Graphic Designers and Web Designers: Do You have a Client with Not So Great Creative Ideas

Question for you freelancers...

A client that:
1) Knows what they want and is clear with instructions (less revisions)
2) Is paying you a really good rate
3) Is always enjoyable to work with

Which two would you pick?

I posed this question in a design forum and found the most popular attribute was #2 (getting paid a good rate), followed by #1(working with a client that has a clear idea of what they want).

Coincidentally I met a prospective client around the same time I posed this question, and this guy epitomized the complete opposite of #1, he had absolutely no idea what in the heck he wanted...worse yet, he felt he had a "creative spirit" that could come up with brilliant ideas.

Oh dear...If you've freelanced for a while you're already picking up on what I did: this guy's got the potential to be a nightmare.

Indecisive + thinks he's creative but isn't = potential client from hell.

Granted, if you've read my work before or have been around me, you know I tend to use hyperbole quite a bit to emphasize my point. In the case of this client, it's the honest truth - this guy easily has the potential to be the client from hell.

Don't believe me?
This guy wanted me to design a complete branding and perhaps web package (which is cool), but check out the insanely bizarre list of "brilliant" ideas he came up with during our first meeting just for his logo:

• Godzilla (smoke would form the letters of the business name)
• Sumo wrestlers
• Hockey players
• Bees
• Humming birds
• Stop sign
• Bears eating honey
• Kids with ice cream cones
• Kids playing marbles
• Humming birds playing marbles
• A nostalgic ice cream shop
• Kids with lollipops
• Vintage NYC image
• UFO/aliens
• Kids with balloons
• Snare drums

I kid you not, so help me...in fact; I probably left out a few!

So Did I Work with the Guy?
Nah, in the end I didn’t. He's a nice fellow but it was going to take way too much time and effort to keep him on track for the budget he was able to put up. It just wasn't worth it.

In your dealings with clients over the course of your career you'll of course need to make a similar decision when you encounter potential clients like this (hopefully they won't be so wacky). I'd just suggest that you weigh: the work you have coming in, the benefits of working with the client and how much time, effort and aggravation it will cost you in wrangling the client every time she/he gets off track.

Bees, aliens, Godzilla and hockey players...I should have checked to see what really was in the guy's "coffee cup", what the heck was he thinking?!?!

PS - If you have any stories you'd like to share about a client that had some wacky ideas, feel free to add a comment.

Comments

[Brand & Logo design]

I have seen this trend develop in three stages. First, studios used bold statements to simply declare what they do, such as "we make websites."Thanks.

[web marketing melbourne]

Thanks a lot for a bunch of good ideas for develop a dynamic website.