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Clients: love or hate them

The guy who I was dealing with, the one got embarrassed by his boss's decision, just contacted me not long ago to apologise also told me his boss actually created the alternative design himself using MS Word!

Ha, Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, He He He, Ha Ha Ha...........stops typing to wipe tears from eyes.........
 
"The client is always right" - I don't subscribe to this.

Here's my reasoning. The client I feel hires me to be their design "expert" .. meaning they are hiring me not just for my design skills, but also my understanding of good design and my expertise in this field. I feel it's my job and responsibility to make sure the client gets the best design and is also educated about it in cases where they feel they know better.

I regularly 'fight' for what I think is right. I realize not every client likes that approach, but in the long run those who resist most times realize in the end that the product does come out better if they let the designer's opinion count.

Some may see this as being an 'elitist' designer... I don't agree. It's using my skills to do what's best for the client. I always take the client's feedback very seriously, but if I feel that they are making decisions that will be detrimental to the goals they are trying to achieve, I'm the first to say so. I think most clients respect that .... if not always immediately though :)
 
best way to spot a retarded customer is to tell them that all graphic designers are been made redundant because Micro$oft is bringing out new software called “Graphic Designer” which does everything for you at the touch of a button:

– if they get the joke and laugh with you, you have a chance in building a good relationship.

– if they react keen to purchase it, or make some effort to feel sorry for your loss of career, you know you’ve got another numbskull.
 
one3 said:
Some may see this as being an 'elitist' designer... I don't agree. It's using my skills to do what's best for the client. I always take the client's feedback very seriously, but if I feel that they are making decisions that will be detrimental to the goals they are trying to achieve, I'm the first to say so. I think most clients respect that .... if not always immediately though :)
Click to expand...

Spot on. Although I mostly do web design for the company itself rather than 3rd parties (though they do crop up), that's the sort of technique I tend to apply. Even now when I just got dictated over something, he feels strongly about it so I'll do it but make it easily reversible and be sure to point it out loud and clear if it looks crap. For the most part my opinion is respected amongst the management, it's just now and again someone gets into I'm-the-boss mode.

Side note - you've got to love it when they say "can't we animate _______" :D The way some people think you'd have things whizzing and spinning everywhere. They need to add "instant animation spray" to that amusing site someone posted earlier.
 
one3 said:
"The client is always right" - I don't subscribe to this
Click to expand...


I don't subscribe to it either. It was said more in sorrow than as a policy... and yes, they're always right, even when they're wrong. ;)

On most jobs I do, I don't have the time to 'fight' for what I think is right. That's a luxury of having relatively long lead-times.
 
Blue Velvet said:
I don't subscribe to it either. It was said more in sorrow than as a policy... and yes, they're always right, even when they're wrong. ;)

On most jobs I do, I don't have the time to 'fight' for what I think is right. That's a luxury of having relatively long lead-times.
Click to expand...

Yes, there are factors (like the short timeline you mentioned) that weigh on this for sure. I also know that early on in my career I tended to go with what the client wanted for more economical reasons .... now I'm fortunate enough that I can part with a client or two if I don't think the fit is right and I don't think they value my services - despite losing potential revenue. But I remember that was tough if not impossible to do a few years back for me. It's a tough balancing act :)

calculus said:
The client may not always be right but they are always the client ...
Click to expand...

True enough ... it's just that it does not have to be a master / slave type of relationship ... which I know from experience is what some clients think of it as. :D
 
one3 said:
"The client is always right" - I don't subscribe to this.

Here's my reasoning. The client I feel hires me to be their design "expert" .. meaning they are hiring me not just for my design skills, but also my understanding of good design and my expertise in this field. I feel it's my job and responsibility to make sure the client gets the best design and is also educated about it in cases where they feel they know better.

I regularly 'fight' for what I think is right. I realize not every client likes that approach, but in the long run those who resist most times realize in the end that the product does come out better if they let the designer's opinion count.

Some may see this as being an 'elitist' designer... I don't agree. It's using my skills to do what's best for the client. I always take the client's feedback very seriously, but if I feel that they are making decisions that will be detrimental to the goals they are trying to achieve, I'm the first to say so. I think most clients respect that .... if not always immediately though :)
Click to expand...

I would tend to agree with this, some good points here. Nobody will respect a "yes-man" but with that being said, there are some instances where you need to let up if a client is absolutely adamant about it.

I think there is a fine line between educating and dictating and you need to walk it carefully. Nothing is worse then coming off as a know-it-all who tells the client what they want and need for their business. The client knows their business better then anyone so you need to respect that while presenting your creative direction.

In my experience, learning to be tactful in your approach and picking your battles can be the difference between keeping and losing clients.
 
This is therapy for me honestly, working for a old fashion corporate company sometimes being creative is like asking someone to bungee jump.

The comments and stuff are funny.

I love how my bosses make so many changes honestly the changes lead back to first version of the project seriously its happening right now but due to so much changes, I can't turn around the project on the deadline so got pushed 2 months, and now they have no idea what to do.
 
Best Design Thread Ever!!!

This is such a good time reading these. To bad I have to go back to designing hand and paw print designs!:eek:
 
Hello everyone,

A recent development on my situation - yesterday I received a phone call from the deputy manager of the hotel I was working the design for their Christmas charity bash menu. After a bit of grovelling he insisted to go with my design which was exactly what he was looking for to celebrate the true essence of Christmas and he had no idea about my work until he came across it before being told it was rejected in favour for the makeshift one created from MS Word.

I was fairly surprised at this unexpected urgent request which I didn't expect to hear from these people again nor getting any more work from them. I agreed to to go ahead and I was paid again plus a free complimentary champagne on top of that!

Then I contacted the hotel's marketing assistant, who I thought I was working on the job for, about that phone call. He was quite pleased the hotel eventually going for my design though he never agreed with his tyrannical boss's (the chief of marketing) absurd actions, of creating his own amateurish designs from MS Word, but had to do what he was told despite his doubts.

He gleefully told me once the deputy hotel manager found out, he hit the roof and gave his boss a heavy reprimanding for his part in mucking up an important job which had to be completed before the busy Christmas season and it was not in the chief of marketing's job specification to be a graphic designer. The chief of marketing came up with the excuse for rejecting my design as a cost-cutting exercise which turned out to be more expensive after paying me twice.

I was also handed with another brief from the hotel to do their restaurant's New Year's menu with the promise the chief of marketing will not be allowed to push forward his own designs!
 
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