How Clients Like to Mess Up Your Design

I made a design for a friend, spent about an hour on it, and was really pleased. It looked like this:


Of course he wasn't happy...I mean, why do you bother getting a designer if you're gonna want to change his design.

This is what happened to it after some modifications (that the client asked


He wanted it black, red, and white

//rant


anyone have any similar stories?



EDIT: one more thing...would it be wrong for me to sell the first version? I designed it for free after all..

 

I would sell them both, and throw a link on the bottom of the free copy.

I have a rule, I can do it cheap or I can do it fast.

 

I wouldn't sell the first one if your friend thought (or you told him) that he was getting some sort of unique design.

Your design looks very simple, which is a good thing; looks like a nice, clean site. But that also means it's not terribly special, so I wouldn't think your friend would really object to you selling the first.

What's the code for posting thumbnails here?? That's something I'd like to learn!

Yeah, I'm sure everyone does. Here, I've made these two designs (I've posted links because they're big and I dunno thumbnail html):
http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d136/schroedingerscat/?action=view&current=jeanssitetemplate.png
This is a jean-selling site (not online yet). They asked me to make a site and I did. I thought it was okay, not great. A few other people really liked it though, so my confidence went up. Back then I didn't know what the word "HTML" meant-- I was just supposed to draw the pretty on GIMP. So when the HTML dude started coding it, the boss looked at the design and said, "Whitespace is the new black! I want it all white!" so they went online and got some opensource templates (which don't look bad or anything) and replaced my design (while keeping my pictures I made because they thought the pocket logo did look cool) with a big white page.
Why use a template if they asked for a design? Because they're the boss. They get to use what they want (plus, people usually don't know what they want exactly until they've seen something-- then they can say, well I like this and this but not that...)

Here's another one:
http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d136/schroedingerscat/?action=view&current=guisvoorbeeld.png

(Note, both of these have fotos in the center which aren't mine-- they are merely place-holders for until I got the images we could use.)

This design simply never got fully implemented (www.gppo.guis.nl is the current, half-finished page). There is a sort-of half-design, where the top header was used, but the menu is buggy and the rest of the pages are just white with Times New Roman text. Ugly. But now, see, I'm learning HTML and CSS, so I may be able to build the last onemyself and get it nice and valid too!

 

I don't know why your friend wanted the edits done as the first one looked pretty good. The second one likes horrible to be honest.

 

I work as a graphic designer here at my University, and it finally happened!

My VP put a request form in my box-- and when I called her to see what she had in mind she just said "It always seems to work better when I let you have the creative freedom, so just do what you think would work best."

From the perspective of a designer-- awesome.

 

That depends on the individual. I prefer to have a brief (with a direction) when I work... Thats how clients get the best out of me as a developer.

 

Why would he want to downgrade that nice looking template Just, why?! -.-'

 

It's not like the new design is horrible, it was just a color change and got rid of the search bar. Maybe your friend just doesn't like earth tones.

Also, I've found that designing for friends can be a bigger pain than designing for clients because you typically don't write up a contract for the friend and they generally think that they can abuse your generosity. Just have them buy you a couple of beers. You'll forget all about it

 

The annoying part is that he wanted the "Latest Scripts" part in a glossy red color, because the first one was "too pink".

 

I actually like v2, but the "latest tutorials" doesn't go very well with the rest of the layout. Can't understand why he wanted to change it thought cause v1 has much better colors imo.

 

At the end of the day, you do what your client wants. You SHOULD not care how ugly they make it you need to respect that.

 

Are you kidding? All you had to do was change the color scheme and your complaining?!

The typical design process goes like this:
a) Your client describes what he wants
b) You make it to the best of your abilities
c) There will be some changes that your client wants. You won't often get it perfect first time because your opinion of perfect is different to the client.
d) You make the changes requested by your client.
e) You collect your money and then he collects the files.

It's industry standard for the client to have the right to make changes to your work. But the main thing is that you need to discuss with the client before you start work and trust me... If you don't allow them to make changes ATLEAST ONCE to the work you do then they wont hire you. I know I wouldn't.

A color scheme change is hardly a hard thing to do. I cant beleive your complaining about it. Sell him the copy he likes and add the one you like to your portfolio.

 

I didn't sell it. I was doing him a favor and did it for free.

 

Some of us work from a brief. And clearly some of us don't.

 

I'd sell them both as well. If you really don't feel comfortable, the sell the first one since you friend didn't like it. The thing is, what I've learned, is that you can't fix people's bad taste. Take a look at this plastic caps website. The art department and I both railed against this design for the images of the products on the home page. But the sales dept won out and so we're left with a home page that is less than stellar because of it. Such is life. In the long run, it's not my site so if that's what they want, that's what they get.

 

You get paid for your projects (you should) and if your client requires you to change the color and you dislike it, I don't think you should be complaining. Who the hell cares about your opinion or my opinion with an employer, you're getting paid for what THEY want. Remember not what YOU want! And just because you hate red than blue that doesn't mean everyone else does, for all you know maybe i love the new one he suggested. I think you should re-think what you're complaining about.

AND you shouldn't re-sell the first design, free or not you made you friend a design and that means it's his no matter the price.

 

whatever the client wants is what the client gets. If it takes me longer cause they are unsure of what they want then I just charge more. Simple as.

 

It's not that I'm mad, it's just frustrating to have to change a design you like a lot because the client didn't like it. And it wasn't anything major, just colors, but it totally killed the design IMO.

 

TBH I think the red and black looks better.

Guess it's opinion.

 

I like the black and red one better, but I'm in a bauhaus phase. They're both nice though. Clean & fresh.

I've been doing design work for clients for nearly 8 years now, starting from freebies to charging several thousand dollars for a design. All I can say is get used to it.

You're right - it's VERY frustrating to change a design you like a lot because the client doesn't.

What is really frustrating is you will feel like you aren't even speaking the same language. As a designer you learn how to express yourself nonverbally but also talk about your designs in technical terms. Your clients probably will not be good at that.

I think the reason some of the other posters here are giving you a bit of a hard time is that you will be asked to do MUCH more obnoxious redesigns than color changes... for no good reason.

I think what helps a lot is to try to keep yourself impartial about the design. It's your baby, you're WANT to love it, but at the end of the day you are selling it to someone who just plain won't be as connected to it as you.

Try to nail down clients as early as possible on colors, styles, etc. It doesn't mean they won't still change their minds, but it helps.

And if you really feel they are making a mistake, fight for it! Give them solid reasons why your choices are better. If you keep the tone positive and focused on producing the best design FOR THEM, you aren't going to lose the client. You'll prove you are dedicated and a real pro.

Oh, and if you are presenting multiple designs for a choice, never never never never never present on you do not like. If you show 3 designs, 2 you like and 1 you aren't crazy about, I guarentee they pick the one you don't like!