Comments on: Why design competitions are bad news for everyone.

By: Jonny Haynes

Jonny Haynes — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:31:40 +0000

Great article!

I’ve looked at these sorts of sites before and looked at the expectations from the clients -every time I just walk away. It’s not worth the hassle.

Clients should expect to pay for the standard of work they want to receive, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys!

By: matt

matt — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:21:58 +0000

Hi saz,

I was REALLY tempted to write a VERY similar article during the week (but decided I needed to finish my site first)…

Here is a set of “tweets” from such a site…

crowdSPRING: @simplrdesign Matt, check out the design projects at http://crowdspring.com. It’s more productive than eating small children! (RE: your bio) 04:57 PM July 16, 2008 from web in reply to simplrdesign

simplrdesign: @crowdSPRING if im honest, I hate sites like that… imagine going into a building with 3 restaurants, and you say “best dish gets my money” 10:26 PM July 16, 2008 from twhirl in reply to crowdSPRING

simplrdesign: @crowdSPRING they wouldn’t do it… so I dont see why designers should compete in this way… its a waste of time, and effectively money. 10:26 PM July 16, 2008 from twhirl in reply to crowdSPRING

crowdSPRING @simplrdesign I see yr point. I know that it’s not for everyone but we have 1000s of creatives in our community who like having this choice 10:09 AM July 17, 2008 from web in reply to simplrdesign

I think only 1 word can describe the “creatives” using these methods to find work…. MUGS.

Matt

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:13:00 +0000

I don’t think other designers ask 10 programmers to do their work and then choose who did it the best and pay them though? That’s the argument, not the site themselves just the fact it promotes spec work.

By: john drewman

john drewman — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:01:41 +0000

funny then that most designers I have come across lately have utilised the skills of a programmer of some description on a similar site – double standards perhaps.

at the end of the day no one is forced into it.

By: Mike Robinson

Mike Robinson — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:56:07 +0000

I have taken part in one of these competitions and I found the client to be even more indecisive than my normal clients. You’re right about them expecting revisions quickly, using the incentive of “or else I’ll give it to this guy”. I’ll definitely never even consider that kind of work again!

By: Gavin Elliott

Gavin Elliott — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:57:02 +0000

Saz, you’ve hit the nail on the head with that post. Speculative work is something I have never considered. You are right, it does breed a very bad and ugly monster, usually called a 13 year old in a bed room who hasn’t seen daylight for 6 months and working 12 straight hours for less than the cost of a pint.

I have been asked to do speculative work before and my simple answer was no.

Gav to Client – “If you want to have a look at my portfolio then you are quite welcome and then you pay a deposit and then you sign off every single piece of artwork and pay a fee at every single milestone.”

It’s about protecting yourself and any designer worth their jammy dodgers would do the same.

In a nutshell. I am in full agreement.

By: Why design competitions are bad news for everyone. | Available Domains - Industry leading domain name news

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:36:19 +0000

[...] more: Why design competitions are bad news for everyone. client, client-and-also, client-to-think, clientcopia-com, design, design-business, designer, [...]