What to do when you're asked to do cheap design

I would agree with IAB and Mas and add…

Are there certain jobs or customers that may be more inclined to appreciate the kind of work you would like to be doing? Are there opportunities to show how your details or problem solving would ultimately save them money, or make them money? There are always going to be the jobs and projects with little to no hope to make the change you’d like to see, but if there are a few with even the slightest glimmer of hope, prioritize your efforts and spend your time appropriately, at the very least this should save some heartache on projects where there was really no chance, and ideally gives you a little extra time on the ones where you might get a win.