How to exclude the client from the creative process

That’s it. suggestions?

I always want to exclude the clients from even expressing an opinion at what I’m doing. But the “logo bigger” and “add more craps here and there” are the most favourite phrases overall.

Do you have some suggestions, or a phrase wich will make him/her understand he has to trust in me?

I found it useful to umiliate them with articles on Wikipedia about basics on design.

This stuff should help them with the logo once you’re finished

Just give the client what they ask for, when they realise what they want looks crap and revert back to your design, tell them with all their changes to continue the design the bill will increase

quickandeasy said
This stuff should help them with the logo once you’re finished

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH ….crazy!=)

“I’m going to have to charge you extra for that” is very convincing

I don’t think “trust me” is the best approach.

I’m pretty headstrong and also want to design stuff “my way”.

Nevertheless customers also often have other opinions. You should always listen to what they say and reply in a way that educates them. Then they will understand your argument.

So: “I am the design and I know best” will not really get you anywhere.

However saying for example:”It is a Commonly accepted rule that two different sans serif fonts do not mix well. Usually font mixing works best when you choose font families with more difference between them. You can read more about this here:

This sort of approach not only helps you convince the customer, but it also makes you look pretty damn smart … And next time around will trust you more

Even though you are the expert a design project should always be a process of interaction between you want the customer. Leaving the customer out will not improve the final product, and will definitely not improve his satisfaction with the work you prepared for him.

That’s why I enjoy preparing items for GR – here can just let it flow whichever way I enjoy without any restrictions

Cheers

Chris

chrisatlemon said
I don’t think “trust me” is the best approach.

I’m pretty headstrong and also want to design stuff “my way”.

Nevertheless customers also often have other opinions. You should always listen to what they say and reply in a way that educates them. Then they will understand your argument.

So: “I am the design and I know best” will not really get you anywhere.

However saying for example:”It is a Commonly accepted rule that two different sans serif fonts do not mix well. Usually font mixing works best when you choose font families with more difference between them. You can read more about this here:

http://www.typography.com/email/2010_03/index_tw.htm

This sort of approach not only helps you convince the customer, but it also makes you look pretty damn smart … And next time around will trust you more

Even though you are the expert a design project should always be a process of interaction between you want the customer. Leaving the customer out will not improve the final product, and will definitely not improve his satisfaction with the work you prepared for him.

That’s why I enjoy preparing items for GR – here can just let it flow whichever way I enjoy without any restrictions

Cheers

Chris

agreed…....

I believe that for alot of clients it’s important to be part of the creative process even if they don’t really have ideas or tools of that trade. Anyhow this doesn’t remove the fact that they want to be part of it. And if you don’t make it easy for them, they make it hard for you. “I say more speakers or I’m not paying you!”

What I try to do is to leave some obvious opening for the design. for example before meeting with the client just remove their logo from the design. And then you can find the “right place” for the logo together, and how convenient there just happens to be a logo size hole in the design! super! Also when you’re talking about the ideas you don’t say no to the clients ideas, you tell him that it’s an brilliant idea. And what he probably means is not speaker but something that you want and that you really like his idea! and then add couple of more thanks to that and state few more times how his idea rocks. ... even though it was yours.

and now instead of excluding the client from the creative process you have included him into your creative process.

cheers!

Thank you for the replies guys! I personally think is always better to keep the client in his role, and as far as I read around the Web, is always better to go for that: for “not including him in the creative process” I mean that he shouldn’t go in the details, but just sticking to the functioning of the App/Visual.

Obviously I have to satisfy his needs, but sometime just looks like they have the necessity to say something even when there’s no need to modify somthing.

That’s why me too I enjoy more working for GR.. I’m gonna fire the client if he’s not going to let me design good arts, or it is just a loss of time for me. Money are secondary in these cases.

In fact every time I don’t agree with a modification, I supply examples and detailed explanations of why that shouldn’t work..