How to ruin a designer

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  • rascuache

    My sister just sent this over to me, not sure where she found it. If I can be timelined, I apologise. I did done a search I do did.

    "As everyone knows, graphic designers are the reason there are so many wars in this world. They get inside our heads with their subliminal advertising, force us against our will to spend money on the worst pieces of shit, and eventually, drive us to depression and random acts of violence. And of course, most of them are communists.

    So to do my part to save the world from them, i made a list of things you can do when working with a graphic designer, to assure that they have a burn-out and leave this business FOREVER.

    1. Microsoft Office
    When you have to send a graphic designer a document, make sure it’s made with a program from Microsoft Office. PC version if possible. If you have to send pictures, you’ll have more success in driving them mad if, instead of just sending a jpeg or a raw camera file, you embed the pictures inside a Microsoft Office document like Word or Powerpoint. Don’t forget to lower the resolution to 72 dpi so that they’ll have to contact you again for a higher quality version. When you send them the ‘higher’ version, make sure the size is at least 50% smaller. And if you’re using email to send the pictures, forget the attachment once in a while.

    2. Fonts
    If the graphic designer chooses Helvetica for a font, ask for Arial. If he chooses Arial, ask for Comic Sans. If he chooses Comic Sans, he’s already half-insane, so your job’s half done.

    3. More is better
    Let’s say you want a newsletter designed. Graphic designers will always try to leave white space everywhere. Large margins, the leading and kerning of text, etc. They will tell you that they do this because it’s easier to read, and leads to a more clean, professional look. But do not believe those lies. The reason they do this is to make the document bigger, with more pages, so that it costs you more at the print shop. Why do they do it? Because graphic designers hate you. They also eat babies. Uncooked, raw baby meat.

    So make sure you ask them to put smaller margins and really, really small text. Many different fonts are also suggested (bonus if you ask for Comic Sans, Arial or Sand). Ask for clipart. Ask for many pictures (if you don’t know how to send them, refer to #1). They will try to argument, and defend their choices but don’t worry, in the end the client is always right and they will bow to your many requests.

    4. Logos
    If you have to send a graphic designer a logo for a particular project, let’s say of a sponsor or partner, be sure to have it really really small and in a low-res gif or jpeg format. Again, bonus points if you insert it in a Word document before sending it. Now you might think that would be enough but if you really want to be successful in lowering the mental stability of a graphic designer, do your best to send a version of the logo over a hard to cut-out background. Black or white backgrounds should be avoided, as they are easy to cut-out with the darken or lighten layer style in Photoshop. Once the graphic designer is done working on that bitmap logo, tell him you need it to be bigger.

    If you need a custom made logo, make your own sketches on a napkin. Or better yet, make your 9 year old kid draw it. Your sketch shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to make. You don’t want to make something that’s detailed and easy to understand, because the less the designer understands what you want, the more you can make him change things afterward. Never accept the first logo. Never accept the 9th, make him do many changes, colors, fonts & clip art. Ask him to add a picture in the logo. Bevels. Gradients. Comic Sans. And when he’s at his 10th attempt, tell him that you like the 2nd one the most. I know, it’s mean but remember: graphic designers are the cause of breast cancer among middle aged women.

    5. Choosing your words
    When describing what you want in a design, make sure to use terms that don’t really mean anything. Terms like ‘jazz it up a bit’ or ‘can you make it more webbish?’. ‘I would like the design to be beautiful’ or ‘I prefer nice graphics, graphics that, you know, when you look at them you go: Those are nice graphics.’ are other options. Don’t feel bad about it, you’ve got the right. In fact, it’s your duty because we all know that on full moons, graphic designers shape-shift into werewolves.

    6. Colors
    The best way for you to pick colors (because you don’t want to let the graphic designer choose) is to write random colors on pieces of paper, put them in a hat and choose. The graphic designer will suggest to stay with 2-3 main colors at the most, but no. Choose as many as you like, and make sure to do the hat thing in front of him. While doing it, sing a very annoying song.

    7. Deadlines
    When it’s your turn to approve the design, take your time. There is no rush. Take two days. Take six. Just as long as when the deadline of the project approaches, you get back to the designer with more corrections and changes that he has time to make. After all, graphic designers are responsible for the 911 attacks.

    8. Finish him
    After you’ve applied this list on your victim, it is part of human nature (although some would argue weather they’re human or not) to get a bit insecure. As he realizes that he just can’t satisfy your needs, the graphic designer will most likely abandon all hopes of winning an argument and will just do whatever you tell him to do, without question. You want that in purple? Purple it is. Six different fonts? Sure!

    You would think that at this point you have won, but don’t forget the goal of this: he has to quit this business. So be ready for the final blow: When making final decisions on colors, shapes, fonts, etc, tell him that you are disappointed by his lack of initiative. Tell him that after all, he is the designer and that he should be the one to put his expertise and talent at work, not you. That you were expecting more output and advices about design from him.

    Tell him you’ve had enough with his lack of creativity and that you would rather do your own layouts on Publisher instead of paying for his services. And there you go. You should have graphic designer all tucked into a straight jacket in no time!"

  • Invalid0

    can i have a shorter version, or shall i wait for the movie to come out?

    • Yeah sorry about that, didn't realise just how long it was till I posted :(
      Worth a read though. Tis funny.
      rascuache
    • loljimzy
  • svenreed0

    does this apply to graphic artists?

  • Orbit0

    I stopped reading after line three which states that graphic designers get inside people's heads with subliminal advertising.

    If it starts off with such a gross misunderstanding of what a graphic designer does, the rest can't be worth reading.

    • shut it, you baby eating cunt!locustsloth
    • i think it's a jokeDeSiard
    • Fair enough, the rest is spot on...rascuache
    • Could I also point out that its about 2 years old and gets posted here weekly?Orbit
    • May I refer you to the OP in which I specifically apologised in case it was a repost?rascuache
  • d_rek0

    *yawn*

  • d_rek0

  • Projectile0

    it's lacking the most important of all.. something which I experienced on my last freelance job..

    the client "tweaking" it in illustrator, and then sending back to you to "make neater". Of course it comes back with new elements that are so off brand people will think they've been sent to a new site

    • thats a good one. my client uses photoshop.frankleo
  • monospaced0

    I'm with Orbit on this one. Implying that the designer has anything to do with the creation or distribution of a "piece of shit" that you spend your money on is ridiculous. Blame manufacturers, corporations and marketing executives who come up with creative briefs. The designer only tries to make it look good.

    • you didn't read the whole thing did you.bigtrick
    • I did. It makes no sense from the point of view of someone hiring a designer. Fucking stupid.monospaced
    • it's a joke, monospaced.bigtrick
    • holy. shit.identity
  • pizzafire0

    (although some would argue weather they’re human or not) ... spelled "whether". and no, designers are obviously super human.

    I saw a (very) similar, better written piece some time ago, can't find it now though.

  • gramme0

    This is all from a website, I've seen it before.

    • And so, even amongst the Greater Good, ennui set in.detritus
  • vaxorcist0

    Every profession has a gripe list.... we get to do creative stuff and get paid for it, something many, many, many people are jealous of....

  • TBO0

  • UKV0

    This thread needs a design solution. Pictogram, diorama or short vid of interpretive dance please.

    • ... or a smoke signal. haven't seen that done yet.UKV
  • Ralev0

    For the rest innocent designers out there:
    There is one way to prevent such ruining...
    Just ask for 50% or 100% in advance :)

  • FredMcWoozy0

    That is very funny.

    Well its obviously a cynical truth but what a poor reflection on a company who would actually follow these steps to be funny. But on a serious note very typical of today's 'I don't care' generation. A poor work ethic that goes hand to hand with little to no software skills, adaptability, drive or even the reasoning to say 'I care and I will put in 100% even if I don't agree."

    Blame everyone else for your impulses and lack of understandabilitity of advertising marketing tactics.

    We have created a 'Blame You' world.

  • MrT0

    Just increase the margin and take out points 1 to 8 and it might be funny.

  • Countryman0

    This assumes that the designer on the project will accept all this BS without dropping the client. I would leave (and have) after step 5, although I have left at 3 before and told them to go fuck themselves.

    Unprofessional, maybe. Satisfying, very.

  • Countryman0

    This could also be called, how to be ban by every designer in town.

  • mirrorball0

    Send her this back:

  • mirrorball0

    and this too:

  • drgss0

    9. Client receives the bill