1.audi 2.amazon 3.myspace 4.coca cola 5.blackberry 6.caterpillar 7.disney...5 Situations to Refuse a Logo Design Project – Say ‘NO’! |
Categories: freelance logo designers, logo design tips, Logo Designers
Written By: Nora Reed
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There are certain times in a logo designer’s career where you must put your foot down and say NO to a logo design project. I know you must be wondering that in these testing times, it’s hard for logo designers to get clients let alone turning them down. But believe me it’s better to refuse an impossible and unviable project before it’s too late for you to back out of it. This problem is frequent among newbie logo designers who don’t know how to identify what logo design projects to decline. So, today I wish to enlighten you about some situations that require you to simply say no to clients who need a logo design. |
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1.Clients with a bad payment reputation: |
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| After experiencing clients who don’t pay, there is one thing I have learnt…always run background checks on clients who look dubious. There are some clients out there who have a habit of conning every logo designer they work with. Before you accept a logo design project from clients, try to find out his previous dealings with other designers and if he has a habit of not paying up. You wouldn’t want to around pillar and post to get your hard earned money do you? | |
2. Project offends your Morals: |
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| Sometimes, you may run into clients who will ask you to do things that are out of your moral code of conduct. A few years back, a client approached me with a sample logo design (of a renowned company) and demanded that I make a carbon copy of the logo for his business. Even though he offered me an attractive sum, I simply declined his request as it offended by ethical standards of logo plagiarism. Also, avoid working for blacklisted companies, as it will resultantly affect your reputation in the market. | |
3. Clueless Clients: |
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Confused clients are still manageable, but clients that have no clue as to what they want are dangerous. As a logo designer, it is important for you to know what the client’s requirements are and other logo design questions about his business. But if a client shows up on your doorstep asking you to design a logo for a business that he hasn’t yet thought of, you must simply turn them down. No point in working on a business that doesn’t even exist in virtual. |
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4. Your sixth sense signals danger: |
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Sometimes, you get a gut feeling about something and eventually it turns out that you were right. Similarly, when your logo designer instincts signal that a certain client is dubious and is prone to make trouble in the logo design project, go with your sixth sense and decline the project. Until and unless your mind isn’t accepting the client, there is no point in working for the person. |
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5. Clients demanding a 5-minute logo: |
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Ever encountered a client that demands a logo within minutes? If you ever do, be prepared to say NO to him/her. This is because a logo is not a pizza that can be prepared in a matter of minutes. It entails a cumbersome process of research and investigation. So no matter what happens, never take on a hasty logo design project. |
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June 6th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
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June 7th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Wonderful article from you….Yes i agree this point “This is because a logo is not a pizza that can be prepared in a matter of minutes”. Each projects takes it own time and event pizza will not be good enough to eat when it not given enough time to bake…Well said..thanks for sharing you knowledge..
June 7th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
This is an EXCELLENT post! If something does not feel right about the job – Don’t take it! I have had to turn down a few jobs because I knew that if I did the work for that particular client 1) It would not be my best work and 2) I would always regret it.
June 8th, 2011 at 10:22 pm
Ohhh yes…true. True.
June 10th, 2011 at 11:18 am
I never do jobs for clients on spec. Especially the ones that start off with “if you do this one now I promise you I’ll send so much work your way…….” Run, fast, in the opposite direction
July 1st, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Nice article. It is important to know if your client can value your work and pay you the required amount or not.
September 15th, 2011 at 6:44 am
I never do jobs for clients on spec. Especially the ones that start off with “if you do this one now I promise you I’ll send so much work your way…….” Run, fast, in the opposite direction
November 14th, 2011 at 2:59 pm
This advice is not just for logo design but any desgn project. You are right about the “sixth sense” as I have saved myself quite a few times by turning down work that doesn’t sit right, although I did get burned on the way to developing the sixth sense! Word of mouth is the best way to pick up business. I’m always wary of customers who don’t know what they want – usually there is someone else in the background who does know what they want. Just make sure you are talking to them instead. (Or at least run things past them).