Calling all designers!!! We KNOW you’re heard some of these…. When we thought about this, it was difficult to narrow it down to 5, there are too many clichés!
Deep breath – enjoy these knowing you’re not alone *facepalm*…
1 “Can you make the logo bigger?”
Yep – we’ve all heard it. Time and time again. There may be times when this one is acceptable, but in general we know the foundations of design – like proportion and scale. Classic one to get the designer hackles up.
2 “I want it just like this [points to competitors’ work]”
Simply put – no. We value the years of training and skill that goes into what we do – ripping others off is not on our agenda. We want to create something unique for you, something that will tell people who you are and what makes you different and fabulous. Why copy when you can aim for better?
3 “Can you jazz it up / make it sexy / do something funky / edgy”
These words mean nothing to us. They sound “cool”, a few adjectives to help the creatives along – but they are actually woolly, subjective words that should not appear in a brief or in feedback, they are empty. We have no idea what to do with them. We’d much rather you be straight and to the point if there’s something you want, don’t like and want to change. Ultimately it’s more efficient and cost effective for you to do so. No hurt feelings.
4 “It’ll be great for your portfolio”
I hear – “Can you do it for free? I don’t value you, your ideas, skills or time.” This is very common, especially when you’re starting out. It would be interesting to see how other businesses would fair if they were treated the same. Designers offer a service, services cost money. We shouldn’t feel we need to apologise for that.
5 “I know what I want, it should be easy / I just need X”
No it won’t, and ‘just’ is a dangerous word if you don’t understand what it takes to delivery ‘X’. Having an idea is great, having a vision is great – but designers and creatives are there to help deliver something that will work. You’re hiring us for our knowledge and experience, so allow space for this to happen. We’ll be happier and in doing so, will produce greater work, which means you’ll be happier. Try and appreciate that ‘just’ needing something can take us days or weeks to perfect, don’t belittle it.
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If you’ve said any of these to a designer, time to stop.
This is shared in the spirit of being a great client. That’s just as important as being a great designer. Heed this advice in order to better your relationships with your creatives, designers and strategist – we are waiting to do great work for you!
Got a funny story to share? Email us on hello@box-creative.co.uk