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11 Differences Between Designers And Clients Show Why They Will Never Understand Each Other
Designers and clients see everything so differently that a conflict is only a question of time . To illustrate this, 'Trust Me, I'm A "Designer"' made a witty animation that lists the things that cause the biggest disagreements.
From typefaces, to software - professionals and their clients cannot be any more different. It hits the very core of the problematic relationship between the two groups and shows why designers and clients will never be friends.
More info: Facebook (h/t: designtaxi)
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Hans 9 years ago
I do not see a contradiction here. A client normally uses Word, a program to write text and to give it _some_formatings. It is clear that professionalls for other jobs than writing a text will use other programs...be it Photoshop for editing graphics, Eclise for programming Java, or a CAD programm to specify a house.
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sunnyrei82 9 years ago
One of the things I hate the most!! If they see an "empty" space, THEY MUST fill it up. They are paying for the whole space, so use it, dammit!!! *sigh*
Owiella Freddie 8 years ago
I usually solve this by telling them that negative space is an element too!
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DE Ray 9 years ago
This one partly depends on where the product is appearing, also. I worked in newspapers, and we got a lot of ads that would have worked great in magazines where they use glossy paper rather than pulp and an ad usually takes up an entire page. Sometimes leaving all that whitespace just made the ad look tacky and unfinished against the rest of the page of news.
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Mary-Frances Burt 9 years ago
I take issue with this one. Function is high in the list of priorities for a designer. If the objective is sales, the decisions we make must support that.
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What do you think ?
Justin time 9 years ago
As a graphic designer these pictures speak to me on a deep level! But they forgot one! Designer: here is your finished product! client: that's great i love it but I'm wondering if you could change a few things...
Dita fon teese 9 years ago
^changes 100000 things client: great but i think i liked the old one better
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Chris Macdonald 9 years ago
I have no idea what you are talking about. You're drunk, Boredpanda. (this whole post needs more Comic Sans)
Sergio Bicerra 9 years ago
And maybe change the logo, I'm not sure about the bear. That's a panda bear? Really? Can you photophop it into a bunny, asap? Thanks.
Load More Replies...
Jeff__Coon 9 years ago
Right, because what does the panda really say to our customers? That we'd rather be eating bamboo and napping?
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Hans 9 years ago
I think for many of these it is a matter of how customer relationships are handled, and whether customers are stupid, as to a potential source of disagreement or even conflict. While some of the points here truly seem to be design issues (such as the font, or the saturation of colour), many are not. There surely is disagreement about the design aspects where the designer profesionally knows better even though things seem obvious or easy to the customer. Quite a number of entries here, however, reflect normal principal-agent issues, and also a designer _will_ need to listen to his or her customers. If he does not like to, he might still be a great artist, but not good in business terms. The "Goals" picture actually summarises this already...
Alina Astalus 8 years ago
I once told a client that the rework he wanted after he agree with everything I had already done were going to cost him extra and he basically flipped his lid and accused me of wanting to swindle him. Dude, all I want is to afford food...
Herb Paynter 9 years ago
Love it, but might suggest adding another player: the production department. The never-ending fight between the dreamers and the mechanics (ideas vs practical real-world physics) occurs before the client gets to veto anything.
.gas. 9 years ago
Just remember, no matter how frustrating, you're (likely) getting paid for your work. Give the customer what they ask for. I have done two versions in the past: one that is done to industry standard, and one that is exactly what the client says. Usually, they go with my creation, and we avoid the whole "argument" dance.
James Knake 8 years ago
Forgot another..... Can you design this brochure in publisher so I can make edits to it later?
Zaack PlayS2 8 years ago
heres a tip, put the last part in a new page to increase ad revenue. retards
Derek Hellam 9 years ago
Give the customer what they want. I love customers who want changes, more changes=more chargeable time for me. So very few customers really know what they want.
gavin bailey 9 years ago
Its always "Can you make the logo the a bit bigger..... say 5 times the size it needs to be" logoTooLar...d1-png.jpg 
Susanna Vesna 9 years ago
Poor designers. I work on the side of the "Client", but i do have some basic Photoshop knowledge and am into creativity, so I genuinely feel for the Designer community, because I understand how difficult it is. My manager has ZERO creativity, but has DEMANDS, and it always pains be to be in the meetings with him and our creative agencies and listen to his explanations of what he wants. One day I will knock him out and take over the meeting!
d bradley 9 years ago
designers sound like big cry babies. design yourself another job. design some money to pay your bills. design what your customer wants instead of what your art critics will gush over. become an artist instead of a designer because you might be happier as a starving artist than an actual paid employee.
Doug Stringham 9 years ago
How about the one where a client wants you to do it for free or on the cheap. And "how great it will be for your portfolio."
Pedro Willian 9 years ago
I understand the frustration some designers face, but in the end, i'm sorry, THE CLIENT is the one to be pleased. That's why he's THE CLIENT. So it may be boring, it may be frustrating, it may be irritating, but it is what it is. If the client wants some ugly thing with no originality, that's his problem, cause he's THE CLIENT.
Heinz Bert 9 years ago
It's not the client, it's his audience... And if he is losing money because of his bad decisions you loose the project or job. Think about before writing that ;)
Load More Replies... Justin time 9 years ago
As a graphic designer these pictures speak to me on a deep level! But they forgot one! Designer: here is your finished product! client: that's great i love it but I'm wondering if you could change a few things...
Dita fon teese 9 years ago
^changes 100000 things client: great but i think i liked the old one better
Load More Replies... Chris Macdonald 9 years ago
I have no idea what you are talking about. You're drunk, Boredpanda. (this whole post needs more Comic Sans)
Sergio Bicerra 9 years ago
And maybe change the logo, I'm not sure about the bear. That's a panda bear? Really? Can you photophop it into a bunny, asap? Thanks.
Load More Replies... Jeff__Coon 9 years ago
Right, because what does the panda really say to our customers? That we'd rather be eating bamboo and napping?
Load More Replies... Hans 9 years ago
I think for many of these it is a matter of how customer relationships are handled, and whether customers are stupid, as to a potential source of disagreement or even conflict. While some of the points here truly seem to be design issues (such as the font, or the saturation of colour), many are not. There surely is disagreement about the design aspects where the designer profesionally knows better even though things seem obvious or easy to the customer. Quite a number of entries here, however, reflect normal principal-agent issues, and also a designer _will_ need to listen to his or her customers. If he does not like to, he might still be a great artist, but not good in business terms. The "Goals" picture actually summarises this already...
Alina Astalus 8 years ago
I once told a client that the rework he wanted after he agree with everything I had already done were going to cost him extra and he basically flipped his lid and accused me of wanting to swindle him. Dude, all I want is to afford food...
Herb Paynter 9 years ago
Love it, but might suggest adding another player: the production department. The never-ending fight between the dreamers and the mechanics (ideas vs practical real-world physics) occurs before the client gets to veto anything.
.gas. 9 years ago
Just remember, no matter how frustrating, you're (likely) getting paid for your work. Give the customer what they ask for. I have done two versions in the past: one that is done to industry standard, and one that is exactly what the client says. Usually, they go with my creation, and we avoid the whole "argument" dance.
James Knake 8 years ago
Forgot another..... Can you design this brochure in publisher so I can make edits to it later?
Zaack PlayS2 8 years ago
heres a tip, put the last part in a new page to increase ad revenue. retards
Derek Hellam 9 years ago
Give the customer what they want. I love customers who want changes, more changes=more chargeable time for me. So very few customers really know what they want.
gavin bailey 9 years ago
Its always "Can you make the logo the a bit bigger..... say 5 times the size it needs to be" logoTooLar...d1-png.jpg
Susanna Vesna 9 years ago
Poor designers. I work on the side of the "Client", but i do have some basic Photoshop knowledge and am into creativity, so I genuinely feel for the Designer community, because I understand how difficult it is. My manager has ZERO creativity, but has DEMANDS, and it always pains be to be in the meetings with him and our creative agencies and listen to his explanations of what he wants. One day I will knock him out and take over the meeting!
d bradley 9 years ago
designers sound like big cry babies. design yourself another job. design some money to pay your bills. design what your customer wants instead of what your art critics will gush over. become an artist instead of a designer because you might be happier as a starving artist than an actual paid employee.
Doug Stringham 9 years ago
How about the one where a client wants you to do it for free or on the cheap. And "how great it will be for your portfolio."
Pedro Willian 9 years ago
I understand the frustration some designers face, but in the end, i'm sorry, THE CLIENT is the one to be pleased. That's why he's THE CLIENT. So it may be boring, it may be frustrating, it may be irritating, but it is what it is. If the client wants some ugly thing with no originality, that's his problem, cause he's THE CLIENT.
Heinz Bert 9 years ago
It's not the client, it's his audience... And if he is losing money because of his bad decisions you loose the project or job. Think about before writing that ;)
Load More Replies...
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