Often times, pleasing the client and still having a  product that we like as a designer, is a unsurmountable task. It seems impossible. You supply the original concepts, then they want to mix and match. As a designer, you are trained to know what you don’t want to put together, but they don’t have the training or expertise that you do.

This puts you between a rock and a hard place. Or does it? The way I look at it, regardless of my "emotional" response at the time, the client is "always right’. Yep. Even when they’re wrong.

However, what I do is make sure I have a solid contract so that they understand that excessive changes or unending projects don’t happen without a price!

On the emotional level, I keep it before me, that if the client is paying for the project, then they are my art director. I follow their instruction and give my opinions when requested.

My advice to you? Don’t allow it to become personal. A client’s change is not a reflection on your work, your design or you as a human being. If you are asked to do something against your better "design judgement", smile as you accept payment from the pleased customer and just don’t include their piece in your portfolio!

Keep up the good work!

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Let’s face it. As a creative professional sometimes it’s hard to stay. . . . well, creative! After a day of dealing with problems, pressures and production deadlines, it’s easy to lose the true focus of why we do what we do.

So why do we do it?

1. Obviously for the money. (Ever heard of a starving artist?)
2. Because ALL of our clients are sweet and easy to work with.
3. World peace? (Hey, that’s what the beauty pageant girls say!)
4. Everyone ALWAYS loves our work.
5. Our computers never let us down.
6. The industry is easy to get firmly established in.
7. People really want to hear our opinions on choosing the best typeface for a bathroom sign.
8. Designers everywhere are respected and admired.
9. We never get the eye-rolling "they’re an artist" comments.
10. We REALLY do love our jobs!

Seriously, would we really put up with all the things we go through to keep our creative juices flowing and keep putting ourselves on the line with every piece we create?

But that’s exactly what we do. Because we know, somewhere deep down inside, that we were meant to be designing. We are called to this. This is who we are and what we do.

Keep up the good work!

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