The Temptation to Over Please
I’ve been working for a client for the past three weeks that has sapped the joy out of every piece of art that I have created for her. “TOO MUCH WHITE SPACE” is her main complaint. This complaint is common when working with individuals who are trying to maximize their advertisement real estate.This particular project has involved 32 pages and over 40 advertisements for various companies. Many of the ads were created by another designer and she told me when I got the job “I hope you aren’t a pre-madonna like the last designer I had”. This should have been a big red flag, but I was too focused on the green flag with Benjamin Franklin’s face on it.
When doing any type of design you must remember C.R.A.P. Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity. (Robin Williams book “The Non-Designer’s Design Handbook has some great information for any new designer.)Text needs room to breathe. The eye needs to rest in that white space. Alignment and spacing are critical when creating a concept that is visually pleasing – thus enticing your audience to read your ad. The key thing to remember is creating 1 eye-catching element that draws your reader in and once they are hooked they will take the time to read the rest of your piece no matter if the font is small or surrounded by ample white space.
I recently tried to educate a client by saying, “Your layout will work fine, but you will get more clicks if you put that button on the lower right corner instead of the top left.” Her response was, “I don’t really need you to educate me, I know where I want my button.”
I have never had a job where people take so much offense when you present a piece of advice. What is the point of hiring a designer if you don’t want them to help you with the design?
My temptation when working with clients is trying to create something that will make us both happy. This is a mistake. There are some clients that are going to want to mix fuchsia with brown and red and orange and while it looks like a pile of poop they may be elated with it. I have learned to stop trying to force my ideas on a client and instead try to come to a happy medium. While what I design might not go in my portfolio, the money will still spend just as well out of my bank account.
The temptation to over please a client is a common one among designers because we take pride in our work. It is hard for us to break rules that we know are important for good design, but in the end, the customer is always right (as long as they have paid me a deposit up front).
That must be difficult especially when one takes pride in their work. It takes a strong person who is confident in his abilities to let go of it. Great job!
Blessed be Eddie