designer woes

let me just put this out there – design, to many, is not just a hobby. to most, it's a livelihood, a career; a means to feed the family or pay the bills. just because design might seem like arts, it doesn't mean the work isn't worth the money. we're not just talking simple cut-and-paste work here. we're talking the breakdown of a brief, the understanding of a client's needs and the hours of perfecting a piece of work.

from day one of design school right till now, i've seen and heard of nightmare clients who offer rock bottom prices for a design, and in worse cases, even ask for something to be done free. and when a work is produced, they'd ask for 'quick change' here and there. changes are never quick, nor are they ever minor tweaks. what may seem like a little difference on the surface could involve layers and hours of editing on the designer's end.

there are also two reasons one would approach a designer:
1. he/she is an acquaintance (or friend/family member) and you think it's okay to shuck their services for free
2. you think his/her work is good and you want a piece of it

sometimes the two overlap in a venn diagram, which can make it even more tricky. you'd think since you're on friendly terms, a piece of work should cost peanuts – and what's a little helping hand when someone's in need, right? or you might even say you don't have much of a budget to work with, so you request for rock-bottom prices.

but here's the thing. when you ask a designer to churn out something for you, this requires a thought process and time to produce work. so why would anyone think it's okay to ask for things for free?

the next time your tv breaks down and you call a technician in to repair it, try suggesting a 25% discount off his services becos you don't have a budget. we'll see how long he stays in your house. just becos someone is good at what he/she does, doesn't mean it should be done for free.

sure, if something is done for free, you could argue that the client could provide publicity. but free advertising doesn't pay the bill, and it definitely won't pay you for the hours you've put in for this particular piece of work.

please, have a little respect for the designers around you.