Design Horror Stories

meeko311 · 01-10-2008, 12:33 PM

Everyone has a design horror story. I wanted to hear everyone's crazy client and or project stories.

spoongraphics · 01-10-2008, 02:14 PM

Almost every day is a horror story for me!

It seems almost every client I create a website for through my fulltime job thinks of a website as you saw them in the 90s (Centre layouts, small text, welcome to ..., animated gifs, scrolling marquees, best viewed in xxx, ...you get the idea)

So when you present anything that looks considerably modern, they just don't understand and think it looks weird because it doesn't conform to their idea of what a website is. The hard part is trying to explain that times have changed haha!

Gino · 01-10-2008, 02:18 PM

Yeah i had this happen to me recently a client wanted a website done that look like it was from the start of the internet and it was very hard for me to produce work like tat because it goes against everything I have learned.

I am turning my design business into an identity design business now. I prefer identity design and it pays well because people value their brand. Plus its so much easier then doing website layouts which have so many different aspects and small details and clients ALWAYS come back for updates and changes.

I will do other types of design here and there if its a good gig, but I'm def trying to be pretty firm with only doing identity design.

Saywells · 01-10-2008, 03:19 PM

I have been working with a real estate agent to create business cards for him and his assistant.
So far I've completed his assistant's card, but now I'm working on his.

I sent him over 15 distinctly different designs for a business card, but due to his self-admitted OCD/perfectionism I was sent back to the 'drawing board' more times than I cared for.

But, getting paid by the hour seemed to make up for it

meeko311 · 01-10-2008, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stereopattern

I have been working with a real estate agent to create business cards for him and his assistant.
So far I've completed his assistant's card, but now I'm working on his.

I sent him over 15 distinctly different designs for a business card, but due to his self-admitted OCD/perfectionism I was sent back to the 'drawing board' more times than I cared for.

But, getting paid by the hour seemed to make up for it

If that's the case why isn't he designing it himself. I can't stand working for people like that.

Distill · 01-10-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stereopattern

I have been working with a real estate agent to create business cards for him and his assistant.
So far I've completed his assistant's card, but now I'm working on his.

I sent him over 15 distinctly different designs for a business card, but due to his self-admitted OCD/perfectionism I was sent back to the 'drawing board' more times than I cared for.

But, getting paid by the hour seemed to make up for it

Fifteen is insane! He couldn't find one out of 15 to at least work from!? That is perfectionism.

The most I'll ever do in a single round is three (I figure even then two of them are destined to be a waste of the time). If they want to go through a few rounds of that, it's fine with me--at least it's moving in a single direction.

Or how about when you design to your contact's taste, they love it, then they take it to the person/people who ACTUALLY make the decision (unbeknownst to you) and it all has to be redone. Luckily for me, every time this has happened, it been on projects paying by the hour for clients with deep pockets. Still frustrating, though.

alyCe · 01-10-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Distill

Fifteen is insane! He couldn't find one out of 15 to at least work from!? That is perfectionism.

The most I'll ever do in a single round is three (I figure even then two of them are destined to be a waste of the time). If they want to go through a few rounds of that, it's fine with me--at least it's moving in a single direction.

The big suprise is that he actually PAID for 15 redesigns! If I wasn't happy with the design after TEN revisions I'd gone to another designer XD
I'm not shure what's my most horrible story, but I'm shure it has to do with printing!

Virgil · 01-12-2008, 02:01 AM

For me, the clients who offer no feedback are representing a true horror story. Or their feedback is so general that, no matter how hard you try to squeeze their thoughts "out in the open", you end up with almost nothing to rely on the process of design. I try hard to educate them (speaking of design), and sometimes the rewards are so good, but there are also horror stories to tell.."I think this logo would look great with a castle, a stethoscope and a star, because I like castles and stars and I am a doctor"....

01-10-2008, 12:33 PM	#1
meeko311 Designer Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 23	Design Horror Stories Everyone has a design horror story. I wanted to hear everyone's crazy client and or project stories. __________________ www.Chrismdesigns.com/blog

01-10-2008, 02:14 PM	#2
spoongraphics Designer Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: UK Posts: 39	Almost every day is a horror story for me! It seems almost every client I create a website for through my fulltime job thinks of a website as you saw them in the 90s (Centre layouts, small text, welcome to ..., animated gifs, scrolling marquees, best viewed in xxx, ...you get the idea) So when you present anything that looks considerably modern, they just don't understand and think it looks weird because it doesn't conform to their idea of what a website is. The hard part is trying to explain that times have changed haha! __________________ Blog.SpoonGraphics - Design Tutorials, Graphic Design Articles and Free Vector Downloads

01-10-2008, 02:18 PM	#3
Gino Administrator/Founder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 1,037	Yeah i had this happen to me recently a client wanted a website done that look like it was from the start of the internet and it was very hard for me to produce work like tat because it goes against everything I have learned. I am turning my design business into an identity design business now. I prefer identity design and it pays well because people value their brand. Plus its so much easier then doing website layouts which have so many different aspects and small details and clients ALWAYS come back for updates and changes. I will do other types of design here and there if its a good gig, but I'm def trying to be pretty firm with only doing identity design. __________________ Free Business Cards // T Shirts Blog // How to Start A Clothing Line

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01-10-2008, 03:19 PM	#4
Saywells on Main Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 104	I have been working with a real estate agent to create business cards for him and his assistant. So far I've completed his assistant's card, but now I'm working on his. I sent him over 15 distinctly different designs for a business card, but due to his self-admitted OCD/perfectionism I was sent back to the 'drawing board' more times than I cared for. But, getting paid by the hour seemed to make up for it

01-12-2008, 02:01 AM	#8
Virgil Intern Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 7	For me, the clients who offer no feedback are representing a true horror story. Or their feedback is so general that, no matter how hard you try to squeeze their thoughts "out in the open", you end up with almost nothing to rely on the process of design. I try hard to educate them (speaking of design), and sometimes the rewards are so good, but there are also horror stories to tell.."I think this logo would look great with a castle, a stethoscope and a star, because I like castles and stars and I am a doctor"....