I’m not a designer. I’m a computer science student with some basic Photoshop skills. This means my family thinks I can do anything.

I also happen to read Clients From Hell religiously – that’s important because it means I knew EXACTLY what was going to happen when my brother came to me and asked if I could design him a logo.

Brother: Hey, I’ve got a favor to ask you. It’s a simple thing. It shouldn’t take long.

Me: (laughing)

Brother: What?

Me: No, go ahead.

Brother: It’s just a little art. I need you to draw this logo for me.

He describes the logo to me, and insists that it “will only take two minutes.” I keep laughing. Finally, I decide to let him off the hook.

Me: Look, if I was going to do that for you I would have to charge you. However, I’m not a designer, and I wouldn’t do the quality work you need. Just hire someone who knows what they’re doing, pay them, and they’ll do a better job than what I can do for free.

Brother: Come on! It’ll be easy. Let me just tell you what I want in more detail….

He then started vaguely describing what he wanted. He said he wanted “effects” around the letters.”

Me: What kind of effects?

Brother: You know. Like letter effects.

Me: That’s really not clear.

Finally, he got frustrated and pulled out his phone. He pulled up an image of EXACTLY the logo he was describing.

Me: If this logo already exists, why are you asking me to make one?

Brother: I asked a designer friend of mine to do it, but he’s charging too much. I don’t want to pay him.

Me: You have to pay him. He did the work for you.

Brother: But there are people who charge less than that. I want to show my friend anyone can do it.

I couldn’t believe how much of a jerk my own brother was being.  Thanks to CFH, though, I knew exactly what was happening and that you should actually value the work of designers.

I tried to educate him too, but he’s locked in his room watching Photoshop tutorials.

> Want to know if freelancing is for you?

Source: Clients from Hell