Yeah I do agree dojo but I’m so far into it now I’ll stick with it to the end… which hopefully shouldn’t be soon
I wondered what others here would do in the same situation?
Prove it. You run your version against his in an A/B split run test. You win twice or so, nobody is going to question your expertise.
The web is ideal for A/B split run testing. Use it. And, since there is such a hysterical phobia of ever testing, a lot of people back down at the mere mention of the term.
Any other decision and the client will not respect you. He knows you didn’t like his version, and he got you to do it anyway.
Chances are – in that client’s mind – he’s going to go for price concessions next. (Should you work together in future). And why not, you’re only taking design dictation.
Design decisions are testable. There are proven concepts, techniques and design patterns which work better than others. Pretty isn’t one of them. And a “professional” look is often disastrous for results.
Related
What Would Direct Response Graphic Design Be like? Articles at the end like Why Your Site Doesn’t Need To Be Pretty show those versions people vote for as pretty lose out on results. Looks matter, just not in the way designers want it to – message to market match trumps generic pretty.
Split Run Testing, What Is It? What it is for designers is an end to this kind of thread topic.
Exactly how I would have dealt with it too. There comes a point where you have to give up and give the client what they want, it doesn’t have to go into your portfolio does it.
LOL!
This is where pedagogical sills come in handy for an entrepreneur. You need to at first educate the client on design—see him as your student and tell him the theory behind your conclusion. Also tell him why he should trust that you know what you are doing. (If you don’t know the theory to back your opinions, why should the client trust you?)
Of course, be very subtle if you don’t know how the client will take it.
If the client has no respect for your knowledge and doesn’t listen at all to your opinions, then I’d say that’s a client begging to be fired. You don’t want clients like that to push you around. If you need the money and there’s no other way; do it his was but only as long as you need the work.
You can always kindly ask why the client hired you in the first place.
Had such a client once. she is actually a “web designer” and claims she’s got a diploma and skills. I didn’t know before she’s the one who created the sinisterly designed site I had to work on so, since she asked for a “revamp”, I created a design that actually looked nice and professional. She refused accepting the change and kept the ugly design, then I realized she’s the one at fault for that crappy look. I fired the client in few days since she started getting a bit abusive. It’s not my fault she’s at the same level I was 8 years ago when I started designing 
As for your client, if you’re the designer, YOU’RE IN CHARGE. If he can’t take criticism or let you do the work, find someone else. If I am not let to do my business, I have 2 options: use their design and try to make something of it. I won’t put that in my portfolio and won’t sign my “work”. This usually sens signals already and had clients who realized in the end I am the specialist, so they changed their ideas. If you don’t really like the client and he’s not only un-talented, but has got other “qualities”, then maybe it;s a good idea to respectfully bow out.
you have to tell him the difference that there are pro and there are beginners, and he might be beginner. moreover its a common thing that people have different taste. some people who are starters thinks they are awesome, the pro thinks they are awesome, so try to understand his mindset. he is a starter and he think he is great. which is right and your a pro. you think his skills are bad because you have a higher quality of work as well as u are ahead of him
In situations like this, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I prefer to drop these clients early on, because if you do it their way, and at some point they realize or are told that the site stinks, they blame you. And if you do it your way, they’ll never be happy with it because they wanted their own design.
I had a client chose a nice template for his CMS, then he wanted to change to a different one. I told him I really didn’t like the second one, but it was his choice so I installed the second one and reconfigured the content to match the new look and feel. When he saw it he got made and said he didn’t like it and wanted to go back to the original template and that I should have known it wasn’t going to look good, but at the same time acknowledged that I had said so.
This client turned out to be a nightmare and I’m now in court suing him.