Why do we waste our time on stupid people?

[greyghost]

Just make me understand that, and I'll go back to being another graphic artist just waiting for a nice project to come across her desk.

Two things tripped me off today, two seperate clients.

The one that got me bad was a massage therapist. You know, nice, classy ad, photo of some lucky person getting a massage (I've never had one), give it a ncie soft background, an inviting header. Nice colors - I used light green and a reddish brown. Salesperson loved it. An artist I work with on this project was floored with the design.

The lady emails me back with: I'd rather have my logo bigger than a photo in the ad. Additionally, she wanted a photo of a scuzzy looking dude getting a massage (only small), a darker background, and oh yeah, more text.

Now tell me what I am missing? How is her logo being bigger going to interest people in her services? Who wants to read GOBS of text? And who wants to look at an ugly guy getting a massage? If he was cute, no problem...

And what kills me is, now that it is an ineffective ad, she will be upset next month when it doesnt generate any revenue, and she spent $800 to run it in the magazine.

What do I know? I've only been designing ads for people for 7 years. I've only got a degree in journalism, which included a fair amount of marketing classes. Whatever.

I need a drink....

[Patrick Shannon]

The lady emails me back with: I'd rather have my logo bigger than a photo in the ad. Additionally, she wanted a photo of a scuzzy looking dude getting a massage (only small), a darker background, and oh yeah, more text.

Now tell me what I am missing? How is her logo being bigger going to interest people in her services? Who wants to read GOBS of text? And who wants to look at an ugly guy getting a massage? If he was cute, no problem...

Crap sells, sadly. Yes, those are problems. As far as the text part, if it were a brochure and not an ad, I think more text is just fine, but that's obvious if it's a brochure. Really, on any piece that is designed for an interested customer to get more information from, that's when you can roll out the text. You are right, on an advertisement intended to catch someone's eye, you want as miminalist as text as possible...don't want their brain to shut off while reading it. Maybe try explaining that to them. (But you knew all this already, right?)

As far as the photo, sex absolutely sells. That will be a harder topic to bring up though, you never know if that "model" is the woman's husband. Which probably explains why he's getting the massage (and god knows what else). He also needs to give her a little more sex, then she won't be as bitchy and make stupid decisions. :)

I can't say anything more advice wise, all I am is a glorified typesetter called a graphic designer.

[DeleteYourself]

:slides a frosty brew across the bar:

[EC]

scuzzy lookin' dude roflmao ....... lol You poor dear, your ad sounded lovely. *sigh*

[steelcoast]

One of the hardest lessons to swallow, at least in my experience, is not becoming personally attached to your work. After working countless hours perfecting a layout or design only to have the marketing department come along, shift everything just to make the word "SALE" stand out like a glow stick at a funeral, you just learn to let certain things slide. Just keep copies of everything you do, so that when the client screws it up, as is bound to happen, you still have the good copy to include in your portfolio or demo reel. Sure, you'll end up with two copies of every project you do, but now you'll have "one for the meal and one for the reel."

Cheers

[keith1]

Steelcoast is like the wiseman of GDF. Good advice!

[zubaier]

One of the hardest lessons to swallow, at least in my experience, is not becoming personally attached to your work. After working countless hours perfecting a layout or design only to have the marketing department come along, shift everything just to make the word "SALE" stand out like a glow stick at a funeral, you just learn to let certain things slide. Just keep copies of everything you do, so that when the client screws it up, as is bound to happen, you still have the good copy to include in your portfolio or demo reel. Sure, you'll end up with two copies of every project you do, but now you'll have "one for the meal and one for the reel."

Cheers

thank you steelcoast... i only just joined this forum and am already reaping the benefits.

i've just received 'a few thoughts' from my head of marketing on a major piece of work which ive spent just a month on... lets just say im a bit wound up. however, rather than picking up the phone and dishing out a few of my own thoughts (in the process no doubt getting the sack) im going to go have a drink (thank god its pub time here in london), and send my reply on monday morning.

calm thoughts.

thank you again.

- zu

[Rocketpig]

only to have the marketing department come along, shift everything just to make the word "SALE" stand out like a glow stick at a funeral

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Brilliant!

I'll have to use that line...

[greyghost]

LOL - thank you all for the thoughts - and the frosty brew.

I do always keep myself a copy of the original ad if the client decides to ruin my great design before it goes to print. I have a folder named "unappreciated art" on my external hard drive. Since at that point they are purely portfolio pieces, I'll make a new version as well for that ad, with some things I knew the client might not go for, or with the ugly credit cards removed, that kind of thing.

I know my place is to present good work, and my magazine clients really appreciate it, at least they know good work when they see it. It's just the customers who really don't know. lol.

I have a theory about this kind of client: they are so used to seeing sh!tty work, that when they see something good, their mind rejects it because they are used to sh!t.

Anyway, thankfully today is Friday, the zine goes to press today, and I intend to partake of more than one frosty brew :)

[skinns]

Oh Gosh. There is nothing worse than a client that has aclaimed themselves as gifted in Graphic Design just because they have hired a graphic design.

I believe some of these "TYPE" clients, who obviously have there own business get carried away with power. They end of surrounding themselfves with people who only blow sunshine up there Tail.

I had a client like this, and for some reason he didn't understand the importance of "NEGATIVE SPACE".

*sigh

New member here as well. Enjoying.

[Rocketpig]

Oh Gosh. There is nothing worse than a client that has aclaimed themselves as gifted in Graphic Design just because they have hired a graphic design.

I believe some of these "TYPE" clients, who obviously have there own business get carried away with power. They end of surrounding themselfves with people who only blow sunshine up there Tail.

I had a client like this, and for some reason he didn't understand the importance of "NEGATIVE SPACE".

*sigh

New member here as well. Enjoying.

I gave up on negative space years ago. The only time I even bother using it is when I'm dealing with a client who lets me do whatever and I want and doesn't get very involved in the design process (very rare).

Now I just clutter everything up as much as possible to save myself the frustration of going back later and doing it over. I pretty much spend my days churning out complete rubbish. So sad.

Only five years into this career and I'm already this jaded... What will I be like in 20?

[Ulysses]

Yes, sex sells. But even ugly people have sex. So, why can't ugly people be used in adverts as much as attractive people? It don't bother me either way, becasue no person on an ad is going to make me buy a broken TV, or even a working one for that matter.

[CatintheHat1]

They end of surrounding themselfves with people who only blow sunshine up there Tail.



OH, yeah!! I do ONE thing...my entire company is completely based on designing one type of product and there are times I've refused a project because it sounded ridiculous (one guy wanted 5 diffetent "scenes" on a 6 x 9 print sheet, but refused the pay the illustrator full price because the images were so small.hahha)...anyway, they inevitably pop me an eMail to tell me some other designer recognized their "vision" for what it was....(I've no doubt the other designer did..hahah).

Cat