give it up.........he want to do only what he needs to.....get the money))))) to many in the business today do this........i see it everyday.........in signs and vehicles.........lay down a busy background throw some text on it and call it done))))))))
no creativity........
I completely agree with you, but the problem is that most people don't understand design and what draws the eye to actually like something, hence they don't want to pay for it. If I went to 1000 companies and said "I'll create a brand for you, and you have 2 choices...
Choice 1 will cost you $150. It will look like the majority of other logos out there, it won't be anything special, and it won't necessarily set you apart from your competition, but it will at least be something for you.
Choice 2 will cost you $800. It will have it's own unique look. I will spend a few days researching your field and asking questions to your potential customers, and asses what your customers like to see when they look at similar companies images, ie, what colors they prefer, whether or not they like a bold look, or brittle look, etc, and I'll also, give you 5 samples, and when we narrow them all down, we'll start on the revisions for the final look, and we'll discuss some color options for you, and we'll talk about some other things before we close this project out. Almost 100% of people would choose option 1, because of the money. So while I agree with you that people just throw things together, in a way, you can't really blame the guy either.
People just don't understand what good artwork is in general, and when you try to up sell them on option 2, they think you're just trying to get them for more money. I come up with some decent work for my customers, but I've learned not to spend weeks on something, trying to reinvent the wheel. If it's some backyard lawn care company that tried to haggle me for $25 on some magnets last week, you can be sure that I'm not wasting my time trying to be the next Van Gough for them, because I promise they aren't paying $1300 for a car wrap. They're interested in basic lettering, with a .jpg of an actual lawnmower, and their phone number because it's "cheaper and easier" for me to do. They don't care about "good work". They want something quick, and super cheap. I hate it. I despise it actually, but that's just how it is. Most of the time anyway.