Audience

As a communications major, I have been taught to ALWAYS keep my audience in mind. Actually, not just keep them in mind, but design and write towards my audience. Recently, I am starting to wonder if this is even necessary. Although I feel like I have trust issues, I have noticed I am typically really trusting of people. We are designing sponsorships for a specific project I am apart of and our upper project officials do not want to do what our client wants, but what they want for the project. Here is my problem with this. 1) Our project is only a small fraction (our project) in the whole circle (sponsorship we are designing). Therefore, we have different audiences although our project does not see this. 2) After asking my opinion on the issue, since I have worked for the whole circle for the past three years, we still proceed to differ. I understand if you do not want to use my opinion, but please do not be rude to me. 3) If you do not design the way your client is wanting, ultimately they will remove their sponsorship. It is not a big deal to the whole if their sponsorship is a part of a fraction. And, if it is the back cover, you do not want to lose that money. So, why would you not listen to the whole or bad talk them?

I realize sometimes you have to design something, which may not be exactly what the client had in mind in hopes they will like your design. However, you are still designing for that client, so unless your idea is genius, you might as well do what your client wants. This is not building relationships, which I have heard so much about. Or, at least this would not build a relationship with me.