Dilemma. I think?

[DonnaL]

My boss asked me to create our next postcard/mailer.
Her concept, she said, wants to match our radio ad and she game me an 'idea' for the image.
I, however, think it's lame (and so does another designer here).
Is it wrong for me to come up with an idea of my own? Or will it seem like I'm degrading her?

For instance.....
Our radio ad says....
::: Neet to get something printed? And not on your personal printer? Take it to <company>. They're amazing. <Company> is your full service printer. If you need crisp, bright, full color brochures, <company> does the best job in town. If you have a small job, maybe a hundred or so b/w postcards, <company> will gladly get that done for you too. They love what they do and their passion for their work shows in your projects. (phone number blah blah blah):::

So my boss says the radio lady told her that she ought to do a postcard to depict the ad and suggested using images of a big stack of brochures and a small stack of b/w copies. Needless to say, I didn't like it but went and started searching through all our stock CD's and catalogs we have but couldn't find anything. When I told her this, she decided to take digital picuters of what we have printed already out back. [gag/hack!] Very UNprofessional if you ask me!

I have my own idea... should I go ahead and do it anyway? Or should I stick to the ugly concept she wants?

As for our company and the type of people we have... we are all layed back and we go out for drinks occasionally so it's not like it's a tight ass company. Mom and pop (hus/wife owners).

Some drink from the fountain of knowledge while other's just gargle with it.

[Patrick Shannon]

You could go ahead and 'offer' the idea (she might bite), but it's generally not a smart idea to go 'too' against what the customer says (customer technically being your boss, in this case). The best lesson learned early on......sadly.....is that crap is what pleases most clients.

Patrick Shannon

'Dear valued customer, go home and die. Signed, your friendly graphic artist.'

http://www.patrickshannon.com/mwwc_sm.gif
My War With Culture (http://www.mywarwithculture.com)
Political incorrectness reinvented.

[DonnaL]

I guess I'll do a quick mock up here at home, then ask her if she's dead set on this idea. If not, then I'll show her what I came up with. Hopefully she WILL bite. Afterall, it was the radio lady that actually made the suggestion.. what does she know right?

Some drink from the fountain of knowledge while other's just gargle with it.

[pythagoras181]

See, this reminds me of my last employer, a complete w*nker. When I firsted started he told me that he would like me to use my *creative flair*and produce some "flashy" marketing literature. In a lame effort to prove myself I came up with what I still believe was some sh*t-hot design work. I soon learnt however thatthat was the place to work if you wanted every shred of artistic integrity to be lethally undermined. From within 2 weeks of my working there every piece of design work for my boss was set in crappy fonts (comic sans etc...), used blocks of full cyan, yellow and, magenta, the 'special offer' stars (i think they are known as starbursts), and text on wavy paths. The boss fu*kin loved his genius with everyone of them! Suffice it to say none of those pieces have found there way into my port-folio.

Just think about the money (cr*p or not) and produce whatever sh*te they ask for without question;but never forgetthe fact that you are capable of so much more.

if it ain't broke, FIX IT ANYWAY

[Patrick Shannon]

Hehe, my *VERY* first job when I got to where I'm currently at involved a starburst.

Patrick Shannon

'Dear valued customer, go home and die. Signed, your friendly graphic artist.'

http://www.patrickshannon.com/mwwc_sm.gif
My War With Culture (http://www.mywarwithculture.com)
Political incorrectness reinvented.

[Randy1]

I remember I had a boss once who was a BIG AHOLE and I needed to do a presentation for him. Of course he knew everything and had his own idea of how it should be done. I offered a suggestion (verbally) and he shot me down without a second thought so I did it the way he wanted. He would periodically come to my cubicle to see how it was going. I did a mock-up of my idea and had it sitting on the desk next to the version he wanted. When he came to get an update he saw what I had done also and decided to go for it.

Evidentally he didn't understand what the hell I was talking about and didn't care. After that though, he took me a little more seriously. I still quite on his ass though.

Anyway, whether he used my idea or not, I enjoyed using the company time to do something that I knew I could put in my portfolio.

Party at the Moon Tower.</font>

[woodwardo]

I'd say that's what a graphic designer's job entails...making the crappiest of ideas look good. This is the time when you need to really get creative. I always take digital photos of stuff with my digital camera and use the photos all the time. Maybe not the entire photo, maybe just parts of it or parts of a bunch of them - Photoshop is a wonderful tool, it can make a not so pro photo look great. I don't think that it would be bad if you had another idea to present it to her, but I'd get what she wanted done first. Take a different angle, don't just use the photos, use the elements in the photos. Ofcourse I'm not in your shoes and don't really know your situation, but that's my .02

W

-- eff.

[DonnaL]

I asked her this morning if she was set with her concept, she said no, and I told her I had another idea... she told me to go for it. So I did...
Once I got the basic idea down and showed her, she liked it, however, she said she didn't quite think it went with the radio ad, but more for our website and phoning in orders, that we'll use it for that purpose.
I just can't see taking digital photos of our backroom with all our printed material sitting on wooden pallettes with the filthy floors and all the binding machinery back there. It just looks like crap is all. I'm not a photographer by no means, she can take the pics if she wants, but just from what we attempted on Friday, the pics were terrible!
I'm willing to do what she wants and re-touch up the photos but I know I won't be proud of it.

Some drink from the fountain of knowledge while other's just gargle with it.

[Randy1]

I think in your case, what woodwardo said is key, just take different parts of the photos and make them look good in Photoshop. I've actually seen photos of the likes your talking about 'Crap on a crate with a messy stock room floor' and your right, they don't look good. Crop out the Crap!
!

Party at the Moon Tower.</font>