How to be the "bad" graphic designer

Yesterday I talked about being a good graphic designer. Today, I will give a list of things, compiled from years of running into this with clients who have used others before they used me.

• Don't give an estimate. Or if you do give an estimate, don't stick to it. Explain that you can't stick to it for various reasons that have nothing to do with the client.
• Ask for the whole fee up-front. This is not a deposit, which I do believe it, but the whole fee. This is followed by not doing the whole job
• Don't complete the job. Don't complete it on time, and don't return phone calls. (I have had many clients say the reason that they went with me was that I did return phone calls, and I was easy to get a hold of.
• Do the job poorly and say that that is the best they can do, and not to complain about it. (I have heard some horror stories about this).
• Keep all the source files and don't hand them over to the clients. (This is always bad. Sometimes the explanation is that they don't want the client messing with the design. Sheesh)
• And finally, check to see if the website you are working on has been updated since the last time you worked on it. Yes, I know that in theory, it shouldn't have been, but clients do sometimes update things, especially if they have Contribute or Dreamweaver, or even, gasp, if they have someone updating their files for them. I have run into several sites where my changes were overwritten because the "designer" got back in, to make a design update and didn't notice the file's content had been updated.
• And finally, and I will touch on this tomorrow, don't use jargon, especially if you know the client doesn't understand it.

That's it. I'm sure there are other freelancers out there that can come up with more.

Comments

[tom]

Thanks for the great tips!
I remember the first website I worked on, I underquoted big time and found myself working hours and hours on the project which came up to less than $5 per hour. But you have to learn somehow.
Thanks Again!

[System Development]

I did hear something about designers that keeps hold of their design for them selves. Nice article.