Professional or amateur?

Are there any errors that would give someone away as not being a professional layout artist?
An amateur is likely to use more fonts or more decorative fonts or apply embellishments like shadows and outlines. An amateur is likelier to put borders around things. An amateur is likelier to even out the “gray,” making the page elements similar in size and spacing. From a pro you’re likelier to see very bold moves and high contrasts of color, size and position.

John McWade

Being useful v making money

There was a post on the Clients from Hell website about an abstract artist with very vague ideas about what she was wanting for a logo. 

I commented:

Actually, I think I would tell an abstract artist that she doesn't need a logo.
If she wants something visual to put on business cards, put one of her images on one side (full size), and perhaps use her signature that she signs paintings with as a wordmark.

And someone replied:

Wrong.
If the customer wants a logo, I'm not going to suddenly diminish the job's potential profitability by saying something this stupid. I can't charge the same amount for using her image/signature as I can for a logo (which is the core of my business).
And freelancers like you probably wonder why they can't make a living at design... LOL

Unfortunately comments are now closed, which is so frustrating when you want to reply. But here's my thoughts:

Of course, to a certain extent you give a client what they want. And of course you want to make money. But to the extent of taking large amounts of their hard-earned cash for something they don't need at all, that will do them no good - perhaps even harm? Sure, people want snake oil. Should we view this as a great business opportunity?

Call me an idealist. But if the only way you can make a living from design is to throw integrity out the window, chuck it (design, not integrity) and go and do something useful.


Note: If she really insisted she wanted a logo I might do my best for her - knowing she'd go elsewhere anyway if I didn't. But my first job would be to try to convince her she didn't.

Irony

I couldn't find the original files for the illustrations for one of my PowerPoints.
The PowerPoint? The Lost Sheep :-)

Thanks to Microsoft's search dog*, I have now found it. Good dog.

 

*Yes, I am still using XP, and the dog is one of the many reasons I will be using it as long as I possibly can.