Dealing with bad art direction.
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- baseline_shift
I work at a studio with 2 other people. The owner/principle/creative director (a 65 year old guy) and his son, who is my art director.
Now, I generally trust the opinion of the father, although he tends to steer me toward dated looks. (He still thinks that David Carson, layered type look is cutting edge.)
His son, however, I don't trust. He never had to climb ranks, or prove himself as a designer. In fact, the job he had before he became an art director at his fathers studio was to crank out clipping paths for a toy website. He has a 4 year associates degree from a crap school.
Now, I know a lot of design is subjective (which sucks with a father-son duo, as they tend to think the same, and side with each other) but a lot of times its simple functionality things. For example, the son keeps telling me to use en-dashes where i should be using em's.
Whenever I see potential issues, I try to phrase my concern in the form of a question. ie: "Do you think this type might get hard to read?" or "Have you checked out this typography article on proper hyphenation?" so as not to be insolent, or a cocky young designer.
Other than saving versions of designs for my folio that haven't been directed into the ground, and preparing my resume/folio to find a new gig, what else can be done?
Anyone have any sage advice? Anyone Dealt with this kinda thing before? Funny stories? Call me a cunt? Anyhow, would love to hear some thoughts.
- Mal0
- beat me to itjimbojones
- haha, thanks!baseline_shift
- there is a side effect if you choose this way. you will live with only men later, in a small space...akrokdesign
- some will call you bitch and hit on you. lol.akrokdesign
- i thought you were telling me to use it on myself. But thats another valid route. Then ill be asking you how to convince my cellmate to quit raping me.baseline_shift
- cellmate to quit the raping.
baseline_shift
- MrPierre0
Go to Vegas!
- jimbojones0
Do a layout YOU really like, put your heart into it. If they don't like it: you won't be happy there. Regardless if your or their stuff is better.
- tcmmct0
"preparing my resume/folio"
Do that and bide your time.
- dyspl0
*
"Now, I generally trust the opinion of the father, although he tends to steer me toward dated looks. (He still thinks that David Carson, layered type look is cutting edge.)"I'm sure that will be TEH THING in a few month. maybe i'm wrong, but I have this feeling....
- baseline_shift0
@ jimbo: Well its not so much better or worse. I'm just curious if there are any techniques people use to help persuade art directors to see the value/validity of your design.
- Scotch_Roman0
This is the sort of innocent post I wrote several months ago, which partially led to my demise. Don't publicize this sort of thing here (well, it's too late now, but for the future...). You're better off emailing a handful of trusted people for advice.
- yeah, you are prob right. :-/.
They dont know bout the quality balloon network, though.baseline_shift - i didnt even know what qbn stands for!jimbojones
- haha, i dont think its that!baseline_shift
- oh.jimbojones
- This guy is right. QBN has a pretty big footprint. Watch what you say.bort
- yeah, you are prob right. :-/.
- attentionspan0
Yes i think everyone has tried it out before, maybe not as bad as in your father/son situation.
Focus on the money, do the work as fast as you can, keep them happy, then just get out whenever you can. If they know less then you(and he is an AD) then you are probably in the wrong place.
- jimbojones0
the bad thing is you can't persuade a designer to like your design work. you can brainwash a client, but a designer has too much bullshit in his head, yours won't go there. if they say: freight display is a boring font, what can you say?
- 'Its appropriate for this design. It has the right personality for this client.' i dunno.baseline_shift
- "no, it isn't. no it hasn't. how about georgia?" now what?jimbojones
- "F U CANDY!"baseline_shift
- see? not happy.jimbojones
- georgia is designed for screen use and won't set properly in print. As a result of this, the font is too open, and with too low contrast to work in its correct environmentkelpie
- contrsst to work.kelpie
- "wat? fuck you, this my company"kelpie
- marcostill0
Is his name Steve?
- Please, be kind. I dont wanna get too invloved.baseline_shift
- And no, ive never heard of that company.baseline_shift
- baseline_shift0
^^^^^
for the record. NO. IT ISNT.
- CALLES0
that sucks... family and then you
- yup. Nepotism FTL. I never thought it would be THIS BAD going in though.baseline_shift
- hans_glib0
This is all part of a designer's career path - being told to do things he/she doesn't agree with by seniors. There are two ways to go... swallow your pride and get on with it, making a mental note not to behave in the same way when YOU'RE the senior telling the junior to do it the way you like, or do what I did and leave and set up your own firm, making a mental note not to behave in the same way when YOU'RE the senior telling the junior to do it the way you like
- btw, I hate em dashes as well. Sorryhans_glib
- haha. yeah. depends on the face.baseline_shift
- CALLES0
yeah keep your chin up and keep looking somewhere else
- doesnotexist0
there's nothing you can really do besides put up with it. build up your portfolio and start looking for a new job.
- jimbojones0
but do you need the money? then don't quit, current job market isn't great methinks
- kld0
cun...
- uberdesigner0
In all reality you're probably going to get laid off. the economy is in the shitter. in case the old man is a wiz at biz dev then you should be fine.
- were doing just fine, thanks. One of the perks of this company is the low overhead.baseline_shift
- twokids0
you are in a lose lose situation.
Not only are there just two people (you on the bottom), but it is a family. You will never be happy there, get used to that. Just bide your time, build up your portfolio best you can, and think about getting out. Unless they offer you a piece of the profits (very unlikely) you can not stay there.
So express your opinion in the mature way you have been doing, and let it go and maybe start freelancing on the side while you look for a new job. Not worth fighting over anything there. Who are you going to impress?
- Yeah, pretty much my sentiments. Been doin a little 'lance on the side, and im always trying to perfect the folio.baseline_shift
- good for you. ive done the small company thing and unless you get profits, you always lose in the end.twokids
- rson0
Just a heads up you might want to change your UN before you vent :)
- i almost did. i now wish i had, even thought the guesses at my place of emplyment were WAY OFF!baseline_shift