Dealing with insane ideas
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- Amicus
I'm wondering how you guys deal with clients or bosses who present you with ideas that are insane.
For example, my boss came to me yesterday wanting to do a logo for a Blind Services company (blinds like verticals, venetians, etc...). They clean and fix them but what eventually also like to move into manufacturing and installing. His insane idea was to meld the initials (HBS) into a tornado shape to signify speed.
First is it only me that thinks this is insane, and second, how would you approach this problem. I have a feeling the idea originally comes from the client.
- Coffeemaker0
I once made a logo for the blind.. now that was a challenge!
- _salisae_0
what does speed have to do with blind services? that sounds like a high school sports team logo.
- airey0
do it as an option. if they choose it then just use an option you prefer in your folio. move along, there's nothing to see here.
- non0
That idea is insane.
- _salisae_0
tell him you designed it but it zipped right out the window and you've been looking for it for hours! could he keep an eye out.
- zman0
propose a single plum floating in perfume served in a man's hat instead
- zman0
- Amicus0
I could tell him the wind was so strong I couldn't hold down the paper to sketch, so I just ended up with Akkurat tightly kerned.
- mikotondria30
man you have my sympathies.
Just be really honest - think of those people you know that are good at their job, kind of heart and generous of spirit who stand out because they are skillfully and tactfully honest...
Be one of those people.
Say - honestly, thats just a bad idea, its not suitable for the task, and could not be made so by any degree of skillful and crafted execution, it just won't work - lets go back to basics and just mindmap a few concepts around this company and their brand, and logically take it as far as we can, then become creative and see what happens.
- vaxorcist0
Are you working in a "sales-driven organization?" If so, then you may have to deal with some strangeness..... why? culture differences.... the salesperson's biggest fear is that the client says "NO" at the last minute, often due to perceived disrespect... so they're really concerned with making client feel powerful....
whereas, a creative's biggest fear is to get done and realize you totally had a wrong approach, due to apparently random requests having no clear priorities...
- vaxorcist0
Also, the story about the initials and the tornado seem to indicate that the salesperson thinks the target audience is the client, not the client's customers...
- iCanHazQBN0
stab him in the eyes.
- scarabin0
my response would be to just do my job like i'm told. execute the idea to the best of your ability. who knows, it could look really good and it might be the logo the client has always dreamed of.
but do another version that YOU think is good.
the obvious solution would be an italic type treatment with horizontal slits cut out, IBM style (speed, blinds), but i'm sure you could come up with something quality.
- Amicus0
I tried vaxorcists suggestion straight up, but I still have to try and make the tornado work. How do you make a tornado logo actually sell blind cleaning? Impossible, no?
- Amicus0
I'm so sick of the random arsewipes trolls on here
- erikjonsson0
doesnt sound too bad does it? a tornado melding into one of those typical dust brooms etc.