day you're basically being paid to 'draw' their design in illustrator because they're supplying the design(s) and the only thing you need to be wary of is not getting paid for your time (you are getting paid right...)
 
Hi Levi, yes I have given them the costings. It's for a fairly big company, but also I don't want to put out a crappy logo :oops: I will have to have a think
 
Take the money and run. Nobody is ever going to know you did the work so don't sweat it.

I've built websites that I knew would fail (because the client asked for stuff that just didn't work), I pointed out the flaws in an email and left them to it.
 
You're too concerned on how you think it should look.

Do what they want, and if they like it then that's up to them.
 
I've been in exactly the same situation at my kids school and wished I'd never agreed.

Just to avoid any awkwardness I'd just do what what want (to a point) and take the money and walk away.
If you feel you need to, tell them you're not happy with it as a Designer but be careful not to draw it all out.

Learn from it and have an excuse for the next time you get asked.
 
I think we've all done projects over the years where you grow to hate the project due to the client's enforced input.
You end up just doing what they want so that you can move on and get paid.

It's maybe best to say that you feel a simpler design would possibly work better, but you'll do it their way. This way you're pleasing them but showing that you have reservations, and so if it all goes a bit 'Pete Tong', at least you've covered yourself.
 
I've now made it a policy (albeit a mental one) not to take on projects that are so close to home.

You don't have that professional distance/respect that you normally have and you can't get away from the situation either. :(
 
I think we've all done projects over the years where you grow to hate the project due to the client's enforced input.
You end up just doing what they want so that you can move on and get paid.

I've had this a few times, it mainly seems to stem from the client micro-managing, or worse (and this will sound big-headed) simply thinking their knowledge of design is on par with yours and arguing down your suggestions. At the end of the day they're paying so they can have whatever monstrosity they want, but I like to work with clients who hire me because I know what I'm doing, not because I have the software knowledge they don't.
 
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