A client wants me to create a design for their shop window and gas pump. But they only have terrible photos in perspective. And no real sizes at all. Does it make sense to make a design for projection based on the pictures?
You might want to rephrase that. I don’t understand what you’re referring to.
I,m sorry! I edited it, hopefully it’s understandable now.
I’d say you could start doing some rough sketches, but until you have final measurements and actual sizes that you would not be able to show any designs.
Still not really sure about the “projection” part, but that just might be language differences.
Of course you can’t design effectively without real dimensions. Technically, you can’t even quote the job, let alone execute it.
If I was in that situation I’d tell the client I need confirmed measurements, and offer to travel to the site and make them myself, if necessary (adding the time and expense to the quote).
Well, I don’t know the exact situation, but it’s usually not a good idea to waste either your time or your client’s budget on things that might need to be redone due to an absence of what you need to begin.
The client is looking to you for answers, so it’s often a matter of spelling out the problem to them, then suggesting solutions. If you think they need better photos, bring it up with them to see what they say. If you don’t have the right sizes, explain why you need them and how it might end up costing them more money due to the inefficiency of it all.
If there’s something you can start, like the sketches Craig mentioned, do that, but don’t go too far down the road of guessing and then finding yourself having to backtrack out of what you’ve done and eating the cost of your time while doing so.
Thank you all for the quick response! And yes my English is not so great.
I mean the client wants me to project a design on their low res photo’s in Photoshop.
My boss (she’s also a “graphic designer”) is telling me that the sketch is suppose to be perfect for the client. And when I explain I need measurements first, she thinks there is no need for that.
So I just needed to check with the real designers! 
Dimensions first.
Design second.
Applying design to mockups, distant third…
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Okay well, all that makes it sound like your boss has offered to “mock up” proposed window and pump designs on the client’s photos, presumably to entice the client to turn it into a paid project. That’s a little different. (Until now, it sounded as though you were being asked directly by the client to produce the final designs to-size with only the photos as reference.)
Although it would still be better to have measurements in-hand first, you can just fit the proposed design to (the items in) the photos. I imagine it’s a vector graphics/text job anyway.
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This morning I went to the bakery and asked if the Baker wanted to bake a cake for my 10 year old son, with a text on the top of the cake.
I told him that I need the cake this afternoon. The Baker asked what flavor and shape I wanted to have, to which I answered that I would call him to let him know, before noon, because I wasn’t sure yet.
He also asked me which text I wanted. I confirmed to call him before the afternoon, to give him al the right information, but that he should start making the cake, so he has all day to finish it.
The Baker looked at me, and told me that he can not start baking if he had no proper input. I said he just have to start baking, because I really wanted to have the cake this afternoon!
The Baker said he couldn’t do this and refused the job.
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Why do clients expect this of a graphic designer? I don’t understand!