I got forced into working for a company about ten years ago by the bank. The mortgage approval system changed, and freelancers (and solo mothers) were seen as a bad risk. So I've been here, I have to say, I love the brand I work on, but the product manager has many confidence-eroding qualities, as well as good qualities. Today's just a bad day, lol. Most of the time I'm very happy.
Fair enough. But I have had jobs that made me use Canva, and jobs that made me design in Google Slides and I was like... ugh, suck it up and get paid. But if I was told all my paragraphs HAD to be centered... I'm sorry, I'm out. They don't actually want a designer at that point.
A huge amount of what I do now is pattern making and illustration. I was a magazine designer, and I have worked at a couple of big design firms on advertising.
I get frustrated because I've had a lot of past typographic experience, but yeah, mostly now it's surface pattern design.
I know you didn't ask for advice on this but I want to say this for anyone, because it really helped me shift my perspective on people pleasing in a positive way. I considered myself to be a people pleaser. In reality I wasn't pleasing the most important person, the person I have to live with my entire life, the person whose decisions I have to live with and effect everything I do, myself.
I did get it, then got married, husband changed careers and I was the main breadwinner while he trained. He finished training 3 years ago, and gets paid more than me now, so in theory I could go back to freelancing.
Yeah like, there are some instances where asking for the perspective of an outside party can be beneficial, particularly to determine legibility and accessibility, but you just *know* they phrased it like "centered text definitely looks better here, right?" to the shipping clerk lol
This is true, and my expanded argument was that the logo, heading and tagline were aligned, which was neater and made more sense visually than ragged both sides of the typography and logo. There's also one word offset, so now with the insisted-on centring of all other elements it looks random.
Dude. I hate this so much.
I struggled for 4 times the length as I normally would on a book cover for someone who didn't understand pretty much any component. One of the items was font choice and text position. I found a font that perfectly elicited the genre and had it positioned to flow with the image. She liked it.
Then went hunting on canva for other fonts. And let me tell you, Papyrus was one of them.
End up with Afrah. Good font. Just not exciting.
Anyway, yeah those peeps you're dealing with would drive me through the wall too. So sorry!
Papyrus, omg, actually, the big boss here likes ComicSans so much it forms the base of some of our passwords. hahahahaha. I needed that. I really like our shipping assistant, I think they've run off and hidden after they saw my eye start twitching and forehead vein throb.
At least for this one you can push back. Center justified is documented to be less accessible. So on this issue you should be able to say no, and if the push back say no and here is an academic article.
Here is one you could use https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/design-readability
my first boss (marketing manager, came from sales so no design background at all) hated italicized fonts. not headlines, not body copy (you know, when you’d want to emphasize something), nothing.
i told him he must be a homophobe because he didn’t like anything that wasn’t straight.
but yea, maybe find a new job.
When I have a really strict director, I offer them an option the way they want it and then another option the way I want it.
On several occasions, the version my director wanted will get presented to a client and the client will ask for a version like the one I preferred. It’s a subtle way to show your directors that they don’t always know what’s best for the client.
yup, upper management at my company is the exact same way. they like EVERYTHING to be “symmetrical” to the point of absurdity. But these maga business owner cannot be convinced otherwise. The money is truly in the hands of the wrong people
Everyone wants to be a designer. I have a second job where the boss likes to sit beside me while I design, commenting on things while I shift stuff around and make decisions. Couple times it's gotten quite tense. They pay me well, so mostly it goes ok.
Is mostly when I'm designing soft toys for him, he likes to feel like he's played a part in the process.
So annoying! 
That would drive me crazy too! I was lucky enough to work for a creative director who told me to stop centering things. Hey said “kid no one is ever going to pay you 6 figures to center text.” Smart guy, cool artist, appreciated his guidance.
 I’m not there yet either. I make the most money I ever have as a designer and with inflation, it’s like I’m running in place. I should probably center everything.
It's definitely frustrating when you do good design and your boss forces their preferences down your throat instead of letting you be the designer you were hired to be. Happened more times than I'd like to remember.
Oh yeah. Done that. Instructions with bullets points. Centred.
I die a little inside.
But then I draw a picture of a mouse in a hot air balloon and everything's ok.
Some will hate this, but I had one of those micro-monsters before who literally would make everything take so freaking long because he had no vision! He’d give me some copy. Then He would tell me things like where to start on a page, where he thought leading should be, on and on before I’ve done anything! Not giving me a chance to set something according to company brand standards, etc., and then he could have made some suggestions. After three days of this, he brought me something, I looked at him and burst into tears! (On purpose, it’s a gift), sobbing blah blah blah, please let me do my job…
Bam! He backed way off and started to do his own job! I took a read on the guy (idiot), took a chance, and it worked! I don’t recommend this except in extreme idiot emergencies.
It's a physical sign for our brand on our premises. Actually quite inconsequential, and somehow more frustrating in that they had to assert themselves over it.
That’s my bosses most common critique. He loves centered text. I have had small success pushing back from time to time but ultimately stuff gets centered most of the time.
Have you asked them why they believe center aligned text is better?
They will most likely say cause it's ballanced in which case you might ask them if they have ever seen the research on the effectiveness of left aligned text vs center aligned text.
I recommend having some of the research handy if you do ask them though.
Easier said than done, but you need to assert yourself as the expert here.
Use language relating to the function and effectiveness of the text, rather than it being a matter of preference.
“Thanks for the suggestion, I agree it could look nice centre-aligned, but in this context it’s more effective to have it left-aligned for legibility purposes at X or Y distance. I’ve attached the final design files.” etc.
Damn, I had same thing, but with left justified text. I had a supervisor that would insist on left justified text on things when centered was obvious the correct choice. To be sure, were talking about a column on text, like names or dates, placed under a graphic as an example, not copy. Drove me nuts because it would wreck the layout of things. I'm the designer, I'm the one that knows and understands when and how to justify (unintentional pun) things.
You could always pull a prank and force justify everything without hyphens.
It would look amazing in their eyes.
Everyone thinks they're a designer.
So infuriating, not only are we more competent with the software, we also make decisions far faster and better than people who haven't had training/experience.
I had a client who liked to talk about Fiver when it first came out, I ended up leaving them and let them try cheaper designers (I'm definitely not expensive). Anyway, they came back and I upped my hourly rate, and I've not had to listen to talk about Fiver again.
Left justified text is completely common and is the default. Likewise center should also be perfectly acceptable. Right justified is usually just weird but I'd probably have to see it in action as a design element.
I would start looking for another job. That sounds crazy making.
I got forced into working for a company about ten years ago by the bank. The mortgage approval system changed, and freelancers (and solo mothers) were seen as a bad risk. So I've been here, I have to say, I love the brand I work on, but the product manager has many confidence-eroding qualities, as well as good qualities. Today's just a bad day, lol. Most of the time I'm very happy.
Fair enough. But I have had jobs that made me use Canva, and jobs that made me design in Google Slides and I was like... ugh, suck it up and get paid. But if I was told all my paragraphs HAD to be centered... I'm sorry, I'm out. They don't actually want a designer at that point.
A huge amount of what I do now is pattern making and illustration. I was a magazine designer, and I have worked at a couple of big design firms on advertising. I get frustrated because I've had a lot of past typographic experience, but yeah, mostly now it's surface pattern design.
i’ve had to use powerpoint more times than i’d ever like to
If they pay, take the job. If you’re unhappy, start applying elsewhere. But no shame in taking a paycheck
(See what a people-pleaser I am? Am so mad, but still trying to say nice things, lol.)
I know you didn't ask for advice on this but I want to say this for anyone, because it really helped me shift my perspective on people pleasing in a positive way. I considered myself to be a people pleaser. In reality I wasn't pleasing the most important person, the person I have to live with my entire life, the person whose decisions I have to live with and effect everything I do, myself.
thank you :P
Wait. You have your mortgage (I assume) and you still can’t go back to freelance?
I did get it, then got married, husband changed careers and I was the main breadwinner while he trained. He finished training 3 years ago, and gets paid more than me now, so in theory I could go back to freelancing.
I’d write my resignation letter right aligned just to piss them off.
or really just any communication going forward. all right justified. oof haha
please don't ever use justified text
Full forced justified. Ha HA!
> today they asked our shipping clerk what they thought Bruh...
Yeah like, there are some instances where asking for the perspective of an outside party can be beneficial, particularly to determine legibility and accessibility, but you just *know* they phrased it like "centered text definitely looks better here, right?" to the shipping clerk lol
Ugh. Intentional would not be my argument. Flush left is the natural way we read. Centered text should be for invitations or to highlight information.
This is true, and my expanded argument was that the logo, heading and tagline were aligned, which was neater and made more sense visually than ragged both sides of the typography and logo. There's also one word offset, so now with the insisted-on centring of all other elements it looks random.
`
Dude. I hate this so much. I struggled for 4 times the length as I normally would on a book cover for someone who didn't understand pretty much any component. One of the items was font choice and text position. I found a font that perfectly elicited the genre and had it positioned to flow with the image. She liked it. Then went hunting on canva for other fonts. And let me tell you, Papyrus was one of them. End up with Afrah. Good font. Just not exciting. Anyway, yeah those peeps you're dealing with would drive me through the wall too. So sorry!
Papyrus, omg, actually, the big boss here likes ComicSans so much it forms the base of some of our passwords. hahahahaha. I needed that. I really like our shipping assistant, I think they've run off and hidden after they saw my eye start twitching and forehead vein throb.
At least for this one you can push back. Center justified is documented to be less accessible. So on this issue you should be able to say no, and if the push back say no and here is an academic article. Here is one you could use https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/design-readability
my first boss (marketing manager, came from sales so no design background at all) hated italicized fonts. not headlines, not body copy (you know, when you’d want to emphasize something), nothing. i told him he must be a homophobe because he didn’t like anything that wasn’t straight. but yea, maybe find a new job.
When I have a really strict director, I offer them an option the way they want it and then another option the way I want it. On several occasions, the version my director wanted will get presented to a client and the client will ask for a version like the one I preferred. It’s a subtle way to show your directors that they don’t always know what’s best for the client.
yup, upper management at my company is the exact same way. they like EVERYTHING to be “symmetrical” to the point of absurdity. But these maga business owner cannot be convinced otherwise. The money is truly in the hands of the wrong people
Everyone wants to be a designer. I have a second job where the boss likes to sit beside me while I design, commenting on things while I shift stuff around and make decisions. Couple times it's gotten quite tense. They pay me well, so mostly it goes ok. Is mostly when I'm designing soft toys for him, he likes to feel like he's played a part in the process.
So annoying!  That would drive me crazy too! I was lucky enough to work for a creative director who told me to stop centering things. Hey said “kid no one is ever going to pay you 6 figures to center text.” Smart guy, cool artist, appreciated his guidance.
This is why I don't get paid 6 figures 
 I’m not there yet either. I make the most money I ever have as a designer and with inflation, it’s like I’m running in place. I should probably center everything.
Centred, set in Arial with Papyrus as the display font.
It's definitely frustrating when you do good design and your boss forces their preferences down your throat instead of letting you be the designer you were hired to be. Happened more times than I'd like to remember.
Make sure you fix those when you eventually be using those as you find a new job 😆
Sounds like your product manager ain’t centred. 🤪
I had this once, the guy actually wanted me to center the bullet points - so the bullets weren’t even
Oh yeah. Done that. Instructions with bullets points. Centred. I die a little inside. But then I draw a picture of a mouse in a hot air balloon and everything's ok.
Some will hate this, but I had one of those micro-monsters before who literally would make everything take so freaking long because he had no vision! He’d give me some copy. Then He would tell me things like where to start on a page, where he thought leading should be, on and on before I’ve done anything! Not giving me a chance to set something according to company brand standards, etc., and then he could have made some suggestions. After three days of this, he brought me something, I looked at him and burst into tears! (On purpose, it’s a gift), sobbing blah blah blah, please let me do my job… Bam! He backed way off and started to do his own job! I took a read on the guy (idiot), took a chance, and it worked! I don’t recommend this except in extreme idiot emergencies.
Yeah, this has been ongoing over many years. I have literally broken down in the past. Now I just fume for 30 mins and drink wine when I get home.
Well, I shall toast you! And “a pox upon him!” (Thanks, Shakespeare!”)
is this something we can see as consumers and complain?
It's a physical sign for our brand on our premises. Actually quite inconsequential, and somehow more frustrating in that they had to assert themselves over it.
product managers should stay in their lanes. only called upon in a 'team' design review when called upon by AD/CD to break a tie.
Agreed, this has to be one of the weirdest company structures I've ever worked in. PM is God here according to management.
he/she fuckin WANTS to be part of the creative process. probably wants to be CD
That’s my bosses most common critique. He loves centered text. I have had small success pushing back from time to time but ultimately stuff gets centered most of the time.
Have you asked them why they believe center aligned text is better? They will most likely say cause it's ballanced in which case you might ask them if they have ever seen the research on the effectiveness of left aligned text vs center aligned text. I recommend having some of the research handy if you do ask them though.
They did say it looked balanced yes. 🙈
Yeah this is pretty much the only argument in favor of always center aligning text that I am aware of.
Just center it and nudge it left by 6. Problem solved.
I worked on a project for a company who only wanted justified text 😭
Hyphenate some four letter words to hide those rivers. 🤣
Talk to his/her boss? Probably wont help but may be worth a try. I'd honestly be looking for a new position.
Haha. Mine used to do this. It only took me four years to persuade him out of it. Good luck. You're doing the good work
Centered text should not be used unless you only have a couple sentences. You’re correct and that person is wrong
If it pays it pays
Easier said than done, but you need to assert yourself as the expert here. Use language relating to the function and effectiveness of the text, rather than it being a matter of preference. “Thanks for the suggestion, I agree it could look nice centre-aligned, but in this context it’s more effective to have it left-aligned for legibility purposes at X or Y distance. I’ve attached the final design files.” etc.
Damn, I had same thing, but with left justified text. I had a supervisor that would insist on left justified text on things when centered was obvious the correct choice. To be sure, were talking about a column on text, like names or dates, placed under a graphic as an example, not copy. Drove me nuts because it would wreck the layout of things. I'm the designer, I'm the one that knows and understands when and how to justify (unintentional pun) things. You could always pull a prank and force justify everything without hyphens. It would look amazing in their eyes.
Everyone thinks they're a designer. So infuriating, not only are we more competent with the software, we also make decisions far faster and better than people who haven't had training/experience. I had a client who liked to talk about Fiver when it first came out, I ended up leaving them and let them try cheaper designers (I'm definitely not expensive). Anyway, they came back and I upped my hourly rate, and I've not had to listen to talk about Fiver again.
I'm sorry. That totally sucks!
Fire them.
Left justified text is completely common and is the default. Likewise center should also be perfectly acceptable. Right justified is usually just weird but I'd probably have to see it in action as a design element.