1. “Your Personal Taste Isn’t Always What’s Best for Your Brand—It’s Not All About You!”
Struggle: Many clients approach design projects with strong personal preferences, whether it’s a favourite colour, font, or style. While it’s great that you’re passionate about your brand, it’s important to remember that your brand’s visuals need to resonate with your target audience—not just with you.
Blunt Reality: Sure, you might think that neon green or that swirly, unreadable font is just what your brand needs, but your customers might not agree. In fact, they might be running for the hills—or worse, to your competitors. The goal of design is not just to make you happy, but to make your audience engage with your brand. That means sometimes setting aside personal tastes in favour of what works best for your brand’s image and market positioning. Trust us, we’re not trying to kill your vibe—we’re trying to build your business.
2. “Design Isn’t Just About Making Things Look Pretty; It’s About Solving Problems—We’re Not Just Here to ‘Beautify’ Things.”
Struggle: There’s a common misconception that the role of a graphic designer is merely to make things look visually appealing. While aesthetics are important, design is fundamentally about problem-solving. It’s about communication, functionality, and achieving specific business objectives.
Blunt Reality: If you think design is just about adding a few flourishes here and there, you’re missing the point. Good design addresses your business’s pain points—whether that’s boosting sales, improving user experience, or making your brand stand out in a crowded market. We’re not just here to make things look pretty; we’re here to create solutions that work. So when we suggest changes, it’s not because we want to be difficult; it’s because we want your design to be effective, not just attractive.
3. “Consistency is Key—Leave It to the Professionals, Please.”
Struggle: Consistency in branding is critical, yet some clients believe they can handle the ongoing maintenance of their websites and brand collateral themselves, often to save money. Unfortunately, this often leads to a disjointed and unprofessional appearance that can harm the brand’s image.
Blunt Reality: I’ve had clients who, after I completed their website, decided they could maintain and tweak it themselves. What started as a polished, cohesive design quickly turned into a chaotic mess of mismatched fonts, colours, and layout choices. It’s like painting a beautiful mural and then watching a group of kids graffiti all over it. The worst part? My name is still associated with that now poorly maintained website, and it reflects poorly on both of us. Trust me—if you want your brand to maintain its professional appearance, leave the maintenance to the professionals who can keep everything consistent and polished.
4. “Our Designs Have to Appeal to Your Target Demographic—Not Your Aunt Trudy.”
Struggle: Clients often overlook the importance of designing for their target audience, instead focusing on what appeals to them personally or what their friends and family think looks good. While feedback is important, it’s crucial that your brand’s design resonates with the people who are actually going to be buying your products or services.
Blunt Reality: Just because Aunt Trudy loves the colour Millennial pink doesn’t mean your target audience will. Your brand’s success depends on how well it connects with your target demographic. This means researching your audience—understanding what they like, what they don’t, and what will draw them in. We design with these factors in mind, not just to create something that looks good to you, but to create something that works. Relying on the opinions of friends and family, who may not have any expertise in design or marketing, can lead to poor decisions that harm your brand. It’s like getting fashion advice from someone who still thinks bell-bottoms are in—just because they like it doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.
5. “Quality Design Takes Time—We’re Not Wizards, Just Really Talented.”
Struggle: There’s a frustrating assumption that graphic design is a quick and easy process—just a matter of clicking a few buttons. This leads to unrealistic deadlines and undervaluation of the designer’s time and effort.
Blunt Reality: If you think good design can be whipped up in an hour, you’re in for a rude awakening. Quality design involves research, creativity, iteration, and attention to detail. It’s about more than just making something look nice; it’s about ensuring that the design functions well, communicates the right message, and aligns with your brand. So, when you ask for a “quick mockup,” understand that there’s no such thing as “quick” when it comes to creating something truly effective. You wouldn’t rush a chef making a gourmet meal, so don’t rush your designer—let us take the time we need to serve up something truly delicious for your brand.
6. “It’s Obvious When a Non-Professional Designed Something—And No, Your Friends Aren’t the Best Judges.”
Struggle: Clients sometimes decide to take design into their own hands or rely on friends and family for feedback. While this might seem like a cost-effective approach, it often leads to unprofessional and ineffective designs.
Blunt Reality: Designing your own brand materials is like cutting your own hair—it might seem like a good idea at first, but the results are often disastrous. A study from Canva shows that 75% of people judge a company’s credibility based on their website’s design. If your design isn’t professional, it’s going to show, and not in a good way. And let’s be honest—your friends and family probably won’t tell you the truth because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. It’s like someone who thinks they’re a great singer, but no one has the heart to tell them they’re tone-deaf. Relying on non-professionals for design feedback is risky; what you need is an expert’s eye, someone who understands the nuances of design, advertising, and marketing. Otherwise, you’re just setting yourself up for a product that looks amateurish and fails to connect with your audience.
So there you have it—a peek behind the curtain of what we, as graphic designers, really wish we could say to our clients. Remember, we’re here to make your brand shine, not just dazzle your inner circle. Trust us to guide you through the murky waters of design decisions and avoid those DIY pitfalls that could leave your brand looking like a bad hair day.
And if you’re ever tempted to tweak that website we meticulously crafted for you, just remember: it’s a lot easier to call your designer than to try and figure out why everything suddenly looks like it was designed by a five-year-old with a crayon.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to create more design magic—and maybe fix a few self-inflicted design disasters along the way. Cheers! 🥂