1
My sister told me to ditch the drop shadow on my logo draft
She's a freelance illustrator and said it looked 'cheap and dated' about three months ago. I kept it in anyway for a client pitch, and they passed on the design, specifically mentioning the shadow felt old. Went back, took her advice, and the cleaner version got approved on the second try. Anyone else have a simple piece of advice that saved a project?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
cameronb5222d agoMost Upvoted
Three months is about how long it takes for a stubborn client to see what you saw right away. Your sister was right, and @alice_foster nailed it with the trap comment. I've had to redo business cards for that exact reason, a subtle shadow that just made everything look dusty. The cleaner version always works because it doesn't fight with anything else on the page. It's one of those simple fixes that feels obvious only after someone points it out.
8
wright.luna10d ago
Drop shadows are the worst for looking cheap. I had a client insist on them for their service flyer and it just made the phone number hard to read. Cameronb52 is right about that dusty look, it's like a filter you can't take off. The clean version works because your eyes aren't fighting to see the text. Once you take the shadow off, the whole thing just feels more solid and professional. It's a tiny change that makes a huge difference.
8