Scenario: Client comes to me and asks for a design, in this case, a leaflet. They provide me with their outdated very 1990’s looking design (with table borders) and tell me what they want to change, their vision for the future and their target audience. I, being a marketing specialist and a graphic designer, design something that fits their needs and is up to date, while maintaining the integrity of their brand. The client comes back with their primary changes (always expected) and tells me they want to change the look “just a little bit”. Then the client decides they would like to change it even more. And then more. And then some more. And guess what? We’re back to the original look, just slightly nipped and tucked.
This is a situation that those in my role encounter on a daily basis. The client has reached out to us because they want our expertise, however in the end you produce a product that was essentially the work of the client. This places us in an uncomfortable situation, as we feel bad charging (granted, they probably couldn’t have created it without a graphic artist and we did put in the hours), but in the end, we don’t like the finished product. Given that it’s not our style, it’s not something we would feel proud to place in our portfolio – even though we are proud to have helped the client.
So how do you tell the client you don’t’ like their design?
You don’t. The client is the reason you’re in business and if the client is happy – you’re happy. Even if you hate the design, you just need to let it go.