Customers poor design skills prevail.

[Dottonedan]

So, I'm asked to design something with a supplied photo...and am asked to use customers supplied version of the photo...but to make some specific changes, like take out other people, leave grass, etc. I'm not provided any type info at this time so I proceed to fill in the blanks of what I know and....I do and then later, I get the additional info and revision info. Now, I'm aware that design is not my strongest part. I'm decent enough at it but don't claim to be a great designer. I can do the basic design stuff but I'm never going to win an award with just design. Well, ok. Maybe for Illustration but not design. Ok,  I'm a little better than that DKGraphics guy but thats another story.


So, I provide the top layout. and my customers customer pretty much said "nice try, but lets change it to this".  and was pretty specific with the revision, so I followed it exactly as requested. He approved it as is.


Oh brother.    This is why I lose my passion to do art. I'd rather sell it, separate it then print it and let someone else do the designs. Phooey!    Some say "The customers always right"  Nope.  Maybe we can just change that to "the customers the one who pays so do it anyways. "  Thats more accurate.    Some people just want to put a finger on something to say "they did it".   Oh well, what do I care anyhow?. NEXT.

[3Deep]

Dan looks pretty good to me if its what the customer wants why try just do it,  I don't even throw my two cents in anymore unless ask or its something thats going to be beyond my print skills which ain't very much or beyond there money.  Your very right that most people want there finger on it so they can say thats my design...I just want the money LOL.

Darryl

[Sbrem]

some folks like to push buttons, as in "I'm the customer, that makes me King", other just can't decide. Just let them know you don't work for free, so it's best to get as much info up front as possible, so it doesn't end up costing them too much in revisions. Time is time, your mechanic or plumber wouldn't let you off the hook...

Steve

[StuJohnston]

I wouldn't say that the removal of the beveled type and all means that the customer has poor design skills.

It's pretty hard to take the Paul Rand line on all projects. As a graphic designer, I am expected to come up with more than one solution initially. That doesn't mean that the client will choose my favorite, the best one, or any of them. But there must at least be an illusion of choice.

Hiring a designer and telling them exactly what to do seems counter intuitive, but it's their money.

[Dottonedan]

Stu ( my main man)

I don't doubt that you deal with this every day and this type of work may eventually be my bread and butter, but I dissagree. This design shows an extremely low level of design. Im luvky i hot to krep thr water splitches. We could have went back to the 4x5" square photo alsoiso, i gusss I'm lucky. The photo enhancement/editing is the only part left of the above design.  His only contribution was to change it to a plain bold font and put Rugby and Tournament all in one line the same size and same color with no special effects. In terms of design 101 that horizontal plain font format is as cookie cutter as they come. It's like designing on a typewrighter.

[Dottonedan]

Hahah.   I phone post makes me laugh when you go back and read what you posted.

[tpitman]

Whatever you do, DO NOT EVER fall for the "Let me come over and sit alongside you to design my piece. It'll make things go faster without all of the proofing and emails back and forth."
The last time I succumbed to this, after "blocking out a full day", and spending 10 frustrating hours and only getting 1/3 the way through the job, I gladly forfeited any compensation and sent the customer packing in tears. How bad could it have been? So bad that it would make waterboarding seem like a relaxing afternoon at "Wet 'n Wild" . . .
Worse yet, this wasn't what you could even call a "design" job. It was arranging logos on an existing friggin' map of the panhandle coastline in Quark Xpress. How could that take up a whole day, much less over 10 hours? This woman (that's right, I made a "girl" cry) was so disorganized that we'd spend 20 minutes "arranging" 5 or 6 logos around one tiny point on the map, after which she'd look at her "list" and discover there was another that had to be added, so we'd start all over again. Every time I so much as made a move with my mouse, she'd ask, "What are you doing?"
Now I just tell 'em, "I can't afford the jail time."