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Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 4:53 am
by matthijs
You know the drill. You design something. Client wants the logo bigger. Or some color added. Happens all the time. I am used to it happening now and then and so far have been able to deal with it. Most often I'm able to convince my clients it's not in their interest to fill up half the page with their logo. Since their customers don't care about their logo, only about having their problem solved. Most often, the clients are reasonable and understand this once explained. Everybody happy.

But this time it's different. Everything I propose is rejected and what I get is a specification of each and every screaming color they want for every piece of the site. They redid the logo I designed, in bright yellow/blue. Sunglasses needed, that kind of yellow. I feel I'm being used. As a pixel pusher. Someone to hold a mouse in photoshop - scrap that, make it windows Paint - and do what they want.

I can somewhat understand why it's happening, since the client in case is kind of special. And I fully respect his wishes. However, it still feels bad.

This one is definitely not going to end up in my portfolio.... :evil: :cry: :banghead:

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:07 am
by papa
I've had a couple of clients like that when I had my own company. One of the downsides. :)

It's hard with those kind of people. The thing I would do is to try and prove to him that he needs to listen to a proffesional. Give him statistics and real life examples and try to explain what people want when the visit a site etc.

But in some cases you just have to let them destroy their own site and bite your tounge..

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:21 am
by matthijs
Yes, I guess I just should swallow any pride left and turn down the brightness of my monitor as far down as possible while finishing the site. And meanwhile hope I'm going to be sued by some accessibility institution for using #FEEA00 as a background for a website...

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:36 am
by papa
matthijs wrote:Yes, I guess I just should swallow any pride left and turn down the brightness of my monitor as far down as possible while finishing the site. And meanwhile hope I'm going to be sued by some accessibility institution for using #FEEA00 as a background for a website...
Hehe, sued but "the united usability federation".

Sometimes you wonder why the hire an expert if they're not even are going to listen to what you have to say.

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:35 am
by volomike
I had one client, and mind you I love her to pieces in a friendly way, she had her flat panel monitor askew. She asked me to change the website because it looked slanted. I assured her that it wasn't slanted -- that her monitor leaned to the right a little and I had to prove it to her. We got a chuckle out of that one. There have been a couple hilarious other moments where she covered her head with her hands, leaned her face down on the desk, and said, "Don't pick on my monitor again! I love my monitor!" to much laughter to everyone in the room.

P.S. I had to go check out what #FEEA00 was in Gimp. Dear God child that is a terrible base color for a website!

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:50 am
by matthijs
@volomike: that's funny ;)

I've had my experiences with broken monitors as well. You have to be careful with colors especially. It's nice to have an expensive $1000 monitor, however, the colors you see won't be seen seen by others on $100 panels, in many cases

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:14 pm
by Jonah Bron
My goodness! You had to open Gimp!? Just open up a new tab and type this into your address bar.

javascript:document.write('<body bgcolor="#FFEA00"></body>');

Come on! :wink:

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 4:39 pm
by John Cartwright
Reguarding the original topic, I think it is important to see this from the clients perspective. You, as the professional, it is your responsibility to explain potential issues with their decisions, but the fact remains, it is their decision. If you've done your job, and they are set in their ways, it is not a reflection of your work as much as it is a reflection of their vision. Now, if you are completely bent that their decision is not ideal for both, and reflects poorly on your work, the choices are simple: drop the client or hide any reference to your company on the end product :D
Jonah Bron wrote:My goodness! You had to open Gimp!? Just open up a new tab and type this into your address bar.

javascript:document.write('<body bgcolor="#FFEA00"></body>');

Come on! :wink:
You had to use javascript? I have all the values memorized! :dubious:

Just kidding.

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:04 pm
by VladSun
John Cartwright wrote:... I think it is important to see this from the clients perspective. You, as the professional, it is your responsibility to explain potential issues with their decisions, but the fact remains, it is their decision. If you've done your job, and they are set in their ways, it is not a reflection of your work as much as it is a reflection of their vision. Now, if you are completely bent that their decision is not ideal for both, and reflects poorly on your work, the choices are simple: drop the client or hide any reference to your company on the end product :D ...
I won't even bother to explain - I will *tell* them that I'm the pro and they are amateurs - so, it's going to be my way or they'll have to hire someone else. :)

Life is too short to let it been abused by such customers ;)

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:13 pm
by John Cartwright
VladSun wrote:
John Cartwright wrote:... I think it is important to see this from the clients perspective. You, as the professional, it is your responsibility to explain potential issues with their decisions, but the fact remains, it is their decision. If you've done your job, and they are set in their ways, it is not a reflection of your work as much as it is a reflection of their vision. Now, if you are completely bent that their decision is not ideal for both, and reflects poorly on your work, the choices are simple: drop the client or hide any reference to your company on the end product :D ...
I won't even bother to explain - I will *tell* them that I'm the pro and they are amateurs - so, it's going to be my way or they'll have to hire someone else. :)

Life is too short to let it been abused by such customers ;)
I completely agree, however, not everyone is fortunate enough to be picky with their clients. After all, business is business. I've never really had to freelance before, but the few clients I had back in the day I got chewed up on with their silly visions. I personally did not find it worthwhile, and alas I've never had to deal with "clients" since. 8)

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:15 pm
by daedalus__
the customer is always right. period. you can make as many recommendations as you want but if they refuse to listen, that's their problem.

i'd really just take the money and put it behind me. maybe the client will realise nobody is coming to his website and call you to say "Y IS NOBDY COMING? FIX PLEASE". then you can say "ORLY?$$$$$$"

i've had clients that come up with nice designs and i count that as a blessing. but most of the clients that i've had have been specific and critical regardless of my opinion.

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:57 pm
by daedalus__
haha, this totally reminded me of this conversation:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/design_hell

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:15 pm
by volomike
Just saw this tweeted on SitePoint just 5 minutes ago. Coincidence! Anyway, is quite hilarious. And sadly true.

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:00 am
by matthijs
Thanks for the funny link. Reading that actually made me realize my situation is not that bad ...

I also managed to secretly lower the saturation of the yellow a bit :)

Re: Help, my client is designing for me

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:15 am
by John Cartwright
matthijs wrote:I also managed to secretly lower the saturation of the yellow a bit :)
Spoken like a master of the art :D