So last week I see a job ticket come through for a logo design at work ... boss talked to the guy ... tells me he does high-end wall coverings (I'm thinking faux finish stuff ... really meant wallpaper guy) Wants truck done, biz cards, an ad designed (due today), t-shirts, etc. Has an "idea" half sketched on wrinkled paper ... kinda looks like...
//_ //__)esigns /_/\)rtistic
Turns out the name is Artistic Designs So I quick up a few designs (starting point), a victorian kinda swirly one ,an art deco-ish and one with his shape thingy.
Client doesn't like any because he had something else in mind ... more like fonts he has ... OK, then let me see what you want. A few days later boss calls him back and he forgot to send examples of the fonts but will send his wife over to explain what he wants to me.
She comes and gives me a disk of fonts, star-trek fonts (one is nothing but ships)... um, o-o-k, smile and nod. Explains to me that it says esigns rtistic because the designs is supposed to be behind artistic and the shape is the other letters... then it gets kinda weird ... she pulls these crystals out of her bag that are shaped like what she wants the design to look like ... shows me how you can see the colors change if you put one in front of the other ... oooo, smile and nod. Sat with her for a while in front of computer making sure shapes and colors were "just right". Then I later made up some letters to go with it ... the way I think "they" want it. (Nice people, just kinda clueless)
She comes back today to bring the copy for the ad (which is due to publisher today) ... loves the final logo, just perfect, we've been a joy to work with, yadayada:) What size is the ad?... nobody knows. Type it up and wait to size it ... eventually pdf it to somewhere. Everybody's happy ... I guess ... but I could be wrong about ... THIS Now close your eyes, can you still see it?
Oh, after I e-mailed the ad we got a call back ... it's a black an white ad Posted by DianeBalch (Member # 1301) on :
If the name of Their company is Artistic Designs, why did they hire you to do their logo?
diane
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Beam me up Scotty, no signs of intelligent life down here.
Posted by Chris Elliott (Member # 1262) on :
Hey Mark,
Congratulations on a job well done!! (and a tale well told)
As I started through your story, at first I thought "What the....??", since part of me was thinking about how I'd react in your situation. Then as I continued I started to smile. When I got to the part where you said "(Nice people, just kinda clueless)" I broke into a big grin & finished the story. Nice ending!! Then I just sat back in my chair and just...wondered for a bit. (thanks to Steve Nuttle, now I've got a name for what it is I do from time to time )
Unusual customer, hmmm..... at several points along the way, I might have blown them off myself. But in the end, everybody was happy. (you did get paid,...right? ) While it's not something I'd want for myself, you did a good job of giving them what THEY wanted & were paying for. You also solved a tough design problem in a creative way. (yes, I can still see it when I close my eyes )
I've always enjoyed your work & your style so once again, Congratulations on a job well done! Posted by Myra Grozinger (Member # 327) on :
I second what everybody else is saying. You brought me a little joy in letting me see that it can all end well. An example for those tricky moments. And yes, you made Lemonade with the lemons they brought you. I am not missing the little tongue in the smiley, and am still laughing about the b/w.
Thanks for telling - I needed that
Posted by Mark Matyjakowski (Member # 294) on :
For what it's worth (which at this point is absolutely nothing ... no one will ever see these again) these were my first (rejected) ideas Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
As others have said, good job working within the serious constraints given. BTW, your designs are so superior it's humorous, but you did make it work for them. The color helps a lot, so besides the ad mentioned, I hope they keep the color in it.
Here's somethin similar I posted on another board. A little too wierd to post here untill now. One of those client concepts that sounded like trouble from the get go. I was trying to plan out a diplomatic way to turn it down, & thought I'd try playing the budget card, asking his expectations to use his low figure to turn him away, but he said he thought $500 would be fair for a design. Well, that shut me up & I decided I could design a propane tank into a pineapple with flames for the greenery on top.
here it is:
The tops looked wierd in flame colors, so made them green & added a firey sun.
Posted by Mike Languein (Member # 319) on :
When I first saw the title of the post I thought it must be about Jim Donohue . . .
Doug - flames with Propane tanks??? Stay away from that guy - I bet he's heavily insured!
I wish I could post pics - I did one last week that I felt I saved well, and would like to share... Oh, well . . .
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Yeah that guy with the flaming gas tank showed up with no hair. wonder how that happened?
You callin' Radar wierd? & new? He's got that old-skool wierdness, but I guess he is new here..
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
) ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
) While it's not something I'd want for myself, you did a good job of giving them what THEY wanted & were paying for. You also solved a tough design problem in a creative way. (yes, I can still see it when I close my eyes ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
