good design destroyed

[amezri]

OMG. He totally killed the design I made. Why even have me make it if you're just going to screw it up? It looks pretty fraking awful now. (caps: 1024x768, 1280x1024)

It was supposed to look like this.

I'm just glad I didn't put my name on it anywhere because he's basically destroyed the awesome layout I made and turned it into a horrible mess. He made the text HUGE (now the menu looks screwed up) and then added the additional out of place side columns. He then removed the gallery I spent time installing and threw in an awful, poorly-sized flash gallery. It's no longer easily viewable at a small screen resolution.

Ugh. I'm disgusted.

I'm debating whether or not I should write him some sort of e-mail, but I probably shouldn't... as I could not contain the anger and snark.

ETA: Rather than an evil letter, I would like to write this passive aggressive one:

I'm glad you finally got the layout up. However, I wish you would have consulted with me before you edited my design as now it no longer represents my design nor my quality of work.

Comments

[pentapus.livejournal.com]

o_O Uh. Wow. That is--wow. Nice job on your intended design, which looks quite sharp. As for Mr. Dude with the Site...well. Wow, I guess he can do what he wants with it, however ill advised. :/

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Yes. I guess he's free to do whatever he wants with it since it's all paid for. Still, it's sort of a jerky thing to do and it causes me pain.

[seishin.livejournal.com]

You're completely within your rights to tell him that you're NOT happy with how he changed your work. Why get someone to create a design for you, when you're going to tamper it in the end anyway? Webdesigners know what theyre doing. Its like he had this planned all along. The large font looks horrible.

(OT: Do you have clients sign a contract before you work on a piece for them? Maybe include a clause that they are not to alter your finished work without your expressed, written consent)

[seishin.livejournal.com]

Gahh...the last sentence was supposed to have a question mark at the end....it wasnt supposed to sound that kurt. D'oh!

[amezri.livejournal.com]

It didn't sound curt. And I do have them sign a contract, but I never thought to add a clause saying that they aren't allowed to alter my finished work -- never occurred to me that they would! Sheesh.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Also, do you think I should contact him or just leave it alone?

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

it looks like he wanted stuff on the page that your original design didn't have. because he doesn't have your skills, he did it poorly, but that doesn't mean he isn't the one that has to be pleased with the site, y'know? He *is* the customer, after all.(It's as if the designer of your outfit came up and chided you for not wearing it in the way she intended it to be worn. You'd be pissed, because *you* bought it, and you're gonna wear it any way you please.) If he paid you for the work, it's his and he can do what he wants with it. If you did it for free, then you have cause to raise a fuss.

If you're that unhappy, maybe you can contact him and offer to fix up the site with the additional elements he wants in it, but so that it fits in better with the design aesthetic.

It's just good customer relations not to chide a customer for what he did to your work *after* he paid for it. You *do* want him to recommend you in the future and to get other commissions. You don't want to get a reputation as a prima donna who is difficult to work with...You want to be a successful and sought-after web designer!

[amezri.livejournal.com]

The problem here is that the things he added I had already allowed for in the site design. He approved all proofs and I made sure it had all the features he wanted before it was done.

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

....well, apparently there's no bright side here...

sorry it was such a lousy experience for you.

...sigh...

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's okay. I'll get over it and will know to write in a clause for next time.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Also, the more proper analogy in this case would be if you were commissioned to write a fanfic for someone and then they took it, rewrote it, mixed it up and gave you no credit. It's so awful that you don't want people to know you were associated with it. That's where I stand right now.

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain,then...
:(

[sweetwildandmad.livejournal.com]

The customer is always wrong. Especially when they're not in the room.

[amezri.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

[arysani.livejournal.com]

yes, passive-agressive ftw. why do you have such tardtastic clients? srsly. inquiring minds want to know.