Stop Whoring Yourself
It’s tough out there! I know that. But the design community has recently been cannibalizing itself. We set the fair market price for design work, and we are somewhat responsible for “lowering” the standards for design.
There are a number of websites out there that have cause the design community to force us to become sharks. Websites like 99designs and elance make a mockery of good design.
If you’re not familiar with 99designs here is how it works. A client posts a project on the website. The client posts the needs for the project as well as their budget. Designers are able to posts their designs on the site, and the client chooses which logo or design they like best. The winning designer gets the money, and the rest don’t.
Maybe this sounds like an acceptable way to do business, but not to me. If I’m going to work on something, I better know I’m going to get paid. You don’t go to a restaurant and eat a steak, and if you don’t like it you don’t pay.
These websites wouldn’t function if it weren’t for designers. So by doing work on these websites, we are allowing our work to be prostituted.
The REALLY scary thing about these websites is a lot of the work on them is REALLY good! I looked through a number of the projects, and there are multiple logos that work. So these designers are working for free essentially.
My advice to all designers is don’t do it. Don’t let your work go for free. If you are hungry, figure out a way to make some cash, but don’t just give your work away for so cheap that it hurts the industry.
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about 5 months ago
Telling people not to participate in these logo contests (also worth1000.com) is like telling people to stop illegally downloading MP3′s. Instead of trying to fight it, wouldn’t it be better to not take the record label approach and accept that this isn’t going to change, and focus on bigger projects?
Most of the designers, myself included, that toss our hats into the ring, do it when we have some spare time. It’s no skin off my nose to spend a little time designing a logo to see if it is chosen. It’s fun and if you win you get paid.
The only designers it hurts, are the designers that didn’t win and everyone playing the game knows the rules.
I doubt that the graphic design industry is going to come crashing down over a few $200. logos.
about 5 months ago
@Brenda,
I don’t know that I agree with your position. I think you are looking at this as a “fun” type of thing, but the truth is, it cheapens ALL our work. It means that if you are not only WILLING, but also ABLE to work for so cheap, then other prospective clients will come in and expect the same thing.
If I can do a logo and not get paid for it, then that means that I’m not valuing my skills. I’d never do something that I didn’t know I’d get paid for. You shouldn’t either.
You wouldn’t go to a store and take ten things, then call the store back and say, you know, I didn’t like any of these. I think I’m not going to keep them. After you have had the chance to use whatever they are.
We, as designers, need to look at our time like inventory. When you sit down for 10 hours and work on something, that’s 10 hours you could have been doing something else. It’s 10 hours you won’t be able to get back, and if you just throw time away, you won’t be able to stay afloat.
about 5 months ago
A good friend of mine recently asked me for a quote on designing a logo and brochure for her non-profit organization. Having understood the budget constraints of non-profits/start-ups and small businesses, I gave her a very reasonable quote. (Low!) Heck, she’s a good friend, and I’d rather work than not work. She brought my quote back to the next board meeting, and lo and behold it was decided that they would go with 99designs!
Heck yeah these sites hurt. They are demeaning and devaluing to the work we do as designers. Even bending over backwards to meet a low budget no longer works. Why, they can just go have a couple hundred design ideas from scores of designers to choose from rather than hire one person who will put out a half dozen designs. It sickens me really. In what other field do you find people willing to work this way? Do you know ANYONE who works for a living who would do that same work if it was offered to them in a contest format with only one winner?
In the spirit of full disclosure—I will admit that I did enter some contests on 99designs several years ago. I did consider it ‘fun’ and mainly did it for practice. No more. I can practice all I want without submitting work that offers no compensation.
To focus on bigger projects is good advice for some, but one size does not fit all. And as these sites see success for the smaller projects, no doubt the size of projects will grow. It ain’t just the logos. I haven’t looked at the site for a few years now, but from what I recall, there were website designs, brochures and other larger projects as well.
about 5 months ago
In the right column there is an ad, “Create FREE Flash Websites”. Can you imagine how Flash designers feel? And here it is being advertised right next to your opposition to logo contest websites.
How about the Music Industry? All of those world class recording studios are either closed or going to be because of home recording. All these professional audio engineers are out of work because no one want’s to spend the money for their knowledge/talents thinking they can do it themselves (or pic up any number of fresh out of Full Sail interns – currently advertised at the bottom of this site). And yes, there are mixing contests online where there is only one winner.
You see, it’s not just the digital graphics industry.
The graphics/music/web industries are overrun with low to no pay interns and contest sites and free website/flash sites.
What I’m suggesting is to move on … you can’t stop it, you can’t change it.
You have to adapt or get lost in the shuffle.
about 5 months ago
Wow, Brenda. Good eyes! I tend to tune out the ads, bc I never click o them – unless I am intentionally looking for a particular service (rarely) and don’t know exactly where to turn.
DWG, I’m a bit discouraged by this fact. Certainly, you can afford to create this site withOUT the use of ads, especially since they are in direct conflict with your own views?
Elance is a joke-not because it doesn’t work, but because of the constant flow of outsourcing. I ca compete with work completed in India simply bc people here want to deal locally-or as locally as possible, not with a foreign country and certainly not with a business from which they cannot get quality customer service. But the prices there, outrageously low.
@ Kathy K:
I understand your feelings as well. Since I go after small businesses and want to do my share of giving back to the community. When I come across a non profit that needs assistance, I try my best to make my prices as low as possible while still making the effort worth my while. On the complete opposite side of these sites which cheapen our work value, often these projects unfortunately go to bigger guns who can afford to do them 100% pro bono. Must be nice to be able to have so much work that you don’t have to lower prices just to keep afloat!
about 5 months ago
Ads…the ads are being automatically put out by Google, but thanks for catching that. I’m going to cancel it next time I get a chance. Anyone know how to sell ads directly?
about 5 months ago
I never participate on these types of sites. My reason is that this kind of work is not relationship based. You never meet the people and you never truly solve their problems because it’s not a relationship. It is like prostitution vs. a mate/spouse. Sure you can rent love to get just what you think you want at the time, but you never get anything real and lasting. Only a real relationship garners the results that are needed for success.
Therefore, I choose to ignore technology in this case, actually leave my house and go out to meet people, network and find those who need my help. We talk, meet, and work together to solve the problem. Submitting a half rendered logo on a site hoping to get the work can never replace the reason we are here in this business, to provide a service based on a relationship.
I will now step down from my soapbox.
about 1 month ago
johnT, you ,sir, win one hundred internets.
Graphic design and indeed the whole creative industry is based (or should be) on relationships. There are problems out there that require people to put their noggins together to solve them.
Example: If my leg is cut off and I’m bleeding to death, am I going to go to the little girl next door and have her put a My Little Pony Band-Aid on it because it is the cheapest and most readily available option? No. I am going to seek out skilled, acredited, professional medical care. I have a problem, and I need a person, the right person, to help me solve it.
Design is no different: just substitute money for blood in the above example.