i have to admit that i got a little frustrated with some “day job” clients yesterday. it’s hard to keep both parties happy when one side refuses to acknowledge or does not understand that design, like any other craft, is a process that takes time.
this client came to our little shop asking for signage to be designed, printed and installed in 2 business days. not only was he expecting a quick turnaround, but he had nothing to bring to the table. no measurements had been done, no logo had been created (which we were expected to develop in that time frame), he wanted “a deal”, and we were to tell him on the spot what the cost would be. after explaining our process and that we needed more time and information to complete the job, he then came in this morning with a coloured doodle that his daughter had done and wanted us to “make it pretty”, and proceeded to ask the same list of questions the day before. this happened a third time, in the afternoon, this time with the artist of the doodle in tow.
you may think that this is just selective complaining, however, one would not believe how many times this story has happened in my years of designing. i cannot fault someone for asking questions to learn what the process is, yet i can raise an eyebrow, or sometimes two, when all procedures are ignored and i must go through the same explanation time and time again because they were ignored.
so, future clients of any designer, i urge you to consider that, like building a safe and sound house, good design takes time and good communication on both sides.
i’ll leave you with these wise words that a friend once told me. apply it to life how you will.
there is a list of three:
fast, perfect and cheap
pick two.
if you choose cheap and perfect, it will not be fast.
if you choose fast and cheap, it will not be perfect.
if you pick perfect and fast, it will not be cheap.
cheers,
-ani