Bad Design
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- tymeframe
OK, I did this piece for a client, which he loved, and is ready to pay. On retrospect, i let my design get out of control and i really need to tighten it up.
So as a business decision i'm stuck. Should i:
1. Clean the design up and charge the client a little extra?
2. Clean it up and leave the price where it is, though the client may expect the same treatment in the future.
3. Give it to them as is and just do better next time. This would 86 the piece from my portfolio for sure.
4. Give up being a designer and go work in a factory.
- jox0
You want to "clean up" something that he loved?
That would be like moving into a new apartment that you love, and a few weeks later you get a call from the landlord saying "yeah, listen dude. The walls... I think they should be green instead. So I'm gonna repaint them tomorrow and charge you for it. Mmkay?"
I'm not trying to be a dick. I'm just saying that if he loves it, you shouldn't bother. Although you might wanna get his permission to change it for your portfolio... nameen?
- del_razor0
i've had this happen before.. and this is what i've taken as a course..
let them have it as is.. they've already approved and will pay you for your work..
then.. clean it up on your own.. for your own sake.. and make it what you want it to be..
use that version ... as your porfolio piece..
then.. in about .. say 2 months.. go back to the client.. and show them your "port" version.. tell them that you've made some improvements on the design on your own.. and you were wondering if they liked.. if so.. then tell them you'd be glad to implement the changes to their site for a nominal fee..
this way.. you get the portfolio piece right away.. and you also get paid for cleaning it up later on.. "consider it an ongoing service to better the design community" is what i told my client.. they bought it ;)
- SlashPeckham0
jox i agree but if you do have reservations its your job to point them out -
be professional this is what having a good reputation is, your client will respect you for that
- jox0
Well, you shouldn't ask to redo something that's already okayed. The most un-professional move to make would be to charge for the changes.
- MR_T0
3
- del_razor0
all i was suggesting was to offer the changes you made.. as an upgrade to what they bought previously.. it's not unprofessional.. as you did the stuff on your own time..
i think the main thing he's worried about here.. is the fact that he can't use it in his portfolio in it's current condition.. he doesn't want it representing himself..
i can understand this.. which is why i suggested.. just do the changes on your own (it is your design/production) even if you got paid for it.. if you change it and post it on your site.. and he see's the changes you made to it.. he can't rightly do anything about it anyway.. it's your work.. not his..
i agree though.. be professional about everything.. just let him know that you made some changes for your own aesthetic liking.. and wondered if he liked it as well..if he does.. then don't step on toes.. i don't think he'd expect that every time on different projects.. so hand it over for free..
we as designers.. get greedy sometimes.. and figure "well i did something.. i should get paid" sometimes it's about customer satisfaction and just knowing you did your best on a job.. i've done plenty of pro-bono stuff.. just to know that something out there is better than it might have been.. and to help out someone with no knowledge of the field..
it's ultimately up to you though.. and you'll be the one who has to live with your decisions.. not the rest of us..
- jox0
"we as designers.. get greedy sometimes.. and figure "well i did something.. i should get paid" sometimes it's about customer satisfaction and just knowing you did your best on a job"
Couldn't agree more!
- tymeframe0
thanks guys. i suck for not controlling my design. Live and learn.
I'll give the client what he approved, make my changes and offer it to him. It's not that much more work anyway. Visually, it'll be a big difference.
BTW...
I'll post the design when i'm happy with it. There's no way you guys are seeing it right now.....sorry :)
- stewart0
come on, show it.