After reading lots of rant posts by designers about design crowdsourcing and how crowdsourcing is just a spec work ripoff, I started wondering what is driving the rage? I’ve seen it before…when Walmart moves into a new area, everyone starts raging about Walmart. When Boeing starts building plane parts in some other part of the world then Unions start ranting about exporting jobs. Want to see rant, then watch Cspan any day…someone is ranting about something. RANT, Rant, rant…seems as though it’s a common response. These are not crazy rants either, they are on point, fact filled (albeit one-sided) and generally lucid. In fact, I think the rants are really just an expression of designers righteous indignation. Yes, that’s right, let’s get righteous. How dare those rich so and so’s ask us poor designers to show them our work for free?!

So, when a design contest holder runs a design and gets hundreds of entries and then flakes out on the prize, the assumption is that they are stealing someones work to make their own logo. I agree, it probably does happen, but not in my contests! I’ve run almost 20 successful contests with hundreds of entries each and every one has paid the prize. I value the designers work and collaborate with each one to ensure that they are maximizing their chances of winning the prize money. I grade each entry and respond with direction and also treat them with respect. For a look at some of the results of our contests, check out the results here. Also, these designers are world citizens, embracing technology that brings clients from around the world into their design studio. Wow! Isn’t Al Gore amazing.

Let’s face it, the internet and design crowdsourcing is a game changer. The current big design studios who are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to generate new logos like the new Gap logo or the new Tropicana package are one step closer to the grave. As their old paradigm of “pay alot to get alot” is challenged by the new crowdsourcing model. CMOs’, VP’s and Directors of Marketing, Brand Manaagers and Marketing managers are beginning to awaken to the new reality…hey, we can get alot and we don’t have to deal with a “suit” and pay tens of thousands of dollars to some snotty guy with round glasses (you know who you are). It all kind of reminds me of the Dr. Seuss book, The Sneetches. You remember; “Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars. Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small. You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all….to the Sneetches it was all about “stars.” To the big design companies, it’s all about maintaining their giant BS factory that creates logos for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What’s the connection? Well, what if you couldn’t tell the difference between a great logo from 99designs.com, LogoTournament.com, CrowdSpring.com or any of the other contest sites….and a logo from big design? It’s coming…big design, watch out. Great design doesn’t have to cost alot and there are tens of thousands of designers all over the globe waiting to show you that new paradigm.

Bill

Here’s a post that I have written on the subject: http://cseven.posterous.com/design-competitions-and-spec-work-my-pennys-w

first off, I am by no means a pro, but I do the best I can to educate myself on the process and requirements of good logo design. And while I respect those rules in my logo proposals, the good majority of the others involved in these contests do not.

Result often is that their logo is very snazzy and nice looking and all, but it is going to be a nightmare for the client down the road.

But who wins?
The snazzy ones of course because all that the client sees is pretty…

It frustrates me from time to time, but I just keep telling myself that I am here to put what I learn to practice and to build something that at least ressembles a portfolio that might open a door in the future…

My question now is, Does this experience ACTUALLY open any doors???
Because I am certainly ready to walk thru one of them and not look back…

In other cases they ask a couple of designers for options and finally get a DTP operator to put the ideas together into a huge mishmash of design.

But basically clients who request spec work have very little respect for designers. They have very little or no understanding of the time and effort it takes to create a good, meaningful design. Im sure they wouldn’t ask a restaurant for a spec dish? or a tailor for a spec suit?

So I personally would not agree to spec work but as Manuel mentioned, for younger designers or unemployed designers it may turn out to be an opportunity that’s worth their while.

The reality is that for younger designers or unemployed designers it is an opportunity, maybe the only one at a given moment. And it is important to understand both sides of the equation.

However, it was really nice of you to mention the concept of "working for a cause" As you seem someone from India, I would like to remind you about numerous designers in Asian countries who are unwillingly working as waiters to support their families because the overtaken design world have no space for them…what else can I say.

@Kyle Scollin…"live and let live" i referred to the ones who mortify contests just because they dont like it…plus why wud i be condemning freebies when they serve the same purpose as the logo design contests i mentioned in point 2 of the "boon" part:)

@ Laurent Jouvin…as you said:

"I just feel bad for the person(s) who has to go through hundreds of logo designs and arbitrarily decides which one is the best one."

you feel sorry for them but I think most of the people prefer getting hundred of choices and this is why they prefer "logo design contests"

@ Chris Young…thanks for understanding my perspective dude. No hard and fast rules…it is truly simply a choice of how to go about the business of design.

@Lorenzo…I openly say that these contest sites devalue the design industry particularly for well-established designers. What it really does is breaks the monopoly created by a few designers who charge exorbitant prices for logo designing and brings it down to acceptable levels…

@Tony Rodriguez…I respect your views but don’t you think in this monopoly of BIG designers, the newcomers do not get proper platforms to show-off their talent to the world.