Another Mock-Up Website For A Potential Customer...

TIME TO VENT!

First part of the job was to (they asked) create/recreate their logo. (I'm already scared)

So I do. I send it to them. And here we go... they think they would rather use their logo (below)...
The one their teen daughter made... in the 'Printshop' or something, which I thought was ok, I guess.
Maybe a little childish/amateurish.

Attachment 124934

Next. At their request, I do a website mock-up, pulling info from a terrible PPT presentation they had created... and include
my redesigned the logo that I thought was a bit more professional. (didn't care that they wanted the other) I thought If they
see the logo in context, they may change their mind... so I added it to the mock-up... and BAM!

"I think the simpler one (above) might be better... but we can talk about the one you made. We think it needs work."
(but their daughters doesn't need work?)

And I have a feeling that they're gonna rip apart the the whole site and eat my heart out... because I sent it to them 10 hours
ago and haven't heard a word yet regarding the site mock-up... other than just the damn logo! LOL

Hey... I might be wrong about everything... I always question my work and wonder if I'm the no-talent crazy one or are they are?
I think that I'm gonna have to over-price them right out of my life... or, if they bite, I'll just breath deep and do what I gots to do!

So here's the mock-up.

Damn it Cliff, I really want to find something I don't like about your sites but I never can.
I always do the personal taste/subjective disclaimer thing, but your stuff always is to my taste.

Logo. Yes, I agree yours is cleaner, neater and far more professional, but having a daughter who scribbles as well, yours will never be as good in Mum and Dad's eyes. Of course my daughter would do a far better job than both of you, but that's another story.

My only whinge is the text box animation under Millennials Leading The Way. I find the sliding animation a distraction...but that's it. Maybe the text just looks plonked there? Not sure, I'm just trying to find something to point at and appear knowledgeable.

Very nice website! I like your logo better as well. As an argument to go for your logo: not only animals are worth being saved but plant life as well.

I agree with Chris that the one thing that could use some more work is the text box on 'Millennials Leading.' I believe it has to do with the square shape and the bulleted list that looks like something from a PowerPoint presentation. Perhaps you could use a series of small, colored boxes with larger type.

Thank you Chris & Boy... a little validation once in a while does a person good... so maybe I'm not nuts...

Oh! I'm gonna revisit that millennials page to think about and re-do that text box... thanks for the suggestions... it sort of bothered me too, but I couldn't put my finger on it....

Thanks again!

Cliff

You have matched your site colours with your logo; theirs would be somewhat duller. Also theirs is just the top showcase mammals.

I like the leafy outlines of the continents so I would include the foliage motif into them but a little less pronounced.

I think you need to have the dolphin swimming in and out of the plants and wording with a bit of tail flipper action for three rotations of the globe.

It'll only blow your budget by 60%, but hey "Millennials"!
Millennials needs to be initial capital and capitalised throughout; you have a number of "millennials" examples.

Acorn

Life is too short for client's like this. If it were me, I would refund the first 1/2 payment I require to start a project and move on. Have the daughter who designed the clever logo do the website. Everybody will be happier.

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Originally Posted by Acorn

I think you need to have the dolphin swimming in and out of the plants and wording with a bit of tail flipper action for three rotations of the globe.

It'll only blow your budget by 60%, but hey "Millennials"!
Millennials needs to be initial capital and capitalised throughout; you have a number of "millennials" examples.

Acorn

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Acorn... LOL on you're Logo comments... If THEY... had suggested that, I would have packed it in...
and thanks for the "Millennials" initial caps spot! I think I got them all.

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Originally Posted by Gary

Life is too short for client's like this. If it were me, I would refund the first 1/2 payment I require to start a project and move on. Have the daughter who designed the clever logo do the website. Everybody will be happier.

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Gary... I agree. But I'm so damn compulsive that I have to accept the challenge and fight on... (at least for a bit) Sometimes I get a surprise, sometimes not. If the 'not', then your suggestion is where I go with it... (The Daughter - LOL)


And 'Boy' & 'Chris'... I took your suggestion regarding the 'Millennials Leading The Change' section and 'boxed' the statements—thanks! I think it's better.

Cliff

the mock-up.

Cliff, small typo - ”The Earth Is Worth It’s” Advisory Panel should be ”The Earth Is Worth It”'s Advisory Panel.

I still don't get the 'Millennials Leading The Change' concept; are leading, ought to be, have been? all too hubristic and rich for me, who is almost millennial in actual years.

Acorn

P.S. The animated logo would be great for a Xara Challenge...
... takes the pressure off you and shows the Client that some professionals might know something about stuff. [Professional in the sense of being paid to do]

Thanks for sharing your mockup and experiences.

I also much prefer your version of the logo. In addition to including both fauna & flora, I think it's more global and less America centric.

A couple things I noticed:

- on the donations page, in the first bullet point (Zero Mass Water) should the 'TM' at the end of the word 'Hydropanel' be superscript?

- not sure what the general website convention is, but should the 2 (two) in the chemical formula CO2 be subscript?

- also would it be useful to link the climate change partners logos to their websites and perhaps also the advisory panel members?

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Originally Posted by Jonopen

Thanks for sharing your mockup and experiences.

I also much prefer your version of the logo. In addition to including both fauna & flora, I think it's more global and less America centric.

A couple things I noticed:

- on the donations page, in the first bullet point (Zero Mass Water) should the 'TM' at the end of the word 'Hydropanel' be superscript?

- not sure what the general website convention is, but should the 2 (two) in the chemical formula CO2 be subscript?

- also would it be useful to link the climate change partners logos to their websites and perhaps also the advisory panel members?

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Thanks for your time and observations Jonopen.

As far as the text... just a copy/paste from their PPT slide... BUT WILL... save your observations and make recommendations to the client...
And the links of the 'Partners' & 'Advisory' people... great idea. They didn't mention it yet. I'm sure it's comin'.

Thank you much!

Cliff

Cliff, nice redesign for the Millennial page!

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Originally Posted by Boy

Cliff, nice redesign for the Millennial page!

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Thanks to you & Chris for the suggestion...

That one of the main reasons for me posting some of these jobs of mine here... always get great feedback & suggestions...

Thanks again Boy!

Cliff

:)

I feel your pain! I'm working on a site redesign for my largest client and did several design mock ups to get input from the Board. I used some generic photos from over the years purely as examples. One of the trustees just would NOT let it go!

"I'm just not impressed with these pictures" "Why don't you have one of the new splash pad at such-and-such angle?"

Can't tell you how badly I wanted to scream "What part of effing "mock up" do you not understand?!?"

Hang in there!!!

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Originally Posted by unfaithfulsfan

I feel your pain! I'm working on a site redesign for my largest client and did several design mock ups to get input from the Board. I used some generic photos from over the years purely as examples. One of the trustees just would NOT let it go!

"I'm just not impressed with these pictures" "Why don't you have one of the new splash pad at such-and-such angle?"

Can't tell you how badly I wanted to scream "What part of effing "mock up" do you not understand?!?"

Hang in there!!!

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At least you got 'some' feedback.... I'm sitting on my thumbs after 2½ days work over MY weekend and have not even had a response... I sent them the link on Sat. Eve.
It's a first for me... usually the client IS over engaged and drives ya nuts... now I have one under-engaged...

I love the process... HATE HATE HATE the business of it...

oh well, on that note... How's Buffalo doing?... I remember it from my Camp Drum days... (many moons ago)

regards
Cliff

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Originally Posted by cmpan1

At least you got 'some' feedback.... I'm sitting on my thumbs after 2½ days work over MY weekend and have not even had a response... I sent them the link on Sat. Eve.
It's a first for me... usually the client IS over engaged and drives ya nuts... now I have one under-engaged...

I love the process... HATE HATE HATE the business of it...

oh well, on that note... How's Buffalo doing?... I remember it from my Camp Drum days... (many moons ago)

regards
Cliff

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LOL! Hmmm, I guess it actually could be worse! :think:

Buffalo's great!! Lot of new development going on and population's actually on an upswing after God only knows how many years of decline. Who knows, maybe the Bills will have a winning season! =:)

Ack. Arg. And Oy! (The Yiddish Oy, not the British oy) Yes, sometimes we want to grab the client by the throat and give HIM/HER a good shake.

I am completely amazed. Thank you for posting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by unfaithfulsfan

I feel your pain! I'm working on a site redesign for my largest client and did several design mock ups to get input from the Board. I used some generic photos from over the years purely as examples. One of the trustees just would NOT let it go!

"I'm just not impressed with these pictures" "Why don't you have one of the new splash pad at such-and-such angle?"

Can't tell you how badly I wanted to scream "What part of effing "mock up" do you not understand?!?"

Hang in there!!!

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Just saw this and actually I'm with the client on this one. Probably.

..not because you didn't use better pictures, but because we have some expectation that the client understands the process and has a clue what a mock-up is.

So, in this situation we smile sweetly and explain the process and reassure them that these are pictures that are likely to be substituted for better ones.

This is the danger of producing mock-ups/samples/prototypes that are close to the final product. I completely understand why clients think they are the final product if we don't go to great lengths to explain how they differ from the final product.

My clients can get annoyed with me because I often wouldn't submit testing versions in stages (it's because they then go on to tell me about changes I know need to be done but haven't done yet).

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Originally Posted by pauland

Just saw this and actually I'm with the client on this one. Probably.

..not because you didn't use better pictures, but because we have some expectation that the client understands the process and has a clue what a mock-up is.

So, in this situation we smile sweetly and explain the process and reassure them that these are pictures that are likely to be substituted for better ones.

This is the danger of producing mock-ups/samples/prototypes that are close to the final product. I completely understand why clients think they are the final product if we don't go to great lengths to explain how they differ from the final product.

My clients can get annoyed with me because I often wouldn't submit testing versions in stages (it's because they then go on to tell me about changes I know need to be done but haven't done yet).

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Since I don't have the energy (anymore) to explain a 'vision', I go all out as much as I'm able to, and think of the 'mock-up' as THE website.
I actually think of it as building the (final) site. It's gonna happen anyway right?

Most of the time I'm lucky and I get positive responses... but sometimes, well, it just ain't gonna happen...

The ONLY communication/reaction/response to this site/mock-up you see here is/was today... and it went like this...

"Hi Cliff, can we talk about The Earth Is Worth Website late afternoon on Thursday of next week?"

Can you believe that!!! Not even a polite "good job" or "thanks for what you've done so far"... NOTHING!!! I mean really!
It's not an ego thing. It's just that a 'slight' recognition would be nice.

So I can't wait for that meeting next week... If I get serious/unreasonable flak from them... I'm well rehearsed and ready
to tell them in a variety of different ways to "go and ________________!" And believe me, it will roll off my tongue quit easily...

Ahh... that felt good... a great place to vent Talk Graphics is... now for a 'spot of tea'... LOL

Cliff, email back and say your other clients have new work so please can we shift Thursday's call to tomorrow as it must be important to you.

Acorn

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Originally Posted by cmpan1

Since I don't have the energy (anymore) to explain a 'vision', I go all out as much as I'm able to, and think of the 'mock-up' as THE website.
I actually think of it as building the (final) site. It's gonna happen anyway right?

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Yes, indeed, but you can't expect the client to know what bits are still to be changed, but I have felt that pain myself.

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Most of the time I'm lucky and I get positive responses... but sometimes, well, it just ain't gonna happen...

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Absolutely.

Quote:

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"Hi Cliff, can we talk about The Earth Is Worth Website late afternoon on Thursday of next week?"

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Quote:

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Can you believe that!!! Not even a polite "good job" or "thanks for what you've done so far"... NOTHING!!! I mean really!
It's not an ego thing. It's just that a 'slight' recognition would be nice.

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Cliff, I have a client like that right now. I have more work planned with the client but I'm considering just stopping when the this current phase is completed. A sterile client can kill enthusiasm.

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So I can't wait for that meeting next week... If I get serious/unreasonable flak from them... I'm well rehearsed and ready
to tell them in a variety of different ways to "go and ________________!" And believe me, it will roll off my tongue quit easily...

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You might like to spend some time away from the job doing something else. I have yet to swear at a client or be antagonistic to them.

Find something else to do while you are waiting!

I know that for my clients what I do can very from being the most important thing for them, to being just a small cog in their otherwise busy life. When clients are busy with other things they can just take our work as just hired help and the best is to be expected for their dollar and in their timeframe not ours. In a way they are right.

Most of my clients wait for me, not the other way around!

Good luck.

Thanks Acorn/Pauland....

Yes... I'm really used to the way things work... so maybe I sounded a bit more ahhh... emotional about it then I really am... LOL

But yes, keeping busy with other work... got a call from a 'good' customer a couple days ago... they're headed to a trade show in NJ on Tuesday
and needed a 36x48 poster and 2 flyers handouts done and ready for a 'quick' printing by tonight... (Sunday)

So it's done... it's approved and sent off to print and they will pick it up Monday evening when land in NJ... a happy customer and a happy me...

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Here's the 36x48 poster... (the back & forth working mock - not the actually PDF obviously) There's quite a bit more content than a normal 'poster' would have...
but they wanted/needed all the verbiage on it and my job was to make it look... well... not cramped... you know... white space and all that... LOL
And this poster was scaled down to become one of the flyers...

https://assets.socialfuneralfunding....W_%20FLYER.pdf


And the other flyer they will be handing out...

https://assets.socialfuneralfunding....COMPARISON.pdf

Thanks all

Cliff

Oh.... please don't find anything wrong with it... (you know who I'm talking about) LOL They proofed it 10 times and said "it's a go." So it's on them, not me if any....?
If you see something... do this 68yr old heart a favor... don't tell me...