I know that everything is longer but this is my topic. It happens for us to have customers expecting from you to do the impossible in a very short time. To work at different designs which normally would take time, maybe a lot of time and they came with a request to solve their design in just one day or even a half of day.
I had clients who sent me emails just before closing my pc with a request of design which had to be ready until morning. I worked in that way and I still do it , but just if it worth’s. But I can’t say that this way of working is a good one.
The truth is that a good design requires time and a client who understands the way you work, who gives you the time you need. Only in this way he can be satisfied with the final result. Of course, the deadlines have their role and they need to be respected but this is something different than something you have to do considering the “to have best possible quality “expression.
It’s your designer duty to explain to your client that this is not a good way of work and why it is good and recommended for you to have more time available.
Here are my conclusions:
When someone gets in touch with you and asks for a few hours project (7-9 h) it’s good to rise the price with 20-30% more than the initial price. Your work has a much faster rate so is harder
When someone wants “the best quality possible” or a cutting edge work, it’s better to say no. That kind of clients will hassle you and in the end they won’t be satisfied, no matter what you do.
Avoid the contradiction with your clients who want a sophisticated design regrding the topics above. The ones knowing what they want also know that everything is about simplicity and idea.
If the client pretends to be CEO at a few companies or tells you he has some websites but he wants to work on a cheap price, more than sure he doesn’t deserve your time. Excepting the case when you’re at your start, in your first months of work.
In time, you figure out that you time is precious and you have to select your clients, to work only with people knowing what they want and are open to new ideas.