3 Types of Clients You'll Meet While Freelancing Graphic Design

It's been fun, and therapeutic, making more posts about my graphic design day job, and while working on a few projects for clients, this list popped into my head. This is by no means the ONLY types of clients you'll run into, but these are three I get a LOT and how I handle them.

The "And Then"

They want it all, and they want it NOW. 

This client knows what they want. You meet up for a consultation, get the information you need to make their invite, poster, ad, whatever the product may be, you deliver a proof, and they get back to you with changes, but really, it's more additions. Then they keep on adding...and adding. You warn them that things are getting too busy, their clients/recipients will be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of (useless) information on this product, but every single word must stay as-is.

Before you know it, your carefully constructed design that was clear cut and to the point is now a jumbled sea of text. It's overwhelming, but it's what the client wants even if their recipients won't know what hit them. 

Ever see the movie, "Dude, Where's My Car?" If you haven't, then there's a scene where they try to order food from a drive through and the person on the speaker box keeps the order going and adding to it by asking "and then?" Until the person placing the order snaps. That's going to be you. 

My best advice on how to deal with the And Then is to show them very simple examples alongside their own hectic and jumbled one. Explain how the simplicity makes the necessary information (when, where and what) POP and allows their audience to know what they need to know without searching for it, because most people really won't search for it. Especially if this is an advertisement.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Clients want what they want, and in the end you'll create what they've asked for and approved, but actual physical comparisons and visuals tend to help the most. Verbal warnings and emails will definitely be ignored. 

Day 160: Design Break

Today is another design instead of doodle day. I’m printing business cards for Sometimes Foodie, so I made a few mock-ups. So far I’m really digging these ones. They still need a bit of tweaking here and there, but I think I’ll do two sets of 500 cards with some spot UV on the front.

I’m going to print out proof versions at work tomorrow to see what I’d like to change before moving forward. I also plan on making some postcards or something featuring more of the Asian food items I’ve reviewed to pass out at Otakon 2015. Gotta get the foodie word out about my blogs!
 

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Sorry, I thought you were cheese...

Working on some more button designs for Otakon, of course I have to have my favorite witch of sweets represented! To be honest this is my favorite form of Charlotte. The design reminds me of Sid and Marty Krofft.

Trust Your Partner.

I don't know about the cropping for this one. I kind of wanted all their heads to be cropped the same way to keep the sizing consistent for the series of buttons, but I feel like I want to see more of his outfit.

I might have to tinker with the cropping more, but this is currently available in my etsy shop.

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