sparklecap🌟
[work nonsense] advice needed
sparklecap🌟
so, I design websites. right now we're building our own cms from the ground up because my boss doesn't like any of the ones that actually exist and other complicated reasons
sparklecap🌟
one of the things he always harps on me about is making sure that things look good on mobile view, because admittedly sometimes I do forget to check whether everything translates properly
sparklecap🌟
so when it came time to design this "news" module, and we need to be able to make it look good no matter the device, with multiple photos or no photos, I came up with this two column concept where there's a "lead photo" that displays above the text, and any additional photos display on the right (beneath text on mobile)
sparklecap🌟
he hates it. without explaining why he thinks it looks bad, he "redesigned" the whole thing, which breaks the mobile view that he's always on my case about. I tell him why I did it the way I did. he says "it's not working out that way let's just do it my way"
sparklecap🌟
And I want to reach into the screen and scream ARE YOU A DESIGNER?? Which I am well aware is not a good move
sparklecap🌟
but like. he wouldn't treat our lead programmer like this.
sparklecap🌟
And this isn't the first time that I have felt completely undermined and ignored. I'm the lead designer. I design things the way I do for a reason. everything has a fucking purpose, from placement of elements to the most subtle fucking drop shadows and the colors of literally everything
sparklecap🌟
And I'm tired of being treated like design doesn't matter or it's some secondary, necessary evil, or worse, like it's just a coat of paint or decoration
sparklecap🌟
am I the best designer ever? no. I'm sure my work could use improvement. but that isn't even what this is. this is just another in a long list of incidents where I'm being told that what I do is ... I don't know, too complicated or outright wrong
sparklecap🌟
worse, I feel silly for getting upset over something like this. it's one page, it doesn't matter, right? who cares where the picture goes, in the long run? I should pick my battles and not die on this hill
sparklecap🌟
but I'm tired. I'm not listened to. I'm not heard. I'm not taken seriously. And I refuse to be made to feel like design is some secondary, unimportant part of the package. it's not "just" design. it's not "soft" and you sure as fuck wouldn't treat a male designer like his ideas didn't matter.
sparklecap🌟
(and you'd pay him better, but that's beside the point)
Cmdr.Crackers
doesn't sound like a silly thing to be upset about. feeling undermined and like your talent/expertise is completely unappreciated is worth being mad about. totally valid. however, because people like this will always exist in the world to vex us, it's good to build a strategy for managing it
sparklecap🌟
anyway. all of this to say ... what the fuck do I do. besides quit. lol
Cmdr.Crackers
there a third person you could get to step in and give a second opinion. like, lay it all out why you did it your way and then what you propose vs what this person proposes and then see if middle-person can help harmonize?
sparklecap🌟
nope. we are a virtual office and there's only three of us: me, boss, lead programmer; then the team in India who he treats like garbage
Craftyviking
Oh I am so sorry
Craftyviking
I have worked as a programmer with a boss like that and it sucks
sparklecap🌟
And that's another box of nonsense because he expects me to "get on their case" and treat them like garbage too and I'm like ...... dude, they're people??
sparklecap🌟
there is a language barrier but I usually make quick mockups or illustrations to show them how I want things to look or behave. it doesn't help that boss is pretty lousy at communication in the first place
Cmdr.Crackers
ugh. in that case, my second line of action is to press for exact reasons why he doesn't like the thing. Then I sort of underhandedly ask for suggestions to solve the problems that their new idea is creating until I kind of bring them around to my idea while still thinking it was theirs. which...sucks. but it works
sparklecap🌟
he thinks he's good at it because I've been able to parse his instructions over the years, for the most part. he gets pissy when he's unclear and I have to ask for clarification, but he has no idea that 95% of the time I'm sussing out the meaning from some incomprehensible statement
Cmdr.Crackers
sounds like he's got out of control ego issues
sparklecap🌟
that's not a bad idea. sometimes it even works. I might have to calm down about this a bit before pressing about it bc I'm pretty sure it'll come off like I'm being petty if I do it right now
Cmdr.Crackers
yeah, take some time to get yourself level
sparklecap🌟
he absolutely does. why else would we spend all this time creating a cms from scratch?
sparklecap🌟
"the best cms there is! tremendous! make the internet great again! we don't need any of this millennial social media web 2.0 fluff! back in my day, the web was straightforward! businesses could say what they mean! plain text and a photo of the product, American flag in the background, that's all we need!"
sparklecap🌟
(not a direct quote but you get the picture)
sparklecap🌟
...... god I need a new job.
Cmdr.Crackers
uuugh, i totally get it.
Cmdr.Crackers
there's no rule that says you can't start putting a resume out there while still working
sparklecap🌟
I know. it's out there. I'm registered with a placement agency for creative professionals, too. it's just that nothing's coming in.
sparklecap🌟
And there are fewer things more discouraging and soul-sucking than looking for work
sparklecap🌟
..... dating, maybe. lol
sparklecap🌟
at least when relationships go bad you don't need a new one lined up before quitting the current one. you can just leave. And they aren't mandatory. jobs .... are. so you're forced to stay in situations where you're exploited.
Cmdr.Crackers
i was on the new job hunt 7 months ago and yeah i feel you
Cmdr.Crackers
i've found that sometimes going to the sites and re-uploading the resume puts it back at the top of some lists so keep that in mind if it's been a while
sparklecap🌟
And I realize that I have it pretty okay, comparatively speaking. I make enough to live on, to eat well, to do my hobbies, to live in a decent apartment in a good neighborhood. I'm not suffering.
sparklecap🌟
but I also know that I can do better, and "not suffering" is a pretty low bar
sparklecap🌟
(I'm also not saving much. I have zero benefits. I only just got actual paid holidays and I had to fight for that, which was basically constant pestering that I didn't want to have to lose money for deigning to spend Christmas with my family, and he was a fucking Scrooge about it too, made me feel like I had to work twice as hard to get these scraps)
Cmdr.Crackers
that's crappy. you really can do better
sparklecap🌟
thanks for listening. I think I'm just gonna let this one thing go for now. I can't find a good way to present my argument and he's already moved on to the next thing which makes me think today he's just finding stuff to gripe about
sparklecap🌟
which I know I don't have to just sit there and take
sparklecap🌟
gonna just do one thing at a time. let him deal with his own problems. I've got my files and screenshots of my own work for my portfolio so that's what matters, if I'm not proud of what goes live.
Cmdr.Crackers
sometimes you do have to let it go. sucks, but there's something to be said for picking the battles you can win. i'm happy to listen. i was in your place not too long ago and having someone to vent to helped me a bunch
𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙳𝙾𝙽'𝚃
whoa you can definitely do better with your skillset, I'd say save your energy with this dude who won't change but channel it into finding a better gig.
sparklecap🌟
"Can you make the text white with no background or shadow" sure but you won't be able to read it. there's a REASON FOR EVERYTHING
𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃 𝙳𝙾𝙽'𝚃
lmao christ
sparklecap🌟
literally 
sparklecap🌟
I just give up at this point. you want it to look this way? sure. cool. whatever you say, dude. I am a code machine and Photoshop operator. beep boop