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September 26, 2005
Designer's Dilemma
I often get caught in between doing what a client has asked and designing what I think will look good. I hate making changes to a project when its against every grain in my creative being. I don't think that I have the perfect eye for all things creative and visual but I know when a color is way off or a header or title is too big. It just seems like such a loss. I've learned over the years not to become attached to things that I design because it can be changed in an instant. Whats worse than that senario is when a client already has an idea of what they want something to look like. Actually this can work for or against you depending upon how passionate they are about their idea. It can make the job easier since you don't have to do much creative brainstorming (they already have a direction) or it can be harder because you can't seem to match what they have pictured in their head.
I guess I could just have the attitude that I have the skills to get the job done and I should do exactly as they want- whether its good or bad design. It seems like a waste of a Fine Arts degree to approach things that way.
Making the best of each different project specs and trying to please the client is probably all I can do . . . after all, I'm still getting paid for it even if I hate it and they love it!
| By JennR | 10:13 PM
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Comments
I totally sympathize; I've always found the hardest part to be translating what the client says he wants into what he really wants, and then convincing him that what I designed is what he really wanted. A lot of times this is immediately obvious to the client, but sometimes it's not!
It is difficult to let go of your work and to know that it could have been a better design if it weren't for the specific demands of the customer. I'm always struggling to simplify my designs because clients tend to want to throw everything in the mix.
I've basically just made an uncertain peace with that compromise. You have to do something for yourself, too, though- that's where you use the fine arts degree- in your own art. Cheers, you're not the only one frustrated by these things!
Posted by: mark at September 27, 2005 5:44 PM