The words I hate from a client

abouttobebanned

Now, I'm not a designer by trade. I'm developing my design skills to provide better value for other work I do for businesses. However, I've been doing more and more designing of posters, menus, flyers etc.

And without doubt, the words I hate more than any others are:

"Can you jazz it up a bit"

This would be fine if they knew what they wanted....but they never do!

What are your pet peeves from clients?

Cunning Alias

Developing a website: "Can you make the text look a bit more zoomy!"

Almost burst out laughing when I heard that.

who the fug

That they don't understand following


I don't do discounts, and it is cash with order

im...LOST

http://clientsfromhell.net/

Chochese

abouttobebanned wrote: »

And without doubt, the words I hate more than any others are:

"Can you jazz it up a bit"

Hah! My boss used this exact phrase all the time when I did some design work...

That is, until I designed a pharmaceutical information leaflet in the style of an old Blue Note jazz record cover. When I told him that's what he asked for, he realised he had to be a bit more accurate in how he requests a style of work!

GarH

Anytime a customer asks me to 'jazz it up' I always include a pic like this

Vicbowling

"Can you just make a couple of changes" is one of my favorites too.

servechilled

Vicbowling wrote: »

"Can you just make a couple of changes" is one of my favorites too.

Generally followed by comments which amount to a complete redesign :rolleyes:

"Can you make it really jump out at me" is a regular (am sure there's a good image to go with that somewhere)

ahal

I worked for a woman who I could only describe as mentally ill. I'd get virtually zero brief from her and ended up trying to fill the void myself. Then she'd go ballistic at the result and in the process of same describe exactly what she wanted :rolleyes:

In my case the words I hated most were not enough at the beginning :P

looksee

Thank goodness I don't do design work any more, but the one that really bugged me was when the client saw a bit of 'blank space' and wanted something - anything put into it.

Though worse was when I had done the job according to the brief and the customer said, yes thats fine, now we just need to put in the price list/ product picture/ special offer sign or (aaarghhh) a big, red, look-at-me starburst in the corner.

cormee

I'm playing devil's advocate here but the client usually knows their market best, and in my experience listening to their requests usually results in a more polished product. Also, as a designer it's your responsibility to get a full brief, not the client's responsibility to give you one.

Of course there are some completely crazy examples that will throw my theory, but I think in a large % of cases it's a good idea to try interpret a client's request and develop it for them in a professional fashion.

I'm working in web now, but when I was a product designer it used to send shivers down my spine when I was asked to design it 'cheap and cheerful'. This usually gave me the creative scope to design something that wouldn't kill users and little else.

p

Agree with cormee - it's no harm venting, but ultimately, design is the finished project with client input and all. Part of being a designer is leading your client, listening to them, and letting go of your ego.

When you visit a live site, or buy a product that's designed well, that's all that count. Whether the client was good or not does not matter. The best designers will deliver quality irrespective of their client's peculiarities.

http://www.disambiguity.com/live-design-is-gold/

ahal

I agree with what ye're saying re: the client, sadly in my case it was a full - time employment situation and she hadn't a clue on an ongoing basis. The tipping point came when I cleared an ad. with a client and she told me to use a different typeface which I knew would close up due to dot gain in newspaper print. It duly did.