Comments on: Friday Focus #30

By: Dark Theme Release · CSS Style Guides, W3C news and Validation

Dark Theme Release · CSS Style Guides, W3C news and Validation — Tue, 22 May 2007 08:22:19 +0000

[...] Friday Focus #30 [...]

By: inspirationbit

inspirationbit — Sun, 13 May 2007 03:40:07 +0000

That’s a helpful suggestion – to make to versions – the correct one and the client-taste one.

huh… brick wall – that hurts.

By: Ronald Huereca

Ronald Huereca — Sat, 12 May 2007 23:33:24 +0000

inspirationbit,

In that case, I don’t think it’s a case of educating. It’s a case of giving the client exactly what they asked for and hope it doesn’t come back to bite you when/if you add it to your portfolio.

One thing possible to try is to make two versions of what they’re asking for. One with the many fonts, and one without. Let them decide for themselves after that.

This is a touchy subject, because I wouldn’t want a client coming up to me and saying they want a Flash intro (which is obviously a bad idea). I’d rather run and scream and throw myself into a brick wall before implementing a flash intro.

By: inspirationbit

inspirationbit — Sat, 12 May 2007 21:29:30 +0000

What if the clients in question have their own samples of sites/cards/posters of their competitors, and those cards do have more than enough number of fonts. And the clients counteract that’s the look they’re going after. How to educate the client in this case? What if the client is very stubborn? Should the designer just step back and give up, or should he continue educating this client?

By: Stefan Klose

Stefan Klose — Sat, 12 May 2007 07:39:32 +0000

I think it’s the most simple way to show them some really bad examples. That dilemma doesn’t exist if you can handle your arguments..

Don’t like these three sites. First one is too complicated, no way to find what you’re looking for w/o searching. Second one is too crowded, third one too dark, not enough textual content.

By: Ronald Huereca

Ronald Huereca — Fri, 11 May 2007 22:09:01 +0000

Tyson, David,

Thanks for weighing in on the dilemma. It’s useful to show clients bad examples and also to smack them over the head from time to time.

By: David Airey :: Creative Design ::

David Airey :: Creative Design :: — Fri, 11 May 2007 19:30:38 +0000

The design dilemma is actually a lot easier than above.

Two steps:

1/ Take a copy of the Yellow Pages in your stronger hand.

2/ Beat your client over the head.*

*I don’t condone violence in any way.

By: Tyson Tate

Tyson Tate — Fri, 11 May 2007 19:24:51 +0000

Re: Design Dilemma

Easy: Take a bag full of major corporation identity packages. Fortune 100, ideally. Business cards, letterheads, shareholder reports, etc. (Even better is to show them materials from the biggest companies in your client’s chosen industry). Ask them how many different typefaces they see in each item.

Then show them a bag of preschool newsletters, bad restaurant menus, etc. Ask them how many typefaces they see.

Using 100 little clever and cute fonts that you found on bubbasbigfontlist.com is a sign that you have absolutely no cohesive direction in your identity. (And a sign that you’re only designing for your own cute preferences, rather than the public at large.) Major corporations become major due in no small part to the fact that they have a cohesive identity. Toyota = sleek reliable cars. Ford = tough trucks. Apple = well-designed creative tools. Martha Stewart = good warm country living style. Their identities reflect that. Toyota’s sleek logo and crisp graphic work. Ford’s metal and mud-splattered ads. Apple’s simple and fun ads etc. You get the idea.

Well-designed — not cute and clever — identity packages make or break a company’s “professional” image.

Then again, if your client is a daycare or a preschool teacher, maybe cute and clever materials *are* the answer.