Graphic designer friend told me my logos were 'too safe' and it messed with my whole process

Had a buddy look over my portfolio last month, the kind of guy who does album art for underground bands. He said I was designing stuff that looked like it could be for a bank, no edge at all. Has anyone else gotten feedback that made you totally rethink your style, even if it felt wrong at first?

3 comments

3 Comments

ben4021mo ago

Yeah that kind of feedback stings but it actually helped me loosen up a ton.

lee_butler1mo agoTop Commenter

ben402 that's exactly what happened with me a few years back. I had this guy in a workshop just stop me mid sentence and say "dude, you're thinking too hard just say what you want to say." It annoyed me at first but after that I stopped trying to sound smart and just started talking normal. Funny how a little blunt honesty can snap you out of your own head.

spencer4071mo ago

Wait, isn't that exactly the kind of feedback that actually works though? The blunt stuff cuts through all the nonsense and gets right to the point. You remember it way more than some soft "maybe try speaking differently" version. It's like when a friend tells you your shirt looks bad instead of letting you walk out the door looking like a mess. Sometimes you just need someone to be real with you.