10 Things Graphic Designers Hate Hearing from Clients

I love memes. They are so culturally relevant and humorous that it’s hard not to appreciate them. Plus they are short and to the point which is great considering the attention span (think pea) most digital age viewers have. I found these great memes that will really ‘talk’ to most graphic designers they describe quite accurately I think, the problems most designers face when dealing with the clients.

Updated 10/10/2016

The best way to attract designers and clients alike is to stir up controversies. Graphic design memes usually poke finger into topics that fire up graphic designers. The most well-known series to date is about the client and graphic designer relationship. These memes which I’m about to share went viral across the web.

1. Why do I have to pay so much for such a small logo?

You run a business or are planning to and you can’t pay enough for that one thing that will build your brand identity. What sort of a world are designers living in? Poor creative minds spend their time to make a logo for a company that’ll soon make them thousands of dollars, and they can’t even ask for a teeny tiny amount for their service. This is totally unfair.

2. …Just make a few changes…

You know it’s very important to clearly define the word “few”. These few changes are more than five for sure. At the end of the ‘list of changes’, the entire project is changed. Don’t you just feel like banging your head on your computer before even trying to make these so called “few” changes.

3. I would like something really different, unique. It should be complex and…

Okay, dude! Hold on. “What exactly do you want me to do?” is what comes to graphic designer’s mind when this conversation takes place. It seems like a riddle designers have to solve and the worst part of this is that you can’t ask a question otherwise the client will give you a strange look that makes you even more uncomfortable.

4. …can we use that?

The rule of the graphic design world is: do not copy. The worst thing a client can say is to make a design like someone else’s. Yes graphic designers can take inspiration but making a replica is a sin. No matter how much your client urges you to copy, you just can’t do this – it will ruin your portfolio and the next meme series will be on you copying designs. That’ll be a torture.

5. Send me a quote…

Wow, isn’t that a great news for the client? They can get their work done from cheap from someone else. The question is, why on earth did the client waste your time? The moment you read such a reply to your quote email, I’m sure you feel like getting off your chair and pretending like all of this never happened.

6. You know someone who will do it cheaper…try it…

You can get a cheap solution but you cannot guarantee the quality, or the fact that it isn’t plagiarized. If clients are this tight on budget, why can’t they use free DIY tools and make the design themselves. This way they don’t have to pay anything and they’ll spare the graphic designers.

7. I need the design today? Really…

Graphic designers are not machines! They can’t work on the speed of nano-seconds to produce your project within a day or less than that. FYI, they’re human beings. It takes time to think of ideas, select one, execute it, test it and make edits.

8. You sent me all the vector files?

One of the most irritating things is when the clients don’t know anything about design. They’re clueless, and by the time you finish their project you become a teacher. At every step of the way, you have to explain them things. This is why everyone should know these misunderstood graphic design terms before coming anywhere near graphic designers. Clients must have a basic understanding of what graphic design is. Yes, this knowledge is necessary.

9. I need you to choose a better font…

No, you didn’t just say Comic Sans! Is it possible for graphic designers to scream in front of clients when they use this forbidden font name, or they just have swallow the pain of hearing it? Guess the latter is what they do. Comic Sans is not only old school but also a default font of Microsoft which is appropriate for ancient teenagers.

10. Oh yes, and please make…

Make the logo “bigger” – what’s that supposed to mean? A logo is a vector and clients can make it as big or small as they want depending on where they’re using it on. For example, for a billboard you can’t put the same size of logo as you’ve put on your letterhead. This is common sense.

My personal Favorite:

Open your eyes and look at famous brands like Coca Cola or FedEx, they’re logotypes. This means they’re made from a font. When designers make logos that are just fonts, then it’s important for clients to understand that these fonts are not just any random fonts. They are customized to fit the client’s brief. And by the way, fonts are an important part of logo design. Don’t just trash it like it has no importance.

Which meme can you relate to?