Web Design Forums

checkomate · 26-08-2005, 12:29

Hello,

I have a client who has provided me with a mockup design they would like me to integrate with a shopping cart.

Now, I'm all for the money, so I'm not going to turn them away, but their design is shit. It's been made in Word or something of equal crapulence. So it will be more of a nightmare picking the code apart, re-making parts then integrating, rather than me creating a nice clean and simple XHTML/CSS template.

Without putting them off, is there a nice of saying "Your design is shit, I'd like to remake it for you so it's half decent". I also don't want them to think I'm suggesting this to try and make more money (they are that sort of client), as I would nearly do it for free.

They also want to use Comic Sans for the main font.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

gray · 26-08-2005, 12:33

haha losing battle, just do it and move on

Guevara · 26-08-2005, 12:38

Quote:

They also want to use Comic Sans for the main font

Shoot them please

And what gray said

checkomate · 26-08-2005, 12:38

Pants. Take the money and run then.

I was thinking the same, I'll just not include it in my portfolio.

Stickman · 26-08-2005, 12:43

I wouldn't do it. Take the money and run might work sometimes, but not when the client has designed their own site in word. What the hell is that about?

If you do it, be sure to post a link.

Stickman · 26-08-2005, 12:52

A bit more constructive if you decide to tell the truth:

Say the design is 'not as professional as it could be' - could do a mockup to tempt them or try reminding them that it represents their business. Show them designs their competitors have got (the nice ones).

Say the code is shit if it is. Tell them word is a word processor and not suited to professional level web design. Tell them (a tiny bit) about web standards - the benefits that is, usual stuff.

Say its quicker (and cheaper?) for you to rebuild it than to integrate and it'll save money in the future. If they're worried about money, give them a quote so they know what they're agreeing to. And tell them clean code will help their search ranking, which it should. They'll probably love that.

finbarr · 26-08-2005, 12:53

just tell them that in your opinion it needs to be a lot more professional if the site is to stand any chance of competing in todays online community.
I recently had a company who had their logo redone as I was designing their site - because they wanted it to look more professional. So one of the guys in their office knocked one up in word with some god-awful bevel effect on it. When I got it I rung them and told them plainly that it wasnt professional at all and that I'd do a few different ones for them and they could choose.
They were quite grateful that I had been honest with them

illvibe · 26-08-2005, 21:29

Yeah I agree...Don't sell your soul. My philosophy is I try to make every new piece of work the new best piece in my portfolio. Otherwise, what's the point? (other than money, but hey, what's money..)

Narate · 26-08-2005, 21:52

Tell them they aren'y going to sell anything with their current design.

"Good design is good business" ...n' all that

finbarr · 27-08-2005, 05:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by illvibe

Yeah I agree...Don't sell your soul. My philosophy is I try to make every new piece of work the new best piece in my portfolio. Otherwise, what's the point? (other than money, but hey, what's money..)

well said my good man... couldnt have put it better myself

Whoa deja-vu?

martin ewing · 18-09-2005, 07:09

As professionalism you should deliver your best service and support which is his primary requirement at this moment. Once you're able to deliver and render your service well meeting to customers need and build a relationship with that customer you would be able to suggest him pointing to the design part to make it change in a very decent manner.

PLaTinUM · 18-09-2005, 10:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Narate

Tell them they aren'y going to sell anything with their current design.

"Good design is good business" ...n' all that

Narate has the solution..

If the mockup is so bad, then sell them your ideas (make more money) tell/show them there is a better way around this, show them what you can do and how it will benefit them.

I would spend an hour on a mock-up and use it for another direction, your direction.

Be smart, dont get nusty with them, they dont know, they have no idea...

good luck

pgo · 18-09-2005, 23:47

Quote:

Be smart, dont get nusty with them, they dont know, they have no idea...

While I basically agree with you and Narate, you don't want to come off as a know-it-all or arrogant. Don't treat them like they don't know anything - because they're the ones with the money and the ultimate power.

If you can't convince them to improve the design, then either live with it and do it anyway for the cash (and leave it out of your folio) or tell them you don't feel you can work on this project in its current state - explain that it'd be more work to make their design fit than to do it yourself.

If you're hurting for money, I'd just go ahead and do it. Would you rather have a warm meal tomorrow or self-satisfaction of your own integrity? Personally, I'd rather have food on the table even if I had to build a piece of shit to get it.

If you can live without the job and you can't convince them, then drop it.

seen.to · 19-09-2005, 00:29

As said above, If you need the money then just do the work and don't let anyone know it was you. I know I've done it before when things were tight and nobody will ever know it was me that did it.

If you aren't desperate for the money then tell them their concept is shit and if they want to hire you as a designer then they will have to trust your judgement - after all that is what they are hiring a designer for.

How I told a client their idea was shit

pgo · 19-09-2005, 00:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by seen.to

How I told a client their idea was shit

Haha.

PLaTinUM · 19-09-2005, 02:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by seen.to

How I told a client their idea was shit

haha, love it! that is so true though...

Rakan · 22-09-2005, 14:44

I faced a similar situation last summer... this woman wanted me to design a web-based directory for bridal resources and she INSISTED (and i mean INSISTED) on this nasty cream and pink combination. I designed a nice, clean white-based mockup but she really wanted these disgusting shades of pink and cream. So, after nicely trying to "suggest" to go with the white design and failing miserably in convincing her, I just did it the way she wanted. I must admit though, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't need the money so bad, but hey... you gotta pay the bills, right?

My 2-cents is this... if you need the money, try telling your client that as a professional, you feel that there design could be "added" to... offer to do a mock up of what you think is better, and go from there...if you fail miserably in changing their mind, just do it, and as others said, you don't have to include it in your portfolio...

If you don't need the money... go with what I said above, but if you can't convince them... just tell them to find a high-school kid to help them out or something

lol

Good luck!

26-08-2005, 12:29	#1 (permalink)
checkomate Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5	How to tell your client their shit Hello, I have a client who has provided me with a mockup design they would like me to integrate with a shopping cart. Now, I'm all for the money, so I'm not going to turn them away, but their design is shit. It's been made in Word or something of equal crapulence. So it will be more of a nightmare picking the code apart, re-making parts then integrating, rather than me creating a nice clean and simple XHTML/CSS template. Without putting them off, is there a nice of saying "Your design is shit, I'd like to remake it for you so it's half decent". I also don't want them to think I'm suggesting this to try and make more money (they are that sort of client), as I would nearly do it for free. They also want to use Comic Sans for the main font. Any ideas? Thanks! Last edited by checkomate : 26-08-2005 at 12:32. Reason: I can't spell

19-09-2005, 00:29	#14 (permalink)
seen.to unusual suspect ™ Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: DE, USA Posts: 3,116	As said above, If you need the money then just do the work and don't let anyone know it was you. I know I've done it before when things were tight and nobody will ever know it was me that did it. If you aren't desperate for the money then tell them their concept is shit and if they want to hire you as a designer then they will have to trust your judgement - after all that is what they are hiring a designer for. How I told a client their idea was shit __________________ [[proverbs and quotes]] [[blog]] [[work]] [[photowebby - some photo's by me]]

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26-08-2005, 12:33	#2 (permalink)
gray i still want paying Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: newcastle, uk Posts: 4,836	haha losing battle, just do it and move on

26-08-2005, 12:38	#4 (permalink)
checkomate Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5	Pants. Take the money and run then. I was thinking the same, I'll just not include it in my portfolio.

26-08-2005, 12:43	#5 (permalink)
Stickman Dr. Lucien Sanchez Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: UK Posts: 5,572	I wouldn't do it. Take the money and run might work sometimes, but not when the client has designed their own site in word. What the hell is that about? If you do it, be sure to post a link.

26-08-2005, 12:52	#6 (permalink)
Stickman Dr. Lucien Sanchez Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: UK Posts: 5,572	A bit more constructive if you decide to tell the truth: Say the design is 'not as professional as it could be' - could do a mockup to tempt them or try reminding them that it represents their business. Show them designs their competitors have got (the nice ones). Say the code is shit if it is. Tell them word is a word processor and not suited to professional level web design. Tell them (a tiny bit) about web standards - the benefits that is, usual stuff. Say its quicker (and cheaper?) for you to rebuild it than to integrate and it'll save money in the future. If they're worried about money, give them a quote so they know what they're agreeing to. And tell them clean code will help their search ranking, which it should. They'll probably love that.

26-08-2005, 12:53	#7 (permalink)
finbarr who the fuck am i? Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: london Posts: 2,670	just tell them that in your opinion it needs to be a lot more professional if the site is to stand any chance of competing in todays online community. I recently had a company who had their logo redone as I was designing their site - because they wanted it to look more professional. So one of the guys in their office knocked one up in word with some god-awful bevel effect on it. When I got it I rung them and told them plainly that it wasnt professional at all and that I'd do a few different ones for them and they could choose. They were quite grateful that I had been honest with them

26-08-2005, 21:29	#8 (permalink)
illvibe say werd. Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Japan Posts: 1,296	Yeah I agree...Don't sell your soul. My philosophy is I try to make every new piece of work the new best piece in my portfolio. Otherwise, what's the point? (other than money, but hey, what's money..)

26-08-2005, 21:52	#9 (permalink)
Narate Royalty™ Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Manchester (UK) Posts: 3,273	Tell them they aren'y going to sell anything with their current design. "Good design is good business" ...n' all that

18-09-2005, 07:09	#11 (permalink)
martin ewing Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 32	As professionalism you should deliver your best service and support which is his primary requirement at this moment. Once you're able to deliver and render your service well meeting to customers need and build a relationship with that customer you would be able to suggest him pointing to the design part to make it change in a very decent manner.

22-09-2005, 14:44	#17 (permalink)
Rakan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 567	I faced a similar situation last summer... this woman wanted me to design a web-based directory for bridal resources and she INSISTED (and i mean INSISTED) on this nasty cream and pink combination. I designed a nice, clean white-based mockup but she really wanted these disgusting shades of pink and cream. So, after nicely trying to "suggest" to go with the white design and failing miserably in convincing her, I just did it the way she wanted. I must admit though, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't need the money so bad, but hey... you gotta pay the bills, right? My 2-cents is this... if you need the money, try telling your client that as a professional, you feel that there design could be "added" to... offer to do a mock up of what you think is better, and go from there...if you fail miserably in changing their mind, just do it, and as others said, you don't have to include it in your portfolio... If you don't need the money... go with what I said above, but if you can't convince them... just tell them to find a high-school kid to help them out or something lol Good luck!

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