It's not what you do, it's how much the client interferes.
(Image credit: Peter Dazeley on Getty Images)
"I can't believe you charge so much, just for a logo". If you work as a freelance graphic designer, you're sure to have heard those words at least once.
At this point, you draw on all your energies and try explaining to the client that the best logos aren't just things to be dashed off in a couple of hours.
Instead, all graphic design projects require research, discussion, thought and an iterative process, involving multiple stakeholders, towards a visual solution that will be both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
And that's if everyone does the right thing and it all goes according to plan.
In the worst case scenario, however, none of that will happen. Instead, the client will constantly try to micromanage your every move; randomly stride in, look at your monitor and declare "don't like that, do something else"; or worst of all, say something like: "Can we try changing the colour and making this part bigger?"
If that's ever happened to you, then you'll immediately get the point of this parody graphic designer's price list, drawn up by Digital Synopsis.
This fun parody brings the point home in words that anyone, designer or non-designer, can understand.
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If we can be serious for a moment, though, it's probably not something you actually want to show a client. Instead, you need to find a way of politely and diplomatically explaining how a good design process works in practice, to non-designers who can't be expected to know.
And that's not all. As the graphic designer, you also need to put in place a robust process that ensures all stages of the process are clearly defined, to ensure that you get signoff within the project timeframe, promptly and efficiently.
Depending on the size and scale of the project, you'll probably also need to draw up a formal contract to ensure everyone does what they promised. For example, a standard contract might either restrict the number of suggested revisions a client can make, or add cost penalties for changes beyond a certain point.
Okay, lecture over. For more fun memes about working as a creative, see our guide to the best graphic design memes!
Tom May is an award-winning journalist and editor specialising in design, photography and technology. Author of the Amazon #1 bestseller Great TED Talks: Creativity, published by Pavilion Books, Tom was previously editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. Today, he is a regular contributor to Creative Bloq and its sister sites Digital Camera World, T3.com and Tech Radar. He also writes for Creative Boom and works on content marketing projects.
