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Had a client rewrite my entire design brief 2 days before deadline last week
They changed the target audience from small business owners to teenagers (totally different vibe) and expected me to pivot a 40-page brand guide overnight. Has anyone else had a client pull a last-second scope bomb like that and how do you handle the time crunch?
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jackson.max1d ago
Oh man, that's rough. Nothing like a "surprise, our vision changed" email when you're that deep into a project. I've had a client ask me to "make the font pop more" two hours before final delivery once, which is basically the same level of chaos but with less work. You just kinda have to smile, nod, and pull an all-nighter while questioning every life choice that led you there. How did you even explain to them that a 40-page brand guide isn't just a few text swaps?
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...and the thing nobody's talking about is that some clients do this on purpose to test your limits. Like they throw a last-minute bomb just to see if you'll buckle or push back. I've seen it happen more than a few times with bigger agencies. They don't respect the work, they respect how much you're willing to eat before you snap. It's a power move wrapped in a "we changed our minds" email. The real trick is to have a contract clause that kills this behavior before it starts, or at least makes them pay extra for the privilege of testing your patience.
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emma_lee221d ago
wait did you actually explain to them that a 40-page brand guide needs more than just swapping out a few words and hitting print? because i feel like some clients genuinely don't understand how much work goes into these things until you spell it out for them. i've had a similar situation where a client wanted to change the entire color palette three days before launch and i just had to sit them down and walk through every single page that would need to be redone. it's exhausting having to educate people on basic project management when you're already on a tight deadline.
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