Client asked for a 'fun' logo then rejected everything with color

Had a client in Spokane last month who said they wanted something 'fun and modern' for their coffee shop rebrand. I sent them three concepts with bright colors and playful fonts, and they shot down every single one because it wasn't 'serious enough.' Then they asked me to try again but 'keep it professional' which meant black and white only. Anyone else run into clients who say one thing but really mean something totally different?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.jessica24d ago

Oh man that sounds so frustrating. I wonder if maybe the client doesn't actually know what they want and they're just reacting to stuff instead of leading the process. Like they think "fun" means something trendy on Pinterest but when they see it on paper they realize their idea of fun is just boring black and white with maybe a clean sans serif font. People get scared of committing to a look that feels risky.

bailey.xena23d ago

I actually get where the client's coming from though - "fun" can mean different things and maybe they wanted a clean, minimalist look that felt confident instead of loud. Black and white done right can be way more eye-catching than a rainbow of colors that someone else is already using down the street.