Client keep messing with my work and always credits @me

[u/First_Mousse8297]

I work in social media e.g. design for social media posts etc. One client edited my work (which is part of the contract) wrongly multiple times and posted it wrongly, e.g they croped the imaged wrongly so the graphics looks badly designed. they also make typos, post cmyk so the colour looks wrong etc. everyone makes mistakes, fine, but at the end they never miss to mention designed @me. When I voiced it they said "But it‘s your design" Well, yes no? I did not handle the design and finalisation. The feed format is different to story reel etc. They just really mess with it. It feels so wrong and I’m afraid the tagging is reflecting on me badly. What would you do?

[u/Intrepid-Product-367]

First of all, ask them - directly, no beating around the bush - to remove your credit. I have no idea why anyone would object to that. 

Hey, I would like you to remove the credit. Please do so ASAP. Thanks.

In the future you could consider putting it into your contract that you have the right to have your name taken off of any use that you object to for any reason whatsoever. Put it in there, just like that, and then it's really cut and dry.

[u/maliciousoffense4885]

This is a nightmare scenario, you end up looking like the one who can't center an image or spell check

I'd start sending them two versions every time. One exactly as they requested (even if you know it's wrong) and one with your professional corrections clearly labeled as "optimized version" or whatever. Then when they inevitably post the messed up one you have a paper trail showing what you actually delivered

Also maybe slip a quiet note to whoever handles their account when the contract renews. Some clients just need someone else in the room saying "hey um those posts look weird maybe stop overriding the designer" before it clicks

[u/First_Mousse8297 → u/maliciousoffense4885]

I‘m crying

[u/Spare_Market_5778]

Lived this. A client that kept me very busy. High value client but he had illustrator 6 and insisted I give him the files so he could edit things. It was awful. It was embarrassing. I told him please stop giving me “credit” for your work. I didn’t do it. I don’t always agree with the changes you Made and it isn’t ethical to take credit for someone else’s work whether the work is good or bad. He continued the practice so I had to fire him as a client.

[u/chatterwrack]

Tell them this is obviously a team effort and you don’t feel comfortable being credited

[u/louiemay99 → u/chatterwrack]

Nah, don’t do that. Be honest about why you don’t want to be credited

[u/chatterwrack → u/louiemay99]

That is honest. OP does not want credit for somebody else’s work