“Times are tough and money’s tight. And since business is slow and “Sally” in the front office has time on her hands, we thought we’d just get the software, so that she can make those changes, or set up that brochure, or design our new logo and while she’s at it, set up our new stationery too. I mean, she is pretty artistic, right?”
Sound familiar? Well, considering the pressures to save money and keep people busy if possible, I guess we can’t really blame them for trying to save some money. Of course we designers face those same pressures and are struggling to keep ourselves busy too, but there’s more to the story, like maybe they’re not going to save as much as they thought. So the next time one of your clients asks about the software you used to create their brochure, maybe, in addition to answering their question, you also give them the whole story. Something like this:
Yes, Ms. Client, I just used InDesign to layout your brochure, but I also used Illustrator to create those interesting little graphics and I used Photoshop to modify your photos and of course, those fonts that you like so much had to be purchased too. You can also tell her about the amount of time you’ve spent learning how to use these applications, how many years you’ve spent in school learning theory, art history, and effective writing skills. If they really want to work on those files you created for them, they should really get the whole Creative Suite and of course, they’ll need to keep that software up-to-date down the road, so there’s another expense. Probably should get “Sally” a little training too, or at least a month or two subscription to Lynda.com. You could also mention that even though the color palettes are built into the applications, there are some issues that may come up related to colors. Like using colors that work well together, knowing the difference between spot and process colors and how that can make a difference in what the final printed piece looks like. Perhaps you should also explain why the actual printed brochure may not look anything like the “proof” they printed out on their inkjet printer – so they’re not surprised. Has she heard of the Pantone Color Matching system?
I know. It’s hard to explain all this without sounding like you’re whining. Even if you have the best of intentions and are sincerely just trying to be helpful, it won’t sound that way. And if you do give it a try and things don’t work out so well – they probably won’t come back to you for help, for fear you’ll tell them, “I told you so”. So what’s a person to do? I guess I’m still trying to work that one out. In the meantime I’ll continue doing what I’ve done before and say, “Yep, just InDesign.”
