Image Designer Archive
Thread: Idea for saving time and cutting down on ID prices
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LadyPirate
Wed Oct 27, 2004 3:13 pm
#1
ID is a great class but sometimes very time consuming and without a price list very unrewarding. I had an idea for an interface that involves the customer more than just liking or not liking a style or something about themselves. It works along the stat migration line....
1 you need an ID to do it of course
2 the customer if they so choose can when interfacing with an Image Designer can for instance go through and change things like hairstyle, skin color or marking colors, or markings ie. themselves as sometimes they come knowing exactally what they want. Instead of hearing "what colors do you have?" when you have a load of them that would take a long time to go through they can choose themselves.
This would make things less confusing for the id that has to go through the styles or colorsseveral times because they arent sure they like what they see. Color choices also for makeup and hair.
Once the customer changes things on the interface, maybe there could be a list of things they have changed somewhere, then ID can see and can charge accordingly for before setting the changes. This I believe would be a good use for a salon rather than having to sit there all day to wait for stat migrations to wander in.
Not sure if this is making sense and may sound crazy. Im sure Ill get flamed but oh well some people arent happy unless they are making people feel like morons because they dont like the idea. :-p
Darkesong
Wed Oct 27, 2004 4:48 pm
#2
Not to "flame" you or anything dear, but if the customer does everything in the ID session themselves.....how is that any different from us sitting and staring at a screen during a stat migration? We are still sitting there with nothing to do. Deciphering what your clients needs are quickly and with a minimum ofconfusion is what makes a image designer truly good at their profession. If you are completely familiar with your abilities, it becomes much easier to give your patrons what they need, even if they have very specific requests. I for one would not welcome a change like this...it would take all theelements that enticed me to master ID in the first place out of my hands.
As for theclients that say, "can you show me all your colors, hairstyles, tattoos" etc, I refer them to the wonderful lightstrider image designs website. It is a truly useful reference that elegantly displays all the information a client could possibly need to decide on a look. I have never had a problem finding exactly what a person wanted after checking there first.
One other thought.....some of us are already having problems convincing other players that we deserve to be compensated forour time....if the client basically ID'd themselves (therefore doing the work themselves) , how much worse do you think this trend might shift?
mashthekeys
Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:54 pm
#3
rather than having to sit there all day to wait for stat migrations to wander in.
er.. Dont you mean "rather than having to sit there al day Praying stat migrations Dont wander in.
Ok i also dont like to flame, so i will say this as calmly as possible.
I also disagree with this idea. Nothing better than using you own eye or skill with ID. Just an hour ago i had someone (human male) come up to me and say, I have a halloween party to go do, work your magic. So i made them (zombie style) pasty green, greyish hair, eyes almost white, added 1 bar to the age column for that decaying look. sickly thin weight, and reduced muscles to min, and lets not forget the all important haunted holoemote! They were just "WOW".
I became an ID for this, NOT to stare at a screen while someone else does all the work and i'm only needed to be there so that its possible. I AM NOT A DROID!
/end rant
Maisland
Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:52 am
#4
Sorry, but I also do NOT want to become an ID Terminal!
If a customer wants to select all the features by themself, then they can just become an ID too. I spend enough time sitting staring at an interface with nothing to do during stat migrations, I don't need that same boredom to be tied to real ID work as well.
mashthekeys
Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:13 am
#5
I don't need that same boredom to be tied to real ID work as well.
That reminds me, when i get ppl asking now if they can get some ID my reply is, "Your after ID or stat migration"
Kyree-Sunrunner
Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:23 am
#6
I have to agree with Maisland. I am not a terminal. I became an ID because I like doing the work. Besides, if some of these customers could build avatars that looked the way they wanted them to, they wouldn't be visiting an image designer. 
I have the Lightstrider site written in my bio. People can go there an see the full color pallettes and all the hairstyles. Pick a name, or pick the color, and I can give them exactly that. That's as close as I think we'll fairly come to being a 'terminal'.
I have the Lightstrider site written in my bio. People can go there an see the full color pallettes and all the hairstyles. Pick a name, or pick the color, and I can give them exactly that. That's as close as I think we'll fairly come to being a 'terminal'.
Hollow1Neville
Fri Oct 29, 2004 3:50 am
#7
I don't know why you would find you need a price list to reap rewards in ID. I have a firm policy on pricing, I have a set price for stat migrations and work for tips for all other changes. I am more then satisified with what people tip me and could very easily make a good living from it.
As far as your idea goes, ladypirate, I utterly disagree. For two reasons really. Like other people, I don't really want to turn into an 'ID terminal'. Frankly, I find the interaction between myself and my customer while determining changes to be highly rewarding!
Secondly, and most important to me, I find that I need a certain 'je ne sais qoui', call it an artistic eye, call it good color sense, to be an image designer. My favorite customers are always the ones who let me do whatever I like to them, and frequently they are surprised by my choices but agree it looks very good. Not to say I strongly disagree with people's choices, say when they ask me for a specific hairstyle or whatever, but fact of the matter is nine times out of ten they don't know what they want. This is especially true of color. Me? I know my UI inside and out, I know what colors are the most popular, which colors are the most versatile, what hairstyles look good with which jaws, how much fat is enough to make you look full bodied, etc. etc. etc. While not everyone agrees with my aesthetic (and I don't expect them to), it is so rewarding for me to hear from a customer 'perfect! how do you do it? I wouldn't have done that.'. In fact, I'm normally more picky then my customer is about color!
So, in the end, I have to say thata customer is not just hiring me for my skills as an image designer, they are hiring me for my experience as an image designer (in the trenches so to speak), if this makes any sense.
aradz
Sun Oct 31, 2004 4:36 pm
#8
How about a pick list?
When the ID changes to the tab working on, say hair, the customer sees a list of all the available hairstyles. That way, they can at least see the choices, and the color ranges they have to work with, and can make suggestions based on what they want?
This would allow a bit more collaberation between the ID and the customer, and they'd be able to work together to perform the magic, rather than just seperately
When the ID changes to the tab working on, say hair, the customer sees a list of all the available hairstyles. That way, they can at least see the choices, and the color ranges they have to work with, and can make suggestions based on what they want?
This would allow a bit more collaberation between the ID and the customer, and they'd be able to work together to perform the magic, rather than just seperately
Kyree-Sunrunner
Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:58 am
#9
aradz wrote:
How about a pick list?
When the ID changes to the tab working on, say hair, the customer sees a list of all the available hairstyles. That way, they can at least see the choices, and the color ranges they have to work with, and can make suggestions based on what they want?
This would allow a bit more collaberation between the ID and the customer, and they'd be able to work together to perform the magic, rather than just seperately
No. That's still a terminal. You want to see all the styles and colors, go to Pani's website and look all you like. Or, if you really have to have the ID interface, master ID and do it yourself.
If I want a article of clothing, I have to tell tailor what I want, and he makes it. I don't get to use his tools or schematics. I decribe the color, or show him an item with the color I want. Yes, I can go to websites and get a better bead on the color I want, just like my customers can do.
Plagvreugd
Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:18 am
#10
I agree with what has been said before. It can be a pain if your client isn't sure of what he wants and wants to see everything twenty times before making up his mind, but a good IDer is someone who can guide his clients and help them because he's experienced in these matters and has an eye for what looks good. Apart from the utter destruction of the ID profession as a playable class, you won't do the customers a big favour.
Thewt
NJ62
Wed Nov 03, 2004 4:45 pm
#11
Most customers don't have an eye for what looks good, and have preconceived notions about where a "slider" should be based on what they think is ideal, not how it actually looks in practice.
For example: "I want abs"
So I bump up the weight slider.
Do I tell him I just bumped up his weight? No way! This is a big muscular man! He wants zero body fat! You should bounce a quarter off his heiney! But, uh, to get that look, you need to move the weight slider.
Now the reason he has no abs in the first place is that he set his weight to minimum at character creation. It must look better, because it's zero body fat! Oh look at how uber I am. /flex. Same with muscle. Then they come to me crying that I have to get rid of their "moobs".
With the ladies: "I want hips." Bump up the weight slider. Do I tell them they're at 1/4? Hah! No way, that's "fat." Doesn't look fat, but if it has to do with weight, they want minimum. If it has to do with chest they want maximum - and then they complain that their shirts look weird.
There's that guy with no chin, or the guy with big bulgy eyes... need I go on?
They got their crack at the sliders and they failed. Now it's our turn. Trust me, they don't need to see the sliders, cause they don't want to know.
For example: "I want abs"
So I bump up the weight slider.
Do I tell him I just bumped up his weight? No way! This is a big muscular man! He wants zero body fat! You should bounce a quarter off his heiney! But, uh, to get that look, you need to move the weight slider.
Now the reason he has no abs in the first place is that he set his weight to minimum at character creation. It must look better, because it's zero body fat! Oh look at how uber I am. /flex. Same with muscle. Then they come to me crying that I have to get rid of their "moobs".
With the ladies: "I want hips." Bump up the weight slider. Do I tell them they're at 1/4? Hah! No way, that's "fat." Doesn't look fat, but if it has to do with weight, they want minimum. If it has to do with chest they want maximum - and then they complain that their shirts look weird.
There's that guy with no chin, or the guy with big bulgy eyes... need I go on?
They got their crack at the sliders and they failed. Now it's our turn. Trust me, they don't need to see the sliders, cause they don't want to know.
TechnoCan
Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:15 pm
#12
Yeah NJ borught it to the point... We don't have to share all our secrets and technical details with our customers... as long as they are happy with the outcome they usually let us do 'our magic'
Vorpaks
Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:47 pm
#13
It can be fun to play around with the customer before getting to what they are describing as well. Sometimes you can get them to go with something they would have never picked out on their own and be totally psyched about it. I had a goal one night to get at least one person in a green Mohawk. Sadly no takers (I haven't given up though!) but I did have one guy leave the tent with an ultramarine Elvis 'do feelinging like he was the coolest thing on the planet. Once you break past that initial shyness barrier with humor or flattery some of them really start to express their individuality and love it. And I love being a part of that.
As long as they can't see the pallete its easy to click on pink, green, purple, blue (hold on, this pallete is tiny - it might take me a while to get the brown) until they say "Oh! Wait a sec... can I see that one again?"
Once you break past that initial shyness barrier with humor or flattery some of them really start to express their individuality and love it. And I love being a part of that. As long as they can't see the pallete its easy to click on pink, green, purple, blue (hold on, this pallete is tiny - it might take me a while to get the brown) until they say "Oh! Wait a sec... can I see that one again?"
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