Clients! Why do u bother hiring designers?

[Yuwipi Woman]

I've acted as a lowly go-between, erm, between clients and designers, and it was a complete and utter nightmare. Usually I was on the side of the designers.

My favourite one was where someone decided they didn't like the shape of the letter "e" in the particular typeface the designer had used, and could we change it throughout to an "e" from a different typeface.

That's do-able, but for a larger project that usually means a custom font. Most don't want to pay for that.

<edited to add>
A lot of the stuff I do is for scientific journals. Often math symbols are in Times Roman, even though the text may be New Century Schoolbook, because some fonts don't support the characters needed.

 

[Paul Russell]

That's do-able, but for a larger project that usually means a custom font. Most don't want to pay for that.

Well, I don't know much about design but my attitude was that it was a classic typeface that a proper famous designer/typographer person had probably spent a zillion hours honing to stylistic unity, so why should we change the shape of one letter through dozens of pages of body text to satisfy the whim of a mad delusional idiot who looked like they got dressed in the dark, and probably would change their mind tomorrow anyway!

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Well, I don't know much about design but my attitude was that it was a classic typeface that a proper famous designer/typographer person had probably spent a zillion hours honing to stylistic unity, so why should we change the shape of one letter through dozens of pages of body text to satisfy the whim of a mad delusional idiot who looked like they got dressed in the dark, and probably would change their mind tomorrow anyway!

True. The standard fonts used in books and magazines became standard because they're readable. If you can't read it, you can't really call it good design.

 

[dennisr]

to satisfy the whim of a mad delusional idiot who looked like they got dressed in the dark, and probably would change their mind tomorrow anyway!

I've had a few idiot clients like that

Just up the price until they piss off

I do alright

 

[Firky]

It drives me up the fucking wall, man. Do you ever get any nuggets who ask you to design something but don't give you any content? Or give you an open brief of do more or less what you want... then go about dismantling it and asking for additions?

"Can you make the background white and the text yellow."

 

[dennisr]

It drives me up the fucking wall, man. Do you ever get any nuggets who ask you to design something but don't give you any content? Or give you an open brief of do more or less what you want... then go about dismantling it and asking for additions?

"Can you make the background white and the text yellow."

The common warning signal is the "I am sure you know best - just do what you think" - that translates into "here we fucking go" in my head.

I simply refuse the type of idiot you mention about - arrogant design type that I am - or get them to agree an outrageous design quote (or not...) first

I've been doing this for over 10 years now so can usually see them coming. Luckily I work in a bit of a 'niche market' to use the lingo - hardly any 'commercial' work (but i know my scientific symbols inside out now - in case you need anyone!! and can lay out in all sorts of lingos now - from albanian to chinese to arabic)

Weirdly - the worst folk I work for now are my 'freebies' - about 30 % of what I do is free for stuff I support - they are the ones that tend to 'know better then me' - occasionally I tell them - if they know better - do it themselves, ejets

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

... I've been doing this for over 10 years now so can usually see them coming. Luckily I work in a bit of a 'niche market' to use the lingo - hardly any 'commercial' work (but i know my scientific symbols inside out now - in case you need anyone!! and can lay out in all sorts of lingos now - from albanian to chinese and arabic)

I started out in the bindery and moved into typesetting, then graphics, then technical dept. I'd get a lot of scientific or foreign language stuff so I still know the really old codes.

[ss][cf65i][cp11]a[rs] , etc.

 

[Louloubelle]

They should have called the A-Team of designers... http://www.chaffagraffix.co.uk/

LOL

Thank you, that made me laugh

 

[dennisr]

I started out in the bindery and moved into typesetting, etc.. I'd get a lot of scientific or foreign language stuff so I still know the really old codes.

[ss][cf65i][cp11]a[rs] , etc.

Its people like you I really respect in a slightly fearful sort of way because i blagged this job so much at the beginning. I have no formal training in it - started out stacking papars coming off a press!!

I had some scary customers (i still prefer that to 'clients') when I started out - one fella a fleet street cold press typesetter from the old days who ended up running his own local newspaper. I had to keep running off to the loo (cribbing from a carefully placed print glossary) to find out what he was talking about - what is this 'leading'? who is this 'umlaut'? - great fella taught me all I know about respect for typography

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I had a old duffer who worked in newspapers most of his life show me a lot. He had made the transition through all that old technology and into computer technology just in one lifetime. When he retired he gave me his notes and I still find myself having to dig trough them to answer a tech question.

 

[kyser_soze]

PMSL @ this thread.

All clients who have their own ideas about what their materials should look like need shooting.

 

[gabi]

PMSL @ this thread.

All clients who have their own ideas about what their materials should look like need shooting.

Fucking right. If I hired an accountant to sort out my taxes for me I wouldn't try to interfere in his work. If he hired me to design his website or brochure he should afford me the same respect once he's briefed me.

 

[kerplunk]

I once asked the yellow pages ad designer to insert a line in our ad to the effect that we 'buy and sell used systems'

The proof when it came back said "Any old systems bought and sold"

 

[dennisr]

PMSL @ this thread.

All clients who have their own ideas about what their materials should look like need shooting.

Yep, that was clearly the view expressed - selfish, arrogant design feckers...

I take the middle line- "idiots who create more work pay more"

 

[dennisr]

I once asked the yellow pages ad designer to insert a line in our ad to the effect that we 'buy and sell used systems'

The proof when it came back said "Any old systems bought and sold"

they have top design bods at yellow pages, only the very best can accept the high wages paid

 

[kerplunk]

they have top design bods at yellow pages, only the very best can accept the high wages paid

lol, yeh I'm sure that's the case!

I mean no slur btw (apart from yellow pages!) - that's just my one and only anecdote on the subject.

 

[Firky]

I did a stint for a week with a free paper with those classifieds in it. Local jobby for the north east. I was given a 486 to work on in the days when PIIIs were on their way out.