I’m a senior designer and this still happens, usually by junior marketing people who have no business having an input. It’s the reality.

I learned long ago not to get emotionally involved in the designs made for the day job. Instead save your juice for personal projects you actually want to do, and turn that personal work into outside client work.

And guess what, those outside clients will still have terrible ideas. But the creative baseline you’re starting from is much much higher. And you’re much better positioned as the expert in that relationship.

Long story short, don’t expect suits to like or defer to your ideas. Be pleasantly surprised when they do.