I have a few things to say about the recent design contests ,
I wanna to put to light and hopefully it will better the situation for everyone involved in all contests ,
Most have gone well , but some end with many people being pissed off when no one is chosen , time designing a logo or what ever was lost , as well as time watching the thread and replying to people etc etc ,
Many people say , " even if you didnt get a prize you still get to show off your work "
Well more recently , Its not so much the case , because I find myself * ( and others judging by some entries ) dont bother to even put a solid effort in because more and more often these contests go unpaid ,
I myself have a little policy that includes dividing the prize by 20 and working for that amount of minutes , ( 100 prize = 5 minutes work ) because there is already chance your not going to make a profit of the design . AND it is GREATLY increased that NOONE will get paid .
I have taken these contest outlines from another board that does exactly this , nothing but design contests
to show you want a great contest involves and how to set it up ,
ALong with a few tips to pull off a huge contest .
<<<<<<<<<Contest Guidelines
We're happy you've decided to run a contest on DesignOutpost.com. Please take the time to read carefully the steps you need to take before starting your contest.
1) The first step is to pay in advance the prize money you are offering. As soon as a winner is decided, we will pay the designer. You and the designer will work with each other once the contest has ended.
2) After you have deposited your prize money, we will receive a special code number that we will add to your message after you post it. That number will be posted in the body of your message so to verify the contests validity.
3) Your next step is to post your contest on the forums in it's appropriate category. Just find the appropriate forum, then click the "New Topic" button on the top right of the forum. Fill out the the topic title, and then type in your contest requirements. It's important that you are specific in what you need. Let us know what colors you'd like, what site the logo needs to match, what links you need in the template, certain sites you like the look of, etc. Any information that will help the designers create exactly what you want is very important.
4) Although it is not required, we ask that you keep up with the contest and give comments and critiques on the designs submitted. Please do not contact the designers by private message or email, this is against their rules that they follow. To comment on their entries, simply post them on the public forum in your contest thread. This way the design can be improved as the contest progresses.
5) When the contest has reached the deadline you've declared, now you need to post a message declaring who won.
6) The last step is to contact the winning designer by private message or email to make arrangements for any minor revisions you need, then they will email the files you request from them. >>>>>
My Tips for a great contest
Provide as many details as you can IN YOUR FIRST POST .
I tell my clients never to fear providing me with an encyclopedia worth of details on the project at hand . it is ALWAYS the clients that dont provide enough details , that never seem to be happy .
provide us with direction and your vision is more likely to be taken to a new level by a designer on this board
Bigger the risk the greater the reward .
I wouldnt suggest a $50 prize for an item that is priced on average 200% great on all our pricelists and expect miracles , they wont happen
The greater the reward to the winner the greater chance he ( she ) will risk more time on the creation of the project .
If you dont have alot of cash , mix it up
Cash and content ,
IMO , it would be nice if GFY could play middle man( seeing as how they are taking place on their own board and I wouldnt want members of my board being ripped off right on my board ) for the upfront payment , all they would need to do is add a " [email protected]" email to their paypal and contest would be posted after approval .
I think if everyone follows these guidlines , You'll all start to see alot more amazing logos show up in these threads , and new faces that usually dont try out for them .
They are fun , and a chance to show off talent ( if used correctly ) and a good way to waste a few minutes if you can spare them , but they also suck when you AND 50 other people waste time as well
I wanna to put to light and hopefully it will better the situation for everyone involved in all contests ,
Most have gone well , but some end with many people being pissed off when no one is chosen , time designing a logo or what ever was lost , as well as time watching the thread and replying to people etc etc ,
Many people say , " even if you didnt get a prize you still get to show off your work "
Well more recently , Its not so much the case , because I find myself * ( and others judging by some entries ) dont bother to even put a solid effort in because more and more often these contests go unpaid ,
I myself have a little policy that includes dividing the prize by 20 and working for that amount of minutes , ( 100 prize = 5 minutes work ) because there is already chance your not going to make a profit of the design . AND it is GREATLY increased that NOONE will get paid .
I have taken these contest outlines from another board that does exactly this , nothing but design contests
to show you want a great contest involves and how to set it up ,
ALong with a few tips to pull off a huge contest .
<<<<<<<<<Contest Guidelines
We're happy you've decided to run a contest on DesignOutpost.com. Please take the time to read carefully the steps you need to take before starting your contest.
1) The first step is to pay in advance the prize money you are offering. As soon as a winner is decided, we will pay the designer. You and the designer will work with each other once the contest has ended.
2) After you have deposited your prize money, we will receive a special code number that we will add to your message after you post it. That number will be posted in the body of your message so to verify the contests validity.
3) Your next step is to post your contest on the forums in it's appropriate category. Just find the appropriate forum, then click the "New Topic" button on the top right of the forum. Fill out the the topic title, and then type in your contest requirements. It's important that you are specific in what you need. Let us know what colors you'd like, what site the logo needs to match, what links you need in the template, certain sites you like the look of, etc. Any information that will help the designers create exactly what you want is very important.
4) Although it is not required, we ask that you keep up with the contest and give comments and critiques on the designs submitted. Please do not contact the designers by private message or email, this is against their rules that they follow. To comment on their entries, simply post them on the public forum in your contest thread. This way the design can be improved as the contest progresses.
5) When the contest has reached the deadline you've declared, now you need to post a message declaring who won.
6) The last step is to contact the winning designer by private message or email to make arrangements for any minor revisions you need, then they will email the files you request from them. >>>>>
My Tips for a great contest
Provide as many details as you can IN YOUR FIRST POST .
I tell my clients never to fear providing me with an encyclopedia worth of details on the project at hand . it is ALWAYS the clients that dont provide enough details , that never seem to be happy .
provide us with direction and your vision is more likely to be taken to a new level by a designer on this board
Bigger the risk the greater the reward .
I wouldnt suggest a $50 prize for an item that is priced on average 200% great on all our pricelists and expect miracles , they wont happen
The greater the reward to the winner the greater chance he ( she ) will risk more time on the creation of the project .
If you dont have alot of cash , mix it up
Cash and content ,
IMO , it would be nice if GFY could play middle man( seeing as how they are taking place on their own board and I wouldnt want members of my board being ripped off right on my board ) for the upfront payment , all they would need to do is add a " [email protected]" email to their paypal and contest would be posted after approval .
I think if everyone follows these guidlines , You'll all start to see alot more amazing logos show up in these threads , and new faces that usually dont try out for them .
They are fun , and a chance to show off talent ( if used correctly ) and a good way to waste a few minutes if you can spare them , but they also suck when you AND 50 other people waste time as well
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