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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Thoughtless friend?

50 replies

famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 14:02

Long story short. I have a friend that opened up a new shop. She asked if I could think of a logo for her so I sat for hours and came up with a great one. I also designed on an advertising board for her prior to opening. Now the shop is open and she has made a post on facebook showing a brand new advertising board attached to the shop wall - but it has been done by a professional. There are links to the designers page showing the making of the new board. The board is professional and really lovely, however, my gripe is that this was MY design - I spent days making it at no charge but there has been no mention in her post that I am the original designer. I feel a bit mugged off at this and really annoyed that she would let that go unmentioned. Am I right to feel this way? I have tried to look at it from every angle but every time I read the post again I get so pissed off. I'm posting this here really to get others views and maybe try and see it differently. She's been very good to me whilst I've been ill in the past so I'd hope this was just something she did without thinking properly. :-(

OP posts:
JacquesHammer · 09/08/2018 14:03

Do you create logos professionally?

Cloudyapples · 09/08/2018 14:06

Probably she just didn’t think. I’d just send her a short but polite text ‘hi x saw your Facebook post - love the new board! Could you please add my link/credit me to the post too though as I am the original designer of (logo/_artwork) thanks so much and look forward to catching up soon’ etc

Gottensomedraws · 09/08/2018 14:06

Post in reply on Facebook something like “ that looks fantastic Doris- so glad you liked my design and it looks great now it’s up on the wall” . Hopefully she’ll then acknowledge it with you .

Gottensomedraws · 09/08/2018 14:07

Crossed post @Cloudyapples 😀

wafflyversatile · 09/08/2018 14:09

What Gotten says.

No one is perfect. She's been a good friend in other ways. She's forgotten in her excitement or been a bit thoughtless.

Original poster
famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 14:34

No I don't do it professionally for a living but Im very good at what I do. I'm very creative and have a flare for good ideas. I'm always making things for friends as a favour too.

OP posts:
daffodillament · 09/08/2018 14:50

Yes what cloudyapples said. Be interested to know how she responds to this oversight. X

JacquesHammer · 09/08/2018 14:51

Tricky.

If it wasn’t something I did professionally I wouldn’t expect her to do very public thanks, there’s little point IMO.

Has she thank you privately?

9amTrain · 09/08/2018 14:52

Yanbu! That's so cheeky! I'd have to say something. You need to be credited.

ToadOfSadness · 09/08/2018 14:59

Copyright the design and tell her you have done so.

MargaretCavendish · 09/08/2018 15:03

I understand why you're pissed off, but if you don't do this professionally I wouldn't ask for public credit as it would only really be for your ego/so other people can praise you, which is an awkward thing to ask for. She should have thanked you publicly of her own accord (and I'd remember this next time she needs such a favour!) but asking her to do it now is a bit like asking someone to compliment you - both embarrassing and pointless.

Vitalogy · 09/08/2018 15:14

I think she should have mentioned you and given you credit for the original design.

OP, from now on could you always put a signature/symbol or watermark type thing on all your designs.

Just put it down to a lesson learnt this time.

SparklyLeprechaun · 09/08/2018 15:20

If you don't do it professionally then there's no benefit to you in getting credit for it, and no loss if you don't either. It would be nice of her to acknowledge you, but it's not like you're losing business, is it? It's just Facebook nonsense.

Original poster
famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 15:24

Thanks for your replies. I really don't want an ego booster or anything like that I just thought because we are such good friends she would have mentioned me? To have a professional re-do it (and be paid for it) when my design looks hardly any different was a little thoughtless of her to post a link to the professional designers page with no mention of me as the original. Of course she thanked me for me making the original logo and ad board. I suppose I'll just let this go as I don't want to upset things. A few of our friends have also said it wasn't the right thing to do but I can't change how she thinks. Maybe she would disagree with me if I were to bring it up so its pointless.

OP posts:
Ladybirdbookworm · 09/08/2018 15:29

Something similar happened to me and I felt really crappy.
I wouldn't say anything but bear it in mind in future. It's a shame but sometimes creative stuff is considered a pleasure for you rather than hard work Flowers

Vitalogy · 09/08/2018 15:30

If you don't do it professionally then there's no benefit to you in getting credit for it Of course there is, credit where credit's due. OP spent hours on it and who knows who might see it. It's hanging on the shop wall. Everything isn't just about money.

JacquesHammer · 09/08/2018 15:31

To have a professional re-do it (and be paid for it) when my design looks hardly any different was a little thoughtless of her to post a link to the professional designers page with no mention of me as the original. Of course she thanked me for me making the original logo and ad board

She’s treated the two situations as the different things they are. She’s paid a professional to make the board and rightly linked to their site.

She’s also thanked you.

I genuinely wouldn’t give it another thought.

diddl · 09/08/2018 15:38

Do you have a page that she could link to & name you as the designer?

Would you want to be getting other work off the back of it-if so, tell her!

Original poster
famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 15:42

@jacquesHammer I spent a lot of time making that design. Every one of our friends know I did it yet I had no mention being the original designer...wouldn't that have bothered you? It certainly isn't right. Ok, I' I don't advertise myself as professional designer but I could have charged her for the work I did - I do sell my work on many sites and facebook groups. I just choose not to do it full time as I have two small children. And I didn't ask her for money, she's a good friend. But surely some recognition of my design could have been mentioned? I could gain work from that in future.

OP posts:
JacquesHammer · 09/08/2018 15:45

But surely some recognition of my design could have been mentioned? I could gain work from that in future

If you’re looking for work in the future add it to your portfolio - that would be a really good idea. I think it unlikely that her acknowledging you now would result in future work unless you want it fairly immediately. Social media is too fast-paced for that.

wouldn't that have bothered you?

Honestly? No. If she had thanked me then that’s sufficient.

Original poster
famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 15:47

@diddl yes, I'd like to think in the future I could gain work from it. I have a page set up for people who are extremely, naturally creative and can gain work from it - wood carvers, artists, photographers, Chalk board writers. Pretty much anything that is different and interesting really.

OP posts:
Vitalogy · 09/08/2018 15:48

I do sell my work on many sites and facebook groups. You really need to think about protecting your designs. If this is the first time this type of thing has happened you've been lucky.

Original poster
famousfour919777 · 09/08/2018 15:59

@vitalogy You're definitely right there. I haven't made a load of things to sell (mostly for my own home) but it's definitely been an eyeopener for me to think about in the future :-)

Thanks everyone for the replies and help. It's made me look at it from different points of view. xx

OP posts:
GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 09/08/2018 16:07

Just comment 'Please could you credit the original designer too (AKA me!!!)' with a couple of smiley faces or something.

FabulousTomatoes · 09/08/2018 16:12

As a professional designer myself, this would make me uncomfortable. I do a lot of ‘re-drawing’ when the client has either had a design hand-drawn or has lost touch with the original designer due to the logo being old. Because (as your friend has clearly discovered) you need to have digital artwork supplied in a usable manner, I get approached for this type of thing quite a lot.

I don’t charge as much for this type of duplication work: this is artwork only. The design is far more time-consuming and fiddly to get right, and often involves considerable consultation, mood boards, and research etc to get right.

Not only this, but often the stuff I’m asked to re-draw is very rarely in my style. In fact I often don’t like it, and I feel as if I’m selling part of my —precious creative— soul in doing it Grin but it’s money on the table at the end of the day.

So for these reasons I’d feel v uncomfortable getting credit for it and would probably ask the client not to namecheck me.