I just felt like I needed to let out a little bit of steam regarding the woes of being a graphic designer. I don't know where else to express it so, yeah.

It's usually extremely fun making posters for people, however there are moments where it just gets so frustrating especially since I want to make sure I do a good job. I've made sure to indicate that I hope people would be detailed regarding what they want for the poster- that way I can create it the way they want, right? Since it's for their story anyway? Some people do this very well, they state everything they want and all the details about the story and characters and I love those people bless them. While it does get frustrating that people still submit pretty basic and simple requests, that's not the real reason I get annoyed.

I understand if some authors just have no clue what they want, or if they generally don't care. However it does hurt as a designer to get a request that never asked for anything specific, work on it to the full extent I can with what little I have, then get asked for multiple re-dos because they suddenly decided they had something specific in mind afterall, or that they don't like how the character looked like, or that I should have used the character looking like this or that. Even more so when they complain it's ~not what they imagined~ because uhm hello???? In the first place I was asking for what you imagined and you gave me NOTHING to work with!!! This could have been made much easier for both of us if you had told me.

Otherwise, if they really had nothing in mind, then it should have been fine leaving things up to me. Especially if they also state how they're okay with letting me do whatever. It's rather rude, to be honest, to go from "oh yeah Idk what I want so you do whatever just know it's this genre and add these people" to "nevermind I don't like whatever it is you did afterall and I want this photo and that font, work on it again" since it does come off as a waste of time and effort. Then, after everything is made and done, all they have to say is "thanks" or something like that. Some comment or appreciation for the work is always always always appreciated, just like how comments on a story make authors happy.

Another point is when people ask for rather contradicting things in their request, only to complain when it's finally done. A general example would be when they say their story is fluff or comedy and suddenly they want a serious-faced poster. Or when it's horror and angst, but they want it to look happy? I mean, I get it and I'll make it since you ask for it, but please don't complain in the end that it ~doesn't show your story's theme~ because yes, yes, it doesn't but do remember it was you who requested and I only gave you what you wanted. If you want your cover to mask what's happening in the story or for it not to be spoiler, then that's great, that's fine. Bottomline is, if I work according to their requests I just really hope they wouldn't complain about in a sense that the whole poster was a mistake, and not just because they don't like it. I can accept if they don't like how it looks because of my style of designing (just a little, though, because I do have a portfolio and requesting means ya'll liked what you saw, right?)

I guess this last one is also my fault since I made my shop a no rules one. I started out just wanting a fun little side hobby to do since I liked designing and I like helping people. I thought, hey why not just make a shop? I can design, they'll be happy, all good. I won't even be that strict since I'm just doing this for fun anyway, no need to add rules or whatever, it can't be that bad. Wrong. A mistake. Big mistake. While I do accept what I have to face it, it doesn't really change that I do wish some people would be nicer regarding the works I have already made for them. Leaving feedback is great, but I don't mind a "thank you" since it's at least better than how some people don't reply at all. As in, after requesting, they either pick their poster up and use it without a word (which is, honestly? Better than the next thing) or even worse, never respond to the pick up and also don't even use the poster. Yeah, sure, if you didn't like it and didn't want to use it, fine, but I just thought it was the respectful thing to at least tell me why or tell me that you won't use it? That way I can also take note whether I need to make a re-do or not? I mean, they needed the poster to begin with right? That's why they requested? I wouldn't have ignored requests no matter how frustrating, isn't it only fair to respond when I present the finished work? It's so much worse being left hanging than saying thank you and not using it. At least I know they acknowledged that it's there. Still quite ruffling to have that done, but I never required having my poster used anyway, so. 

Overall, I didn't think this would be this hard and eventful, or that I was going to end up more affected than I had thought. Such things are normal in the actual working world of graphic design (especially the drafts and re-dos oh wow if I have to rename something FinalFinalFinal.png one more time I'm) but I guess I kinda expected people around to be, well, nicer? More respectful, maybe?

That's all. Idk if anybody read through everything. I'll still make every request I get despite all my complaints tho, so drop by my shop if you need a poster! (Teehee shameless plugging.)