The web designer's rant

[Alban]

I'm wondering if there are any web designers here who have this problem - people expecting you to do their website for them.

It's a real problem for me - happens a couple times a week it seems. Someone asks you to do their website, and it's as if they've already decided in their minds that you'll do it, no problem --- and either for free or for very cheap (think a couple hundred bucks). Then when I say I'm sorry but I don't have time, they get really pissed off!

I don't have a freelance web design business and I never tell people that I do, and I never offer to do any web design work. I work full time (web design is only a part of my job) and spend many hours a day on the computer. I have three websites that I designed and maintain, and I am completely swamped keeping up with them, and can barely keep up. They're for things that I have a personal stake in. I am so far behind it's ridiculous. I try to put in a couple hours a day and more on the weekend, and that's really a drain on my time. I bought myself a website and domain a couple months ago, and the main page is still blank with a "Hello world!" on it. (I did manage to put up a php bulletin board.)

I resent the way people think you can just whip together a website for them. Would they ask me to come over and paint their house? Fix their car? What the hell? And what really gets me is that these things are often for people's businesses. So I'm supposed to do something for free or next to nothing so you can make money with it? If I were a carpenter, would you expect me to come and remodel your storefront for you for free? For a couple hundred bucks?

When I tell them what my normal fees are, they laugh and say there's no way they can afford that. (It's equal to or less than what you'd pay an agency.)

When I try to explain that web design is very time consuming, they almost always try to tell me that no, it's actually not. Somebody they know said it's real easy - they put their own together in just a few hours. Of course, the website they're asking for always requires everything -- lots of pages, image scanning, sizing & optimizing, domain registration, account setup, graphic design, logo design, email accounts (and of course, "I really want to have a chat room. Can we have Flash? I want videos. Can you convert it from VHS? Can we do an email newsletter?")

Then when I also explain that once a website is up, someone needs to maintain it and update it, they invariably say it won't need to be maintained or updated!

Before I learned my lesson, I used to do websites for people. I discovered that you then become their computer fix-it guy. Taking calls at work because they can't figure out how to do something on a spreadsheet, or their email is acting strange, or their printer isn't working. Can you fix this document for me? I bought this software and I can't figure it out, can you set it up?

I guess none of this would matter except for that they get pissed off at me when I say I can't do it! Really pissed, like they're not speaking to me ever again pissed. Like I'm so self-centered for not doing this for them.

Sorry for venting, but this happened again today and I know the person is going to be pissed when I say no. I have so many other things going on this week that I haven't been able to do any web design (or play Threshold for that matter). Arghhh!

[Arafinwe]

So are you saying that you are not going to be able to help my site out??

[Pyrosama]

Awww. I think I would be flattered if someone asked me for help. Though I can understand your frustration in having to say that you do not have the time, etc. It's completely appalling to me for someone to get pissed off at you when you can't (for ANY reason - even if you just don't feel like doing it).

I have friends and family who ask me to do things for them, but they also understand that I work full time and I cannot use my work time or business resources to get done what they want done. I just cannot fathom any of them getting pissed off if I said that I didn't have the time. If you do something for someone free of charge, they should have enough compassion to allow you the time to do it.

I did have one similar experience though. Some lady that works with my guy asked him to ask me if I'd do a small project for her, nothing spectacular and I said sure. So next time I saw her (it was one of those no charge things) I told her just give me a couple weeks to meet a deadline at work and I'll get started.

You'd have thought I just spit in her face by the look she gave. Anyway, some people do think that because you enjoy what you do that they are doing you a favor by giving you something fun to do. They never reflect on the fact that you actually have other obligations...like a job that puts food on the table for your family and one that you can get fired from if you don't produce.

Here's something else, too. It seems that most people these days believe that to get a website up and going should take no more than a day. The reason this misconception is out there is because most of your rapid development tools used by hosting sites make it really easy to slap together a few pages with a couple simple clicks here and there. Thus you have your advocates who tout the simplicity of web design.

When they tell people how easy it is, they have no idea what the person is actually wanting to accomplish. It could be anything from an "About Me" page (which is usually the extent of their own experience) to an elaborate business site with an online shopping cart.

There seems to be less and less appreciation for your skilled designers and developers because they work so far in the back with almost no visibility and really get smothered by the new technologies that allow users to easily bang out really nice "About Me" static pages that get hosted right there...and for free!

Anyway, I can understand the frustrations.

[Gesslar]

I do this to Aelyn all the time. She hasn't yelled at me yet, but I forsee it coming.

[Pae]

Alban. I feel your pain. Especially about suddenly becoming the "Computer fix-it guy"

My present woe is that I married into a computer illerate family. Thus I am constantly getting phone calls, "I think I have a virus again... " blah blah blah

However, back in my graphic/web design days when I had a full-time job doing it. The absolute WORST was actually dealing with the customer. No matter how articulate you make your arguments, no matter how incredible your design/layout, and no matter how amazing the site functions - the client will NEVER like it and ALWAYS find a way to force you to make it look so bad and function so horribly that you refuse to put your name on it.

[michii]

Hehe, I have the opposite problem :P

I'm a recent college grad who didn't have the sense to
do an intership cause i figured out what I wanted to
do late in the game.

So I can't really get a real web design job to save
my life right now. So I'm totally willing to whore
my skills out and do shit for free just to build up a
bigger portfolio. But I don't really know anyone
who wants one hehe, so i'm having to find people
other ways.. craigslist excetra.

so i guess w/ somethings you just can't win no
matter what.

[Belaraiya]

Michii, I've been looking for someone to get my site up and going. I'll pm you to save everyone here.

Alban - god I understand your pain! Althought I can't code to save my life, I'm pretty nifty with a needle. One of my girlfriends asked me on THE DAY of a huge event we had to go to if I could make her a dress... this is while I was struggling to finish my own! I think the minute that anyone knows you have a skill, the expect you to drop everything and do something for them on the cheap.

My thoughts - "sure, I'll make you a website for a couple of hundred". Then pull out the diary and schedule them in for sometime in the next few years, and take out a sheet of items you'd normally stick on a website, and cross all but a few out. Smile sweetly. They should guess by now that you are a very busy person, and all the flashy stuff is what costs you.

From my point of view - ooh that's flashy and colourful, I need it now - we have less than no idea what sort of time or effort really goes into making a swishy site. I can only begin to boggle at what exactly you do

[Aristotle]

Here is the best long term solution to solving your problems regarding being the "computer fix it guy."

Eventually, they will be shopping for a computer. When they do, make absolutely SURE they buy from a major company (like Dell for example) and make sure when you are configuring it for them, you get the 3+ years service/warranty.

Then, whenever they have a problem, you tell them to call the support number (and for your own sanity, keep a copy of it somewhere also). If they seem to balk, tell them they paid for this service so they deserve to get it. Also, the company is able to take care of things like send hardware when needed or dispatch on site service.

This works like a charm.

[Gesslar]

That is precisely what we did with family, Aristotle.