Hi guys, bit of a moral dilemma here, looking for some fresh eyes on this.

 

I'm about to start working with a new client, a guy who approached me at our workplace, who does graphic designing in his spare time and wants to commercialise his work and start earning from it. He's offering a decent chunk of cash (decent in my eyes anyway) and isn't pushing a deadline, so it's going to be a casual relationship and project. We met yesterday, he handed me a sketch of his ideal website and it's easy enough to do as you'll find out momentarily. He mentioned that he took inspiration another graphic designer's website and wanted it to be loosely based on it, that person being: http://www.khristinahowell.com. Fair enough, how 'loosely based' are we talking? Well, here's the sketch of the main website:

 

 

If you click onto the website linked above and navigate past the home screen to the sub-pages, you'll see my problem. My client has essentially used a piece of tracing paper and slapped his name on it. In case it's not clear, he wants to copy the structure, the logo size/position, the two black lines underneath the logo spanning the page, the huge vertically-stretching image alongside the page content (e.g. About, Licensing, Contact etc) in different colours as well, the navigation size/style, the links underneath the content, which if you look carefully are exactly the same except one or two and more. Even his entrance (index) page, which I didn't photograph, is basically the same, featuring large images side-by-size in a stylish arrangement to act as links.

 

This job is definitely an instructive project, where he tells me what he wants and I code it. He's being direct about this and insists his design be similar and would find it difficult to come up with another design. I haven't told him that his 'dream' website is essentially a rip-off of this KAH website. This is what I'm having trouble with, I've hated rippers and design thieves since I started graphics and web design nearly eight years ago and I would hate myself for making this just as much as I kind of hate him now, to be frank.

 

What do you guys think? Have you had similar situations in the past where a client has pointed to a website and said, "make me that"? I know I could try to persuade him to change a bit here and there, but the overall design has to follow suit with KAH's website. Bare in mind, I know this guy, it's not an e-relationship, we work under the same roof, so things could get awkward.

 

I've surprised myself with quite how annoyed I am. Tell me what you think, thanks.

I did try to have a look at the website but no joy - didn't work. I think the majority of clients want something in the vein of... blatant plagariasm, no. Depends if you want the project or not really and whether you're thinking business or ethics. Personally I wouldn't do it. As a designer, you want to have a signature even if it isn't exactly what you envision it. But it's not just the copying of the existing site that makes me say that - if you are already hating him at this stage and you work under the same roof (did you get that job already?! Nice ) then it could put a strain on your working relationship. Of course it's your call, but from what you've said, I think it's too much of a risk on many aspects.

(did you get that job already?! Nice )

 

Different job, not a new one.

 

I did have a chat with him today, and he did say he'd consider mixing it up a bit, but I doubt much will change.

Is this a blantant copyright issue or simply a conflict of interest with your own ethics? Is there anyway of giving him essentially the same layout but have every other apsect (text, font, colors, pictures etc.) be unique to his own branding? At the end of the day you have to wake up each morning and not hate the person you see in the mirror.

Is this a blantant copyright issue or simply a conflict of interest with your own ethics? Is there anyway of giving him essentially the same layout but have every other apsect (text, font, colors, pictures etc.) be unique to his own branding? At the end of the day you have to wake up each morning and not hate the person you see in the mirror.

 

It's not so much a copyright issue, there are ways around that (not that I'd advocate that), it's pretty much an ethical dilemma. The issue is, the key characteristics on the KAH website that make it unique (such as the long vertical coloured band down the left side) are 'essential' on my client's website, and that's just a no-no for me; that web designer, or the graphic designer herself who owns the site, thought of that idea (or, ironically, copied it from elsewhere) and deserves no less than to be ripped off.

May I ask from an ethical standpoint, how much "inspiration" can be taken from another design before the line is crosed? Would layout alone be too much? Just curious. Thanks.

May I ask from an ethical standpoint, how much "inspiration" can be taken from another design before the line is crosed? Would layout alone be too much? Just curious. Thanks.

 

There isn't a clear line to cross or a rule to follow, its a really hard question to answer, everyone who works with design steals ideas consciously or subconsciously.

 

is it better to find your own unique solution, or the one that works the best?

"everyone who works with design steals ideas consciously or subconsciously"

 

The definition of "inspiration"?

Just to regurgitate what was previously said in Moan, Grumble, Whinge - http://adactio.com/journal/6232/. Kudos to Jack (again) for the link. There's always a grey area between inspiration and plagiarism. Sometimes the perpetrators will have a good line to through throw at you for their reasoning, other times blatant.

 

Picasso sums it up:

 

 

Good artists copy, great artists steal

Edited August 2, 201313 yr by 4li4s
speling mistaik

May I ask from an ethical standpoint, how much "inspiration" can be taken from another design before the line is crosed? Would layout alone be too much? Just curious. Thanks.

 

Further to 4li4s post regarding what our member Jack posted in that other topic, inspiration is seeing a style, colour combination, use of imagery, feature or general feel and replicating it using one's own devices and creative spin; "crossing the line", as you put it, would be what my client requested - an almost pixel-for-pixel copy and stealing key aspects of the original website that made it so unique.

 

 

There isn't a clear line to cross or a rule to follow, its a really hard question to answer, everyone who works with design steals ideas consciously or subconsciously

 

Sorry, that's incorrect. Stealing is intentional and blatant, and you'd be either lucky, psychic or incredibly talented if you hand-on-heart accidentally copied a website pixel-for-pixel. Taking someone's idea for, let's say, a jQuery slideshow is absolutely fine - chances are it does exist in its dozens/hundreds anyway and you probably won't be the first to take the idea for your own use (provided you code your own and simply "steal" the idea, rather than swiping the original code).

Edited August 2, 201313 yr by throzen

I am not saying there isn't a difference between shameless copying and using something for inspiration, pixel for pixel is clearly stealing, but if you would to copy that design, change some widths and heights, use a different color scheme it could also be considered stealing. I was just saying there is no clear line where the crossing point is.

Understood.

Edited August 3, 201313 yr by iems

take that layout, do your changes, then look at it, if it feels like you stole it, then you did, if you feel that the part you did makes enough of a difference than its probably ok.