I started working at a very nice cake shoppe.

Some customers know exactly what they want but then we get some with no direction other than a birthday or maybe colors.

I need your pics and design ideas to help me.  Please!

I know enough to make borders and am getting better at writing on the cake but there is so much space left over.  I saw some people make a middle  where they make like an oval or diamond and 'fill' in the outerspace with swirls or string lace or non-parils or confetti...

I just did that and although its nice enough - I feel its not really nice.  My only direction was green, blue and yellow with Happy Birthday (no names)...  When I was done - they said it looked like a Brazilian flag :(  I didn't know if it was male or female, older or younger - so I avoided roses any ideas leaning towards an age...

I can't take my time to research ideas, ask if they like it and design it --I don't even take the orders and there is no STANDARD design ---- but - MY COWORKERS are WATCHING!!!  They want it fast and good... being a hobby decorator I know I could do it good -- it's the fast thing that's the trouble :(    ---some times when we are back logged they don't even care how good it looks...

Help!!!  TIA

Look into some overpiping techniques.  It creates interest by layering the piped edges around the cake and draws the eye to it.  Also, it can shrink the size of empty space on the sheet since it takes up more room than a simple straight border.

When you combine this with a central overpiped picture frame for the message in the center, you can fill a lot of space quickly and elegantly.
 

AThank you very much :D

Also, I love to use invitations as inspiration for cakes.  Do a Google search for blue, green, yellow birthday invitations.  You can find a lot that way.

AI never thought about invites! They are perfect with all their graphics - Thank you :-D