What is the best way to deal with unrealistic clients as a graphic designer?

Hi :) When the client’s budget does not match how long it will take for you to do a job with your skill set PLUS the value of your work that goes beyond a dollar amount, it means that you are not a match for each other. I hard feelings, it is just a fact. There are a huge range of design talent out there with various degrees of excellence and experience. There is always “someone cheaper” who will do the work for less money. Ideally, the client will want to work with you, cause they love YOUR work and their first priority will not be money. Ideally. If you really want to do the work, you can be flexible with how much you charge. But that does not mean charge less for the same work. That means you can charge less and have a different set of terms agreed too. For example you can agree to work for a smaller budget, but then also adjust the scope of the project. Fewer deliverables or a more favorable schedule. Design work has much value to it beyond the hours it takes to develop it. Good clients understand that. Good designers are good at explaining this to potential clients and swift out those clients who are not a fit for their business. You can look up and read Ted Leonhardt work in the topic. He has great advice and insight just on this very topic.

Vincent,

I know almost nothing about graphic design. But I do understand communication. And, mis-communication. There are too many assumptions made up front, or, information left out in the name of expediency. You may find it helpful to make a little brochure explaining the steps and time frames., as well as post this information on your website. What exactly happens during the design phase? The back and forth with the client to finalize it, etc. The making phase. Different techniques, drying times(?), number of colors. What makes a design more complex, and therefore, more expensive? Show examples. Even if you sit down with the client and go over all of this verbally, they won't remember it and will swear you never told them.

I have seen this sort of miscommunication from doctors and lawyers. Let's say you want to file a lawsuit against someone. You find a lawyer, get started, and before long, you are having to release all your tax returns and financial records to the person who is suing you. You want your lawyer to intervene. He can't. It's part of the process. But, if you had known that up front, you may have changed your mind.

Doctors may not cover realistically what to expect from surgery. They downplay what will happen afterwards. "oh, yea, you won't be able to drive for a couple weeks." A "couple" is not the same as a "few" and 6-8 weeks is a lot longer than you anticipated. You had made plans to have someone help you out for 2 Weeks - not two MONTHS.

I've heard of computer programmers with problems similar to yours. A small business needs a program. But, sometimes they don't even know what they want! The programmer ends up having to learn all about the business and figure out what it is they need before they can even get started.

I would encourage you to re-frame your thinking about your clients. It may not be that they are so much "unrealistic" as they are "uninformed." "Unrealistic" makes it sound like it is somehow their fault. I think if you take an active role in educating them it will minimize the chance of conflict.