Graphic artists are such mean scum. How do you deal with them?

Question

For those of you who work in broadcast industry know what I am talking about.

Answer 1

Mean? I don't know if I'd go that far but arrogant and cocky, you bet!

Time to play devils advocate:

Turn things around, you have someone that wants you to do something for them. They tell you what it's for and how it will be used. You come up with all kinds of drafts that will work fine for their needs yet they find something's missing and start telling you how it should look. Cool, you're getting a better idea of what they want but what they want is crap. There will be problems when it's reduced for print, (Parts of it will turn into blobs of ink.) and they want too much for such a simple thing. (Not realizing that sometimes less is actually more) Now as the designer it's your job to make them happy while still doing a usable gig. Also keep in mind that it's YOUR NAME that's going to go along with it and if it's crap that's what you will be associated with. So you try and steer them into a different direction, try and simplify things if needed, and try to do the best thing you possibly can with what you're given all while keeping your rep and giving the customer what they want at the same time. Sound easy?

Sometimes you can't win and yes some artists will start getting an attitude. Doing this kind of work can get very frustrating. I agree that there are some unbarable people to work with. (I admit I've been a hard *** at times myself because what they wanted was complete junk. There are times you have to stick to your guns!) But at the same time the customer isn't always right!

You can sit there and tell a customer until you're blue in the face why what they want won't work right and how it should look for it to do what they want but you're still wrong because "Someone else can do it," the way they wanted.So what do you do? Drop the gig and let them take it to someone else? (Sometimes yes, but bow out gracefully.) Or do you keep plugging away because you don't want to lose the gig and the pay check that comes with it? (And tell them that your name can't be mentioned with it?) You also have to realize that that paycheck has been stretched thin and if things keep going the way they are you're now working for nothing. (If the deal was made before work started.) But you finish to save face.

Oh yeah I forgot, don't forget that everything had to be done YESTERDAY!

While this may not pertain to the broadcast indutry as much it still gives you an idea of what a designer goes through in a Readers Digest version.

Now knowing what you know now how do you think you should approach them with a job? Are you being cool about things or being overly demanding. Think about it, the two of you have to work together to get things done.

If you can honestly say you have nothing to do with triggering their attitude then you need to find new people. But if you can't, well.......

Answer 2

Well folks,
I don't think you can put us all
in one little miserable group.
I think that most of us have
enough sense to come
out of the rain, anyway.
And we are probably more
open-minded about life and such.
We just have more of a free-spirit
than the rest of you.
I would hate to live such a miserable
little existence, and besides,
this is a much more pleasant way
to tell you that I believe that
insanity must run in your family,
"out the front door & down the street"
considered that you were produced
by your parents.
How's that for a insult, gentlemen?

Answer 3

The Blame- Game Freelancer

Is This You?
It is never, ever your fault. Anytime a project goes wrong you find blame everywhere but on your own shoulders. Most often blame winds up at your client’s feet, often leading to bad relations. Whether it’s because the copy writer didn’t get you the text for the site soon enough, or because the legacy system was badly written or because the client’s brief was poor, somehow there is always some other cause to your woes.

The Highs:
You get to feel self-righteous. Because you are constantly searching for evidence of where others have dropped the ball, you always feel vindicated. You never need to improve because as far as you’re concerned, you’re already perfect.

The Lows:
Clients will get very upset when you tell them it’s their fault. By finding fault elsewhere you often can’t see a way to improve things yourself, leaving you feeling powerless.

Answer 4

I think you are generalizing. You obviously had a bad experience. But frankly, I've met "mean scum" in every other field also. In my experience, we (graphic designers) are a fun lot. Mean? No. Scum? No. Passionate? Yes. Professional integrity? Yes.

As can be said for any group of people "one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch."

Shame on you.

Answer 5

I'm not in a broadcast industry but I do know many fellow Graphic artists and most of us really are a pain. Usually if you just feed their ego a little they'll leave you alone, though you've got to be sure not to let them think they are superior to you for it they usually already act that way, it'd be terrible to add to it.
Good luck.

Answer 6

.Thats right,put yourself in there,whatever it takes.In your own personel life you take whats yours,so to all in this conflict,dont just fill the chambers for others to pull the trigger,get of your backside and do both jobs.Get in the thick of it,see it first hand without a yahoo link,live with it,breathe with it,a world of posessions or living in a materialistic world is then second to your beliefs.They need funding,and many basic item that you can take with you and get back whats yours the only way open.Every little helps,and seeing us living with this western decadence should change.Help at grass root level,the need to follow and even up the political by standers,cars are useless without fuel,and there wont be any so sell them of first,time to act not play pc news games.Floor level,the place to start

Answer 7

You, apparently, don't know any real artists.

Answer 8

they really are, i married mine, still haven't tamed her...
and she keeps trying to train me like some kind of critter.
but i love her and she keeps telling me she loves me....

Answer 9

up urs i am an artist