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Rant: how little others care about appearance

visual800

visual800

Active Member
I have always tried to do clean and precise art for the client I was working for. I have always then tried to relay that onto their signs and any printed items I ordered for them. I do not see this much anymore. Even Ad agencys are kicking out crap these days. We seem to have either changed the way we do layouts or I am old and live in a time gone by when good art just needs to be put to rest.

I have seen brochures that were done by local print companies that were horrendous. Alot of the vehicle lettering I see now is a circus orgy of fonts and alot of the time I lose interest in who it is cause it is so bad. I want to look at a damn van and see a name....what you do....and a contact number. BOOM. DONE. Yes thats old skool but that should never take a backseat to how layouts are are done.

Ive lost quite a few jobs last 2 years because of my opinions and brash comments about bad layouts when I am presented with people sending me layouts they did or a relative did. If its horrible I say it is. I tell clients "You really don't want to do this" only given then the response of "My son did this or my daughter who is taking art at college did this. I make no apologies only try to educate and tell them skill means everything. i'm certainly not the best BUT I feel that I know what might work for them and their business. These comments I make are not taken lightly and the job is taken elsewhere, because they get offended. It hurts....only for a while, then we all move on.

I recently was asked by a local News Talk Show guy to do him a logo. I did several and he didnt like. I went back to the drawing board and kicked out 4-5 more and he still didn't like. What he ended up with was absolutely horrible. I cannot fathom WTH some people are thinking when they compare crap to good and go with crap. Again, I get butthurt and then I move on. I'm human and I do care about clients' appearance.

I'm ranting because our town is being transformed into CRAP. Our economy sucks and I see more and more junk on signs I wouldnt have allowed to leave my shop. It's almost like an epidemic. you never realize just how bad signs can make your city look until it has become a virus that has spread throughout
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
This is what I've learned over the years: Cheap wins every time.

Good friend owns a gun shop and here is what he said: "Guys will make a 300+ mile loop in their brand new F350 going to a bunch of gun shops just to save 20 bucks". "Then brag to their buddies what a good deal they got":banghead:

If artwork is supplied and it's usable without any "fixing" I'm good to go. Gotten to the point that I like the money better than occupying the high ground.

In essence I am part of the problem, but I no longer have the desire to fight the rising tide.

Sad, as I went back to school to improve my skills.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
The whole sign/design/advertising world is riddled with this level of creativity. From newspaper ads to even the silly jingles on the radio. People doing radio ads have lousy voices, don't enunciate, pronounce or use proper grammar. How would anyone think translating this into 2D art would be any different ??

We're seeing a complete decline for our language, appearance and integrity through our communications. When communications fail.... so does society.

Our streets are cluttered with perfectly made horrible signs and banners to truck lettering. No one has a sense of balance, let alone flow for the average viewer. Everyone wants the entire litany of their whole complete business transformed onto their truck, their sign and business cards.

Look at some of the threads here and notice what some people come with when their customers get involved.... or you as the designer allows the customer to call the shots. This stuff is laughable and pitiful at the same time. When you see this, it makes you cringe and wonder how some of these people are in this business, then you wonder...... if these people can't make it..... how can that end-user's nephew or next door neighbor be any better ??

Just don't lower your standards. There will always be a call for the good professional mechanics out there, as you must already see. Most of our customers want the stuff they can depend on and that's why they put their money.... and FAITH in you.
 
nikdoobs

nikdoobs

New Member
The majority of our clients have TERRRRRIBLE taste. If you want to survive in this business you must contribute to the uglification of your city. I'm going put up a stretched logo for a hospital today because they refused to buy it if it was to scale. :banghead:
 
HDvinyl

HDvinyl

Trump 2020
Do you think barbers like giving mullet haircuts? No, but they don't turn away the money.

Do it your way until you can't afford to anymore, then start giving out the mullets.








))))))))))))))))))))))))sorry Old Paint.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
HDvinyl said:
Do you think barbers like giving mullet haircuts? No, but they don't turn away the money.

Do it your way until you can't afford to anymore, then start giving out the mullets.








))))))))))))))))))))))))sorry Old Paint.
Click to expand...


Yeah, but in two weeks a bad haircut grows out and no more problems. A bad sign, business card.... let alone a truck, you're stuck with that for a very long time.
 
Billct2

Billct2

Active Member
perfectly made horrible signs
Click to expand...
Yep. That's where the digital age screwed us, they worst design in the world will "computer perfect" which somehow translates into a "great design". Saw one this morning with a guys headshot photo on his sign, he's ugly & scary looking in the photo but I bet he loves seeing his mug up there. And why a convenience store needs a pic of the owner I'll never know.
 
Marlene

Marlene

New Member
years ago the only stuff you saw out there was done by someone in the business. it didn't mean everything was beautiful as there have always been hacks out there. when there was more good than bad, the bad really stood out. now that anyone can draw up something on a computer more and more bad stuff is out there to the point where it is the new normal. people have become used to seeing garbage and when they see more of it, it looks OK to them.
 
reQ

reQ

New Member
I always ask client - Do you want something that looks cool in your opinion, or something that WILL WORK & bring business? Usually don't have issues explaining but yeah, sometimes its pain the the butt.
 
Jillbeans

Jillbeans

New Member
I am to the point of being ready to have a nervous breakdown.
I wish I didn't care about the appearance of what I produce. I hate having to tiptoe around a bad design someone brings me to reproduce.
I drive down the street here and I see signs that are so ugly that they actually hurt my feelings.
The people who bought them never even asked me to quote on them, because all they care about is the price of the sign.
I wish I could detach my feelings from my job...but if I did, I would be as guilty as anyone cranking out computer ugly.
Love....Jill
 
Solventinkjet

Solventinkjet

DIY Printer Fixing Guide
To be a successful sign maker you used to need to be either a skilled craftsman(sign painting, wood work etc.) or have $25,000 burning a hole in your pocket to get into digital printing. In either case having design skills was a prerequisite to justify the time and money you needed to spend to make money at it. Now anybody can pick up a used printer for a couple grand or a new one for around $10,000 and you get a lot of newbies trying to make a quick buck and learn at the same time. The problem is not everyone is meant to be a designer and the people trying to make a quick buck aren't going to go out and hire someone(and pay them fairly) who is a designer. Thus I predict we will continue to see designs made in MS Publisher and MS paint hastily stuck to cheap substrates covering our cities indefinitely.
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Well then, why is it, after doctors and dentists get their diploma and certificates, they're still considered practicing ?? Even decades later ??


I swear, some of them never catch on and bungle everything that comes down the pike. And don't get me started on practicing lawyers...... biggest bunch of a$$hats there are on the planet. :covereyes:
 
SebastienL

SebastienL

New Member
Billct2 said:
I don't think so, they require a degree and licensing to ply their trade.
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I have dealt with both trades..... Degrees and licensing don't mean squat. One can be drunk for the total duration of their university years and still get a degree. Licenses can be bought.
 
WildWestDesigns

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
SebastienL said:
...Scary thing is there are probably similar discussions going on in architecture and engineering forums...
Click to expand...

I can tell you that they are happening in embroidery forums. I know my dad complains about it within his field (tax/contract law). It happens no matter what field you are talking about.

Most people blame computers, I think in part that's true, but it really boils down to knowledge. Yes, computers make people without knowledge (or very little) go further then if it wasn't there, but make no mistake, you had less then stellar participants in all fields before tech. This isn't a new issue either. I remember Vector Doctor posting on his FB page a documentary on the beginnings of Ai and one of the brains behind the program said that people even then were complaining about how that will ruin it for those that have truly honed their craft. You still have stellar people outperforming with these new tool. Cream will rise to the top.

I personally like being able to do things now on computers from conceptual sketches to digitized works, but make no mistake, I can do things by hand (and still do for gifts). Unfortunately, in my trade, the vast majority of people do not want to pay for what it will cost to do things by hand and unfortunately, I don't have Hand & Lock's tradition nor client list. So be thankfully that y'all still have that option.

Billct2 said:
I don't think so, they require a degree and licensing to ply their trade.
Click to expand...

It does. The mere fact of passing a degree or paying for a license won't tell a person that you were at the bottom of the barrel. It just means that you at least met some minimal standard. Even then, I've known licensed people to not do things on the up and up and do hack work.
 
Rick

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
B

BIG EASY DOES IT

New Member
I take care of myself just fine thank you.....
 

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