Being self employed has proved itself to be an overall extremely rewarding experience. Satisfying clients that come from all different backgrounds is an excellent feeling. However, there are the “sour apples.” The ones that ask for absurd requests that make even the beginners cringe. Here are 4 things never to ask of a Web or Graphic Designer:

1. “Can you do this quick for me first/for free?”

Irregardless of the task, weather it’s a logo or changing something on a mockup because you don’t know photoshop NEVER ask for it for a “sample.” If you are a close friend or relative that is one thing otherwise this will turn us away from you faster than you can blink an eye and will also harm your reputation. There are plenty of resources such as 99designs.com or fiverr.com for those on a tight budget. Most e-commerce platforms also have gorgeous pre-made templates that you can use for about $150 or so.

2. “Can you make it pop?”

These vague phrases are a no-go. Be specific with what you want, and describe why you want it. However it’s ok if you don’t know what you want – a major part of what I do in my field is help people achieve their design related goals using wireframes/mockups and clear communication. Back in my Graphic Design days, I’ve heard this phrase quite a few times. Ask a Graphic Designer this and their ability to take you seriously will plummet.

3. “Let me explain to you my vision *4 hours pass*”

Although this isn’t a question, I feel it should be included in this list. Keep your initial conversations short and relevant. It’s not necessary to talk about your vision for your new startup and the entire history of your career and field of work for hours. It’s essential to have background info about the product, target market and what it is you do, but a consultation should last at maximum an hour. More than that it becomes a time pit.

4. “This picture is blurry can you fix it?”

Unfortunately no. A blurry image is a blurry image. Unless a blur filter was applied to it previously in Photoshop and the source .psd is accessible you cannot increase the quality of an image. You can however digitally restore old print photos of your family using photoshop, which is pretty cool!

Source: Connor Harper