Client wants to mimic

[Yowser]

Has anyone had a client ask you to mimic a competitor's site. I have one, right now, that wants the same pages, same type of navigation, same features, etc. as one of their competitors and I need some creative tricks to push them towards some originality rather than a copy.

They aren't expecting me to infringe on any copyrights by stealing graphics, color schemes, or content but they are obviously getting their cues from the site in question.

[Nexolt]

No, I havent but that isnt legal, over inspiring from another site will make you, the designer, look like a ripper and a designer with no imagination, happensalot at yaxay and ct and lots and lots of people get flammed for it and lose potential customers.

[Yowser]

Well, I don't believe there will be an issue with the typical visitor noticing the similarities they are requesting. It isn't likely that very many people would even visit both sites and, once again, they aren't asking me to copy the graphics or color scheme. All of that will be completely custom and the layout would be quite a bit different as well.

To the casual visitor, the sites would look completely different but the similarities would have more to do with the functions and applications 'beneath the surface', so to speak. They are pretty much interested in having a similar drop-down menu for the navigation of the site and nearly all of the same pages and dynamic features found on the other site.

I wouldn't even consider the idea of duplicating the graphics, color scheme, content and such or doing anything that could infringe on copyrights. That isn't the stuff in question here. But even the fact that they keep referring to the other site and asking for many of the same functions is enough to annoy the heck out of me.

[dojo]

i never had anyone tell me to copy something. i tell them from the first moment I create ONLY original layouts. If they are willing to let me do my job and make them a nice site then it's OK, if not, they can find another designer. I create sites, I don't copy-paste

[Brandon]

I think its best to stick to designs that are based upon the clients describtion.. and to not let the designer see the kind of design the client wants.. so its all original.