Ask a Graphic Designer anything

137 Questions

Last Answer on September 13, 2021

What is your favorite thing to design

Asked by Mr. Fernandez about 5 years ago

UPDATE...I have now written a guide to becoming a graphic designer. It is available as Kindle or in print ...check it out here... AMAZON LINK . Well I used to love doing logos the most (still do)... then vector illustration became my favourite. But recently I have taught myself video editing, so this is new to me and slowly becoming my favourite... but I combine all my design skills in the video editing.

302 Votes

Are you average priced, cheap, or expensive?

Asked by Carrie about 5 years ago

UPDATE...I have now written a guide to becoming a graphic designer. It is available as Kindle or in print ...check it out here... AMAZON LINK . In general my prices are average ...but if you put it into context, I am cheap for the experience I have. I should charge loads more than I do but clients nowadays want everything on a budget ...brand and marketing agencies can get away with charging high prices as they get all the big corporate companies, but most freelance designers have to keep their prices low ...I do not go to the cheap level though but my clients get a good price for the quality of work they receive.

301 Votes

So you wanna be a Graphic Designer?

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Have you ever or came close to filing a copy right, trade mark, or something similar lawsuit?

Asked by Sarah about 5 years ago

No I haven't is the short answer. I have previously made a reverse image search on google with some designs and illustrations and only once did I find an illustration that I did for a client being used on someones website. It was of a house cutaway showing how solar and energy works in a house ...and it was being used on a website in Brazil to illustrate the same information. I sent a polite email to the owner of the company explaining that I drew that image for one of my clients and so was owned by him and could not be used ..and asked that if he wanted something similar I could draw it for him. He responded with an apology telling me his web designer had sourced the image and assumed he had got it from a stock library so would get it removed ...of which he did. So it is always best to go the polite route before filing a lawsuit as it can save a lot of hassle.

300 Votes

Have you ever made a COVID-19 virus design?

Asked by Nake about 5 years ago

UPDATE...I have now written a guide to becoming a graphic designer. It is available as Kindle or in print ...check it out here... AMAZON LINK . Well in a way yes ...firstly I created a self marketing video to promote myself saying that I was still available for work during the lockdown so it started with a Covid theme. It can be seen on my website in the video section and is the 17th video down.

298 Votes

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How do you deal with bad customers?

Asked by Jane about 5 years ago

Depends on what you mean by bad! If a client contacts me that I do not know I always do a Google search on them to get a rough idea on their background. I usually can work out by what I read to what sort of client they are going to be and deal with them accordingly from the beginning. If I know their history of paying on time is bad I make sure I get more than 50% and do not give actual artwork til final payment is made. I am always polite with all clients even the bad ones. If I struggle getting a decent brief from them I send them a list of questions to answer which usually does the job. If a client starts to make many, many changes on a job already quoted for I have to tell them that I need to charge extra per hour (this is always pointed out before I start the job anyway). This usually makes them get the job approved quicker. I have a regular client that I know will knock down the price I give every single time ...and it is always the same amount he wants dropping. So, unknown to him, I always add that amount to the quote I give him and when he asks for the discount it ends up being the price I was going to charge anyway ...lol.

297 Votes

Are the Jobstr guys still doing anything on this site or is it a abandoned project? I sent them a email and they said they read everything and NOTHING. I am worried once the last of you who actually still answer regularly once their gone this site is dead

Asked by Donnie about 5 years ago

To be honest I do not know. I have been on this site for over 8 years now and my questions only come in now and again ...but over the last few days I have had quite a few. I answer all the questions I get... but am unaware if any others are not answering their questions anymore as I never ask questions myself. Hope it all keeps going strong.

297 Votes

What happens if and when you mess something up real bad?

Asked by Gene over 5 years ago

We are all human and mistakes happen. At the end of the day if a mistake has been made in a design job make sure the job has been officially signed off by the client. I always make sure I check, double check and triple check and then when I send to the client I tell them in the email to check everything carefully as I will not be responsible for errors once approved and signed off. This usually gets them to proof it with a fine tooth comb as they realise that once they approve the job it is in their hands. I remember back in the 80's when I designed record sleeves, a cover was approved and went to print. When the all records got delivered the producer picked up the sleeve the correct way up and the vinyl record fell out the bottom ...lol. Luckily I was just the designer and not the artworker ...there was a difference back then when computers were not used. I was the one that designed the covers on a sketch pad with felt pens, then I went to a photoshoot with the band ...then the actual final artwork was done by an artwork department that placed everything into the cutter guides etc. A very different process than nowadays. So the artworker had mistakenly indicated the front cover to be placed the wrong way up. No one checked and it went to print. They all had to be printed again... the record company was not happy at all but l was not to blame. In todays industry us designers have to make sure everything is checked carefully. I once did a typo on an advert (a number was missed off the telephone number). I did not spot it and the client did not spot it and the advert went to print. The client noticed it once it was in the magazine and was not happy at all and was on to me by email straightaway and wanted his money back. I apologised but pointed out my email had said that "to check everything carefully as I will not be responsible for errors once approved and signed off". He apologised and admitted he did not check properly ... but I also apologised too as it was my fault I had missed the number (but actually I think it was cut and paste from his text and he was the one that missed it). But anyway I value my clients and gave him the next design job for free as compensation, even though it was not entirely my fault. This was about 7 years ago and til this day he is still my client. So at the end of the day, no matter whose fault the mistake is, always keep the client happy as it will be to your benefit in the end.

296 Votes