TOP 10 things graphic designers hate

Behind any professional who is part of the graphic designers collective there is a person with their needs and interests. That is why it is important that we learn to «educate»To our clients when working with us. We are going to find work experiences of all kinds: Private clients, medium or large companies ... And although generally the private client is usually the "most disturbing" or problematic, there are cases in which companies also resort to bad practices in their I deal directly with the designer. Today we are going to make a small compilation with the things most hated by graphic designers in their work day.

It would be good if you put in your office a decalogue with the things that any client should avoid doing when working with you. He who warns is not a traitor!

1.- First of all? Very cheap please!

The issue of price can be tricky depending on what designer you are dealing with. Regardless of the environment in which you move as a designer, sooner or later you will have to work for that type of client that, above all else, economics prevails. It is curious because on many occasions they will be asking you for such decisive jobs for a business such as corporate identity or advertising material, but despite the fact that these elements are vital to generate a solid identity, this type of client will not be so interested in effectiveness or quality of your services but directly for its price. They start to tremble now reproach a high price without even having arranged an interview with you!

2.- The design will be like this, like this and like this

Perhaps you are one of that 0% of designers who receive designers with 30 years of experience in our field as clients. If so, before their requests you only have one solution: Accept decisions and try to do the best possible. But let's face it, this is not going to happen. The most common is that you receive professionals from any sector other than ours and enter through the door of your office with too many laws and what is worse, orders. Given this, you only have one option: Empower yourself and of course demonstrate that it is you who knows what you are talking about.

3.- I want it now

I want you to design and print 100 flyers for tonight. I want something simple, powerful but realistic text, eye-catching visuals, and professional models wearing our company uniforms. " Hi there? Have we gone crazy? Ok, maybe this example is somewhat exaggerated, but you will get several cases not very different from this one. To begin, you must make it clear from the beginning what services you propose, in this case the client would even naively think that either you have a printing press in the basement of your house and 10 designers under your charge or they would not have the slightest idea that a company exists. external that handles printing.

4.- First show me examples of what my logo will be like, then we'll talk about price if I'm interested

They are questions or statements that make us laugh from the outset and we believe that this is an insightful client with a sense of humor. But when we discover that he is completely serious, anger takes hold of us and we wonder why we invest so much money in our studies or time to improve. Then we remember that design is our passion and only then do we forget it.

5.- You should do better like this, pay attention

«I'm going to give you very little work. Here is the almost finished design in Word or Publisher. I just need you to tune it. By the way I have taken the images from the Internet, I hope there are no problems with that. There are clients who will try to reduce the final price by doing part of the work themselves or by getting in the way of your decisions. In these cases, you can only choose to send the client home or explain what your job is and that you you don't work in exchange for alms and in projects of little seriousness.

6.- The client / assistant designer

The client enters your office, sits next to you in front of your computer and then begins to practice the profession of very irritating pepito cricket: «Put it here, more to the right but not so much, what if you try this typeface? I thought it was easier ...»

7.- A private party in your office

There are also those types of clients who decide to go to your studio to «Supervise»The work to develop and generally do not go alone. They go with the boss, the secretary, the messenger or the director… While you work under unspeakable pressure they begin to comment on every move you make. You will also meet the typical client who goes to your office to hire you and review your work with all kinds of impertinence so that once the work is done according to their criteria, they tell you «Thank you, now I will take it to my superiors and we will discuss if we will need more changes in the future".

8.- From now on you will be our partner

It occurs in those cases in which the client tries to defer payments when he is in an unstable financial situation, but in exchange for offering to be an indispensable part of his business or even trying to give you a t-shirt with the logo ... This happens, trust me.

9.- When they make us analyze the payment and contracting possibilities to leave us in a sea of ​​doubts

A client X shows up, is interested in your work, asks you for samples, asks you about the deadlines, you even do a detailed budget and you propose work ideas or lines of development. After 1 hour talking face to face, close the conversation with a “thank you for the information, I will consult it and think about it. I'm not sure yet". You do not know exactly how but you are certain that you will not see him again, and so it is.

10.- Change this, and this ... And this!

There is nothing more annoying than reaching an intermediate or advanced phase of the work and our client forcing us to make changes that affect the first phases and therefore alter everything else. He is used to putting a limit number of changes and modifications. Otherwise it will not compensate you for the work invested.