[Alexanda]

Can you not just tell your clients that they got no taste.

[pgo]

Look at it from the other direction. If I hired someone to design something for me, and they told me I had no taste, I'd fire them right then and there. I don't take well to disrespect and insults. One man's shit is another man's gold.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you're a designer and you don't like taking direction from clients and working for someone - then you're in the wrong field.

[dorian]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you're a designer and you don't like taking direction from clients and working for someone - then you're in the wrong field.

it's not that simple.
big subject and I'm too lazy (read "busy", really) to argue
but someone else might...

[pgo]

Perhaps not, it was a bit of an exaggeration, but there's no reason to tell your client they have no taste and to let the person with taste decide. It's elitist and insulting.

[Alexanda]

If the idea is solid behind the choice of typeface, who am I to say otherwise.
If its someones choice then tell em its shit afterall your the professional not the client I wouldn't tell my plumber how to fix my boiler.

[Guevara]

Aha, but is it not also insulting for a person with no taste to hire someone with taste and then tell them what they can or can't do? Or is that just stupid 'cos then why not just do it yourself without hiring anyone?

As dorian said, it's not that simple and it's a big subject...

[pgo]

On top of that, who's to say you or I have better taste than Joe Client? It's all subjective, anyway.

[cam]

you're getting hung up on the concept of taste - there's more to choosing a typeface than just that

if you clearly communicate your reasons for wanting to change from their suggestion and they still don't see it your way, then what the fuck, at the end of the day it's them that's paying for it. mostly though the client will see you're just trying to give your professional opinion and agree with you

[pgo]

Originally Posted by cam

if you clearly communicate your reasons for wanting to change from their suggestion and they still don't see it your way, then what the fuck, at the end of the day it's them that's paying for it. mostly though the client will see you're just trying to give your professional opinion and agree with you

Exactly.

Like I said, telling someone they have no taste is insulting and elitist, but giving your professional opinion and persuading them is fine. And, yes, if you have to compromise, then you're still getting paid.

[idh]

Personal aesthetic taste is subjective.
Any font regardless of its merits can be used badly in certain circumstances, and conversly poorly designed ones used exceptionally well -- thats where the skill comes in.

Most clients can be pursuaded with skill, tact and reasoned argument to see your point of view if you really want to argue the case with them.

What I find more depressing is that 75% of the identification postings are for fonts in common usage
-- can,t people use the online resources more and learn the names of common fonts? Learn a font a day!

[cocknose]

it all depends if you are good enough and charge enough to say they have no taste...

[Larixk]

The problem with most clients is they only hire designers for the technical skills. Every client is born into the world thinking they have a (right) sense of estetics, style and usability. They only need a designer because they can't work photoshop themselves.
If a designer steps up to a client and tells him he doesn't know style there's an infinite line of designers waiting to eat the stinky stuff the client shits out.

[cocknose]

thats why you need the portfolio and attitude to back it up... if you get hired for your work!!!... you need to make them see that is what they are paying you money for, and all these so called designers charging 100 quid for a logo will get these clients but if you are charging a grand and a half for the branding that normally means they trust you skills and reputation to know whats right.. and even if they do give you some stupid suggestions they respect you more when you say "that typeface doesn't really work with our concept"

[Larixk]

yeah you're right. You can't correct a shitty style without the proper level of skill, experience and thus expensiveness.
Given this fact, low budget designers and low budget clients will still have the shitty looks without the level of authority against them to be corrected.

So actually charging a large amount actually increases the freedom you get from clients: He's expensive, so he must be right...

Never thought of it this way, I'm going to increase my rates.

[John Good]

Originally Posted by cantona

Can you not just tell your clients that they got no taste.

A designer should NEVER say something like that to a client, as he would fire you.
What I do is tell the client to find someone else for the job. It's much better to quit.

[steveb]

I always try to "educate" the client and explain my reasoning/blind him with typographic science - show a couple of suitable examples, but in the end, it's his money and he'll get what he wants.
I think few designers are wealthy enough to turn down work because they can't stand to work with shitty typefaces!

[kbarrett]

The client can use Rage Italic for all I care.
As long as the check clears.