Turning Down Graphic Design Clients and Projects - RD271

<p>Earlier this week, a member of the <a href= "https://resourcefuldesigner.com/community">Resourceful Designer Community</a> was seeking advice. A potential client contacted her asking if she designs book covers, which she does. Before replying to this unknown person, she decided to investigate who they were. She discovered that this potential client is an author. And the subject they write about is something the design is strongly against.</p> <p class="p1">The Community member wanted our advice on how to proceed. Should she turn down the client, or should she wait to hear more about the project before deciding?</p> <p class="p1">As always, when someone asks a question in the Community, she received lots of great advice. The consensus was she should hear them out before deciding what to do. After all, their new book might not have anything to do with the subject of their previous books.</p> <p class="p1">But this posed a bigger question. What reasons are there to turn down a lucrative design project?</p> <p class="p1">In episode 133 of Resourceful Designer, I shared <a href="https://resourcefuldesigner.com/episode133">12 Red Flags For Spotting Bad Design Clients</a>. Most of those Red Flags only become visible after you’ve started working with a client. Stuff such as the client being rude to you or inconsistent communication.</p> <p class="p1">In the episode after that one, episode 134, I shared <a href="https://resourcefuldesigner.com/episode134">ways to turn away clients politely</a>. It included sample scripts you can copy and paste for yourself. You may want to refer to that episode after you’ve finished listening to this one. Some of those scripts apply to today’s topic.</p> <p class="p1">It’s one thing to spot the red flags once you’ve started working with a client. But how can you avoid ever working with them in the first place? And why would you want to turn them down? After all, we’re in this business to make money. And when you’re first starting, it may seem like a foreign concept to turn down a payin