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Warning: The client who wanted a logo drawn on a napkin
I met this guy at a coffee shop in Austin last month for a quick design chat. He pulls out a crumpled napkin with a stick figure and says, 'I need this, but professional, for my new app. My budget is $50.' I just stared at it for a full ten seconds. He was dead serious. Has anyone else had a client bring you a literal napkin sketch and expect magic?
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alice_harris3524d agoTop Commenter
The napkin itself is the real red flag. It shows a total lack of respect for your time and the work you do. A person who values their own idea would at least use a proper piece of paper. That crumpled sketch tells you everything about how they will treat the project and your payment. I would politely end the conversation right there. Some clients are not worth the energy, no matter the budget.
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ryanscott24d ago
Austin coffee shops are a special kind of client filter. @alice_harris35 is right about the napkin showing a lack of respect. I got a similar one once, a coffee-stained map to "the next big thing." That client later asked for 15 revisions on a $100 job and tried to pay in gift cards. The napkin isn't just paper, it's a preview of endless headaches and weird payment plans. It tells you they see the work as a cheap favor, not a real job.
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