Whether completely innocent, ignorance or downright disrespectful, graphic designers hear the most incredible things. 

Making light of some of the most commonly heard things graphic designers hate to hear, the guys laugh and rant about their most memorable and favourite.

Rants, stories, laughs, and sharing the most powerful way for graphic designers to stop getting taken advantage of is only a download away. 

 00:00:00
Can you Photoshop it as a magic eraser because it all, yeah. You just Photoshop. It's become such. I've been troubled with the law. Can you just Photoshopping your listing to the angry designer? It's up to you? 

 00:00:34
What are you doing, buddy? Are you doing good? Good, Joey. Day's always yes. Very good day. Excellent. 

 00:00:42
Right? Kind of life is good. Really? We can't complain. Nope. We have a good time. We have a good team. We do things that we love guests. Wow. 

 00:00:50
Right? We've got good clients, great clients smokes. They would never say nasty things to us. No. 

 00:00:57
Well, what's funny is because over the years when you start, you take any clients. Yeah. Right. Very, very few people have the opportunity to hand pick the clients. The more you go, the more confident you get, the more competent in your abilities, your skills, your reputation. You get to a point where you can actually pick your clients. And, and whether it's by industry, by niche, by referral only that's the sweet spot. Unfortunately, to get to that, Mandy, you have to go through how you go through clients that will like just take every last little bit of money and blood from you. You know, like, you. 

 00:01:36
Know, I'm calling you on the weekends, 

 00:01:38
Sir, I'm barely making minimum wage right now that you promise to deliver this to me, by the way, add this to that. Like the scope creep people, or like, and the people that they don't. 

 00:01:52
Nope. Really? Nope. Yeah. Yeah. They just, they work constantly. So you should too. Right. 

 00:01:57
Or, or they feel entitled because they're flipping the bill and then you have to listen to them. There's a lot of like, warning signs. Yes. Customers. Right. Again, it's the ones that, to them, it's not a relationship. Yes. Right. You are just a vendor. Yeah. Do what they say. The reality is in our industry, it is a relationship. Yeah. The relationships are the ones that actually work best work longest. If you want, you have the choice to work on the weekend or late nights, you don't know. 

 00:02:27
Yes. It doesn't feel like an obligation to do that. You do that because you're helping out a buddy. Oh, I'm sorry. 

 00:02:33
Absolutely. Right. I think those are the best customers and those are the customers. We are fortunate right now because that's what our agency is full. I don't think that there's a single customer that we roll our eyes. No, for right. Like seriously, it's just like, Oh, okay. Yeah, bring it on. Bring it on. It's good. However, along the way. Yeah. We've had some real doozies. No. Oh yes. And, and I think, you've got a few things here that, I think you can point out on experiences that you've had some of these customers, right? Yes. And warning signs, 

 00:03:04
Warning signs, things, that a really bad client would say to you as a designer, and again, I would like to stress, 

 00:03:15
Yeah. We don't have this problem. We are. 

 00:03:17
One of the issues we did have. It's just kind of a bit of a joke in the industry. For the most part, nobody ever says these things to us, but coming up, we've all heard these, right. 

 00:03:32
Oh my God. I think we've all who've been there. Have heard this one way or another. And for the ones who haven't yes. Be prepared. You will hear this. 

 00:03:44
Things like, we haven't finished writing the copy, but can you design a draft? 

 00:03:52
Of course. Right. That's kind of up there with, we don't know what we want and we haven't decided a theme yet. We don't. 

 00:03:59
Know what we want, but we'll know it when we see. 

 00:04:02
It. I mean, copy that's that can totally make or break it totally can hold the purpose without the cop. Oh yeah, absolutely. Yeah, exactly. How do you, how do you start? Yeah. Yeah. Where do you start from that? That's like start building our pitch deck, but we haven't given you anything yet. Do where to start? We trust you. We trust you. Just go, just go. Or, or I love it when they're like, you're the designer. You should know. You should know. 

 00:04:33
Exactly like Holy cow. Oh, that's a good one. Another one that's awesome. Can I get you to whip up something really. 

 00:04:42
Quick? Just do something. 

 00:04:45
Just like really quick, like it's like your Harry Potter or something like that. A brick design. 

 00:04:52
Yeah. They're looking for, and the thing is, if it's not, what the best is when you're foolish enough to agree to this, and then you give it to them and they do this. Oh, that's not quite what I was looking for. This is not what I wanted to give you. 

 00:05:13
Oh my Lord. That's just bad. That is, that is bad. Yeah. What pressure to put on somebody anyway, but good Lord. This is one of my favorites because, this is just such a, it can you put it in a format that we can edit because what that means, right? 

 00:05:35
Oh, that means we're Oh my God. That's yeah. That's yeah. Right. So, and like, don't worry about creative cloud, I know where you use professional tools must be good. A lot of people use it. Yes. Why? 

 00:05:56
I don't understand. I don't it speaking of just as a side note, if you have you used Google docs, probably you have, Oh yeah, absolutely. I think that's better than words. It not? I hate to say that, but it's a funny thing, what I mean? Like has lots of little, a lot less of the bowl. It doesn't crash nearly as much. Exactly. It's just a little more intuitive, But anyway, yeah. That's that one is, you know? Yeah. I built it inDesign or. 

 00:06:30
I use illustrator for the icon. I used Photoshop for the imagery. I use it, in design to lay it all out, but just let me give it to you. 

 00:06:41
Yeah. Could you dump it into a bag and put it in words, grinder or something? Holy geez. Oh. Why, why, or this is, I like this one. I don't want to share with you what I'm thinking is I don't want to hinder your creativity. That is brilliant. Wow. So, so just let me guess at what's in your head. 

 00:07:04
And, and if you don't give me any preliminary ideas of what you're thinking, there is not a single thing. I can show you that you're going to be asked with exam until I figure out what the hell's in your head forever. Yeah. 

 00:07:16
That's right. Regardless how ridiculous it is. You're the funny thing about that is, if you do hurt, hear what the person or the person does tell you what they're thinking. Yeah. You, you can get an idea of where to go. That's better because of your. 

 00:07:32
Right. Hey, you know what it happens. Honestly, that relationship part, this is the importance of that relationship. Tell me what your thinking is. Even if I don't think it'll work, if I don't put it on paper for you to see whether it works or not, they won't accept anything else. What, how many times that happened? No. Tell me if there's an idea in your head. Yeah. Yeah. We'll, we'll get that out of the way. It doesn't mean I'm going to use that one. Yeah. I'll try that copy first, and either, make it work or realize it's a flop because I mean, again, no matter what, if it's in their head, they're thinking it's the shit. Yes. They think it's really good. So yeah. You've got to address that. 

 00:08:11
You certainly do. Yeah. Yeah. That's a classic. Oh, and can you Photoshop it? Oh, the magic eraser. It does it all. Yeah. You just Photoshop and you just Photoshop that it's become such. I've been troubled with the lock and you just fold a sharp, ? Yeah. Photoshop fixes everything. Right. Shot my past sometimes. Woo. Can you Photoshop it as a magic eraser? It does it all. Yeah. You can just Photoshop. Just Photoshop. The logo created and you just Photoshop. Yeah. It's become such. Yeah. I've been troubled with the lock and you just Photoshop fix this. Everything would be good. Just crop that person right out of there. Can you make, can I make just one more change and then I promise it'll be. 

 00:09:26
Just, just, I promise it's the last promise will be the last. 

 00:09:31
Fingers crossed behind their back. Yeah. Yeah. 

 00:09:34
This is why, your file names are John DOE underscore final. John DOE underscore final V two. John Doerr. Final V five underscore dammit, V five underscores. Dammit. Hey, hate my life. 

 00:09:57
But they're all in the final folder. There's seven jobs in the file folder. Yeah. That's, that's always funny except when you're living it. Oh, can you use this image? I found online, 

 00:10:15
Right? 

 00:10:16
Oh, I had, when they ask. 

 00:10:17
You that, because I mean, it's wrong. 

 00:10:19
On all loud. Yes. That's so bad. 

 00:10:22
Eyes quality. Do they ever notice that a lot of those images even have watermarks on them? It's exactly just Photoshop. 

 00:10:32
I did stuff like that. This guy, one place I've worked a long time ago. He had this really cool image and it was pretty interesting, but I swear to God Moss, it was four inches and he wanted it in a poster. 

 00:10:47
I want this to be the backdrop of our trade show. 

 00:10:50
Yes, exactly. Exactly. I was just like, I try to explain to them that it doesn't work that way, 

 00:10:58
Holy cow, 

 00:11:01
Here's a good one. Can you make the logo, 

 00:11:04
Make the logo? 

 00:11:08
Yes. Make the logo bigger. I'm sure. 

 00:11:10
We've all heard this at one point or another, right? Like this is the most in tight white space and it, we're paying for that space. Make the local bigger. Everything is good. I just want the logo bigger. Yes. Yeah, exactly. While you're at it, just make it bigger than the message small. 

 00:11:30
Right. Take out that white space. Exactly. Like you said, because white space, you know that doesn't so bad. Yeah, yeah. Or the artwork or the message, that's I look at it. It's the logo is the cherry on the sundae, right. It's nice. It's it? It's there. It's not the whole Sunday. It's not, there's a lot of other stuff inside to have a journey to that logo. Right. It's the ice cream, the nuts, ? yes. That's a good one. One that I really like here is can you make it, 

 00:12:03
Can you make it pop along with making it sexy? Sexy? That's a good one too. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Like sexy. I'm going to change our company brand our model logo too. We make things pop in a sexy way. Oh, I like that. I think I found that on. I saw that on like coroner. So sounds like it should be. Yeah. That's definitely. 

 00:12:32
He is a, that's a good one all by God. Yeah. 

 00:12:35
It sounds like it's it should be something in appropriately. Make it pop in a sexy. It is so inappropriate. 

 00:12:43
The thing that really kind of is the most upsetting I think is the vague people, right? They don't, they never tell you what it is they're looking for. You know, like that's so sad. He just, help me, help you, help me to help you. If you have, if you have a clear and concise brief, it helps reduce your revisions of your costs. Of course. Right. They need to figure that out. Exactly. Yes. And that makes everybody, 

 00:13:11
Or you know what? I love it. When, when they're like, I'm coming to you, I was going to get my logo on Fiverr or 99 designs, but I didn't like their hours. So I'm coming to you. Right off the bat, I'm glad they've valued what we can do. 

 00:13:32
Yes, exactly. I find that, you look on that site. There's a lot of stuff that looks the same. Do what I mean? Like, or is that just me? 

 00:13:41
Oh no, man. What? It looks the same because they're all copying each other's stuff. That what it is? Their own? Oh, it looks the same interests. All the same. They all, they all bought the same clip art 2000 book and they all just slapped new logo or new titles underneath it. Wow. Okay. Good. You guys don't like internet or, lightening internet or final internet. 

 00:14:08
Yeah. Yeah. I guess they just w what do they do? They just swap out the clients' names if somebody was to hire them. Yeah, absolutely. Oh boy. 

 00:14:16
Oh yeah. Just don't tell a designer that you were looking on fire thought of them. Exactly. I was looking on fiber. I thought of you let's do some work. Yeah. 

 00:14:27
Cause there's no thought or love. 

 00:14:31
Nothing at all. Yes. Oh geez. 

 00:14:35
You know, another thing that's really good. It goes along with that word, the word document that they send you, the clip art stuff. You remember clip art, but I'll see that crappies, he put the seat here is a great chart I found. And it's cut. It's good. That stupid looking guy with a white, the white, the little we've all seen that guy. Oh God. That's just so bad. So we just can't do this stuff. Come on people. Yeah. The word format that's always good. I just, I have to go back to that. Cause that's just so, that's so funny. No kidding. It just. 

 00:15:16
There's there's just no love for the designer. No, there's just not the right people. Don't they think that they undervalue what the designer can do. Yeah. 

 00:15:24
Yes. Right, exactly. That's totally, that's totally true. I read a study, 43% of existing jobs will disappear in the next 20 years, which is kind of an alarming, thought. Right. I just, I heard a story, a news story on the CBC, about, Loblaws is starting to dry or starting to do roll out their, automated trucks. Oh, geez. Right. So this is a thing. This is like there's 20 years who knows what jobs are going to be around. So, do you think designers will survive? 

 00:15:58
Oh, I think, what, it's funny. This is, this is such a thing. I think designers will survive because I think designers the good ones. Yes. The good, the only ones that can think, they don't have biases. They're not programmed. I mean, there's so many things that we have to do. We have to problem solve and it's not just equation. It's not just a plus B equals C problem solving. Right. There's so many factors from, everything from the, I don't even, where are we want to go with this with the people that are involved with the places, with the type of job it is, with what the market is like, I mean, we have to be reactive and I think, like AI and all that stuff, it can only do so much. Yes. That's exactly what, no matter what AI, it lacks is empathy. Yes. And that's what the designer brings. 

 00:16:43
That's exactly how to problem solve. In order to problem solve properly, we have to ask the right questions. Right. We have to listen to those questions. Unfortunately not every question comes the same way. Exactly. So I get that. Yes. Right. Won't get that. No. We have to, the good designers will have to listen very carefully, right. Try to listen, to understand, not just to respond. Yes. Once they finally do understand, and apply, empathy, understanding what the problem is, understanding the end users, issues and how to solve that. That's, that's the value of the designer. So, you know what fine. If AI wants to then create a thousand variations of a logo, power to it. And then the thing is it's AI. Yes. It's not very, it's not going to be able to think creatively. It just puts things together. It's not going to be able to ask the right questions. 

 00:17:40
It's not, Hey, I could be wrong in a hundred years. Maybe it'll get to that point. 

 00:17:45
Yeah. Yeah. I would it's execution versus thinking is what it is, what we bring to the table. 

 00:17:55
Absolutely. A hundred percent. Yes. As good as it is. It can't think and understand and empathize, there's no, yeah. I, I'm not as worried. I think the scope of our job might change the execution, like you said will change. Interesting. I don't think, I think we're solid. Yeah. At least in our lifetime anyway, the next generation urinals. 

 00:18:17
Yeah. Because there's plenty of tools and websites and things like that will do, Oh, I know. I know the podcast, and faster and cheaper, but you don't get experience. Do what I mean? That's the kind of thing that I think that, those sites lack. 

 00:18:39
Absolutely. They do. Right. They can put all those, the tools together. Right. Cause they'll say the same things. What industry are you in? What, three words best describe, your company, what this, and then it just takes it and just matches images, names to that shitty trendy fonts. Right. That we would never recommend. 

 00:19:00
Yeah, exactly. Right. Imagine if you did that to a client, Oh, give me three things and I'll make a logo local. You and you're like, what a hell? No, I don't think. 

 00:19:12
So. Give me three of your favorite fruits. 

 00:19:16
I will, I will come up with a logo for you. Yes. The thinking is the key go back to that logo that you recently designed? 

 00:19:29
Yes. There was reversed. Right? How we actually put a word upside down yeah. 

 00:19:35
And sold it to the client. And I mean, it looked awesome. Absolutely cool. That's the kind of thing that I don't think machine learning or Fiverr or anybody like this would come up with this kind of stuff. You're right. What I mean? That's the beauty of what we do. Yeah. Shit. Just talk, just appreciate the designer or just don't, get us a little respect. 

 00:20:08
It was a little bit of respect. We, we actually have your interests in mind and if you hire a graphic designer who doesn't do your fault, only willing to pay them a hundred dollars for a logo that's wrong. Expect don't expect. Exactly. 

 00:20:22
Although I did hear, the woman who designed the Nick did you hear about that? She got, they gave her like stocks later on. 

 00:20:32
Oh, they did. Yes. Which. 

 00:20:34
Was pretty awesome because what was it like 30 bucks. 

 00:20:37
They could nothing, but actually they. 

 00:20:40
Did, they had a big ceremony. It was like 10 years later or something like that, where they actually presented the woman who designed law with stocks in the new respect for that. That's pretty cool and awesome. But, but you could see people saying it's just a stupid smoosh, right? Oh, everybody does. Everybody thinks it's a brand identifier. Right. Everybody knows what do think globally. You're right. Or you're right. Well, that's cool that they did that. I know. I know. I just thought the fact somebody share the love with the designer, but they get a shade under the understand what that means, 

 00:21:19
Right? Yeah. Yeah. So share the love with your designer. 

 00:21:23
I like that. Yeah. Give him a hug. Give him or her a big hug. If you're getting the word. 

 00:21:30
Better yet. Just randomly go up to a designer and hug them. Just do that. Just do that. 

 00:21:36
Let's do that. Please do that. Please, please. He, he, or she will appreciate that. 

 00:21:40
I appreciate their work. 

 00:21:43
Sorry buddy. Yeah, that was good. Oh my God. Excellent. Pretty funny. Thank you for letting me rant. Wow. 

 00:21:48
This is a good rant. I think this is amazing. I'm sure we'll have more of these. 

 00:21:52
The best part of this is I'm so glad we don't hear a lot of this. 

 00:21:56
And for the record we are blessed. We really are. We have had to put up with how to get to this point yet. We have got the most awesome most registered customers and yeah. Power to it. I feel sorry for all of you still have this road. Yeah. And don't be scared to say no. I think that is the most powerful word that we have ever learned. Yeah. Yeah. Seriously. That's true. Knowing when to say no and it's hard even now. Sometimes it's hard. Yes, it is. It is. Learn how to say no. Yes. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. 

 00:22:31
All right. Awesome. All right, buddy. All right. I guess we are out here.