My Boss Thinks he is a designer

[joedavis]

I guess with the economy the way it is employers have to make cuts. I think my boss believes me to be expendable because he is having me train him in indesign.

I am or should I say He is now creating a 196 page product catalog. My boss who sales car parts now takes home my laptop and plays indesign to all hours of the night. I am left to clean up a mess of skewed graphics and text the next day. I over heard him talking to the mechanic who is going to get a free copy of CS tonight and also work on the catalog. I can't believe that these guys can not see the kerning and arrangement of the elements on the page and have a apparition of it. I guess it just goes to show you that if someone thinks they understand a computer program they think they know the principles of design.

I do not know what to do but prep my resume.

Has any of you ever had anything like this happen before? Where people devalue you because they think they can do it themselves because they might be able to work a software application?

Joe

[echoes]

Some people do not believe in Good Design and or Marketing. I think it's because they cannot tell what it is and how it works. In their eyes they cannot even see or understand the difference.

Why buy an Audi when I can get a used Geo Metro to get me to and from work?

It looks like your boss is looking at design as just a simple tool. Just use the tool to get the job done. It doesn't matter how well the job is done, because he doesn't understand how well a job could be done. Like using a wrench when you should be using a torque wrench set to specific values.

I run into this all the time. I am a freak about kerning and leading and removing widows. My attention to details is one of the things I pride myself on. But I have worked with other departments, employers, team members who don't give a damn about any text formatting rules or style, "So what if the boxes are misaligned by a quarter of an inch, no one is going to notice that". Grrrr.

If you educate your boss on why his work is crap, then you are just teaching him how to be a good designer and thus giving him your job. It sucks to say it, but I would already have my resume polished. If your boss cannot appreciate the value you bring then I would try to find someone who does.

Good Luck!

[rhee]

I am one design indian with several chiefs, when they ask for something that is ill-advised I try to make the case for why I don't think it's a good idea. Often, in the end it doesn't matter because they are the chief, and I am the indian and I'm lucky to have full time work.

Just wondering if other in-house folks always make their case when asked for bad design, or if you just give them what they want because you don't want to argue about it?

[PCCHDsue]

sometimes you just have to do it twice... their way and the better way. show them the difference. (doesn't always work, but you've tried)

[peaches]

i would echo the sentiments of getting your resume polished.

[Elephant]

I think this situation has pretty much become an in-house standard. I work for a retail company and of course everyone wants to put down the spreadsheet and play "designer."

What I've learned is to put yourself in a position as the expert. You can't be shy, even if it's the CMO of the company that wants to pick the wrong colors and layout. You just have to justify everything you say and put it in terms that they understand. You always need to remind them of the value you're bringing to the table. This past year we started our presentations off by showing the process of how we got to the final designs to better demonstrate that design is a specific process in accomplishing a specific goal that translates into making money (the only thing they care about).

[Jabanero]

Hell yeah dude. Been there had them change stuff after I went home. I feel for you, really I do. If you can leave, I would. In fact wish I could leave sometimes, but with this economy, I am lucky to be here also. I would definitely consider getting my porty and resume in order though.
Good luck.

[knowisdom]

I feel your pain! There are so many people in general that think that because they know how to use Photoshop or Illustrator, that they are a designer. Not so, it is the knowledge, instincts, and creativity that make you a designer. Regular people can tell if something is designed professionally or not, they may not know that is why they don't like it they will just have a feeling. But good design and amateur design will reflect on how a company is perceived. That is important to know. If you cheap out and cut the designer, you cheapen your business.

[taprackbang]

Designers tend to forget their job. Resembling an earlier post, your job is to help make them money. This is not a bad thing, this is what keeps us in business. Too many designers get caught up in making everything look good for the sake of looking good. Let's face it, you aren't (or shouldn't, depending on your workload) put as much time and detail into a quick in store flier as you would a brochure. There is a time when good enough is good enough, to think otherwise as a designer could resemble a mismanagement of time on the designer's part. Now before people jump down my throat for saying that, I say it because now is the perfect opportunity to prove yourself. You can prove to your boss how good design equals more profit. You can prove how your results justifies your salary. Look at past campaigns, past websites, past ads, etc that you've done. Even better, challenge him. Challenge him to create a (insert your project here). Then you create one. Each of you publish it for your customers to see (email? newsletter? ad?) and see which one gets better results.

If all else fails, there are lots of people out there that DO value good design - go find them. Best of luck.

[joedavis]

Thanks for the advice. Everyone. I thought about this issue from a different angle and I feel kinda guilty. My boss is trying to do parts of my Job but I think that I exhibit the same behavior. I looked over programmers shoulders to figure out code and try to recreate action script, and java to work with my little applications or flash designs even though I am not a programmer. I have tried to write all the copy for brochures and ads or shoot my own shots cutting out some key creative ingredients like good writing or photography just to save a buck. So I guess in the end I should expect the same treatment.

Take care
Joe