“It’s Just So…Purple.” Why I Tell Clients to Speak Up Early

Don’t be afraid to speak up. Your artist wants your feedback

“It is just so…purple.”

I turned to face my client with a paintbrush in one hand and a can of paint in the other. “Would you like me to change it? I just started the base coat, so we can switch colors without losing time” He thought for a few minutes before telling me to keep it. After a few hours I checked back in to offer to switch colors. He signed as he said “let’s keep it.” My stomach dropped as I sensed the hesitation. If he was unsure about the color now, he really would not like the finished project in a long hallway. That is a lot of purple.

At the very end of the project as he handed me the check, he shook his head and signed, “It’s just so purple.” I left the building downcast. After several weeks of work, and a hefty mural check, the client wasn’t fully happy. Nothing about the mural was different from the mockup. The color had fit his brand palette. The design hadn’t changed. What changed was seeing an entire wall covered in that much purple for the first time. The last day of painting a project is not an ideal time to fix a mural. If only we could have changed the color at the very beginning. 

Even with the utmost planning, there can still be surprises along the way. A digital mockup on a screen and a real wall can feel different from what the client imagined, and that’s okay. Sometimes all it takes is a small adjustment and a bit of communication to get things just right. That’s why I encourage my clients to check in while I’m painting and share their feedback. It’s OK to ask to have things adjusted lighter, darker, or change the color completely. In the end, these micro-adjustments will ensure you like your final product. Just speak up early, before it becomes difficult to make a change.

Just remember. You can always choose a different purple.