Unsolicited Design Advice? How to give it?
- Started
- Last post
- 12 Responses
- mg33
I just came across an acquaintance through Facebook who recently started a social media consulting business. It's sort of a new business on top of his already being a music producer / sound engineer. Really nice guy - recorded at his studio years ago but not sure if he'd remember who I am.
Saw something new from him for his site and, you know where this is going... Company name and tagline are all in Comic Sans. Aside from all the things we could joke about with that font, and how much it sucks, part of me really wants to reach out and ask if he needs any design help or tell him why it's such an unprofessional, lazy choice for a business trying to be taken seriously. Even if his customers won't care, there's something to be said for knowing you are confident about your image and the brand you're building.
Have any of you encountered this? Is there a good way to offer unsolicited advice for something like this?
- noneck0
Whenever I've seen acquaintances of mine with terribly designed stuff, I've always felt that if they weren't smart enough to ask for some help from me, it wouldn't be a good idea to volunteer anything.
So no, I wouldn't try to help unless they ask.
- You don't ever want to work with friends or family :)GeorgesII
- mg330
I think I'll just start spamming Facebook with anti-comic sans stuff and see if he gets the message and redesigns it. :D
- bklyndroobeki0
my thoughts, He's just an acquaintance on fb. who cares?
- It's kind to care. Did you never watch Mr. Rogers?mg33
- haha @mgjaylarson
- fuck mr rogers LOL.
see your point though... but he's not worried about it.bklyndroobeki - I understand the urge, there is too much crap in the world and not enough time.freedom
- monospaced0
Unless you want to do it for him, probably best not to say anything.
- freedom0
If he might not even remember you, just let it go. It will annoy you if you contact him and he doesn't care. It will annoy you if he would ask you to help him for very little money (maybe). It will annoy him if he pays you a lot (maybe).
Be careful because he might have hired a friend to do this for him and that was the result.
- freedom0
There's a restaurant I like to eat at and they use Papyrus for the sign and the whole menu. The people who work there are very nice. The food is amazing.
Part of me really wants to reach out and ask if they need any design help or tell them why it's such an unprofessional, lazy choice of a font and a badly designed menu. Even if the other customers won't care, there's something to be said for the brand they're building.
But I don't.
- freedom0
What the hell is "a social media consulting business" anyway? If the guy uses Comic Sans, what does he know about maintaining a business image?
- Very good questineukit2
- <ETM
- Good point!mg33
- He sets up your Twitterz for you.omahadesigns
- Al_dizzle0
don't do it.
- omahadesigns0
If he was starting a charity for a cause you believed in or he was starting the next big tech company, I'd say do it. All other ventures, no.
- see_thru0
Stupid enough to do it once...
...a guy I knew posted the url of his 'new venture' on FB to us former workmates. I had to take a look; it turned out to be a garbage site with the bulk of the content in a massive graphic. So, out of the kindness...and perhaps being a smart ass, I emailed him to say he ought to get that content out into text within the body of the page....accessibility....searcha... etc etc....to which I got a really shitty reply.
...I'll never do it again.