Originally Posted by thehardtruth (Post 11734394)

"Contests" are bad for the design industry. Any designer who participates in these contests is only contributing to the problem.

Any credible company looking for a logo design should research a design firm's portfolio and then work with them to ensure that a design is created that satisfies the client.

It is unfair business practise to ask designers to invest time and money into creating designs with no assurance that they will get paid.

Do you think it would be reasonable to approach several custom car builders and ask them to each build a car and you will then purchase the one that you prefer? No, you would not. Graphic design is no different.

Originally Posted by thehardtruth (Post 11735230)

Do you honestly believe that when Pepsi is seeking a new ad agency they run a contest by asking several ad agencies to spend their time and money producing campaigns and then pick the best one? Of course not.

The ad agencies sit down with Pepsi, assess Pepsi's needs and then pitch Pepsi on why they can best design a campaign that will benefit Pepsi.

Do you really believe ad agencies pay their employees to produce campaigns for contests with no guarantee of payment? How does one pay themselves and employees without getting paid?

Originally Posted by thehardtruth (Post 11734493)

precisely why it's a problem. these designers are unware of the damage they are causing the industry.

any business who participates in these contests is actively devaluing the creative work of designers.

www no-spec com

to all webmasters on the board:

ATTENTION! i have $99 to spend on a membership. i am having a contest to see who has the best members area and they will win my $99. please send me a username and password to your members area and i will let you know who wins my $99.

i await your login info.

Originally Posted by facialfreak (Post 11743013)

I am with you 200% on this!!

too bad designers who are desperate for the work dont see it this way

this is the reason why I got out of the design game serveral years ago except for my regular paying clients

Originally Posted by harvey (Post 11743002)

more or less.

I don't know how it translates to English, but it's called something like "conceptualization meetings", big companies have talks with 2 or 3 ad agencies and they make a mockup of the idea. Up to 10 years ago they were just that, mockups, or story boards when it was about TV ads. WIth technology came "almost finished" mockups, and there are no excuses nowadays to present a mockup in pencil (so to say), therefore there's a misconception that ad agencies work for free. The big ones doesn't, they do these concepts only after some deep talking and candidates are between 2 or 3, no 1000s. Only the small firms, usually "creative boutiques", tend to work "on spec", because they need to showcase their talent, but when ad agencies work like this is because they're after million dollar accounts and chances are 50/50 or 25% at worst.

Speaking of which, I don't enter contests unless I find them amusing. I did enter in one contest because it was fun and non adult (which I want to go towards in the near future). 2 hours later, all color schemes, some of the fonts, some of the styles and effects are used in each and every design after mine. Go figure :Oh crap

Originally Posted by Profits of Doom (Post 11743004)

Jace beat me to this, but you are absolutely wrong. You have to have an ad campaign in mind and ready to present before Pepsi will even agree to sit in the same room as you. Where exactly are you getting your information? Of course they pay their employees to produce campaigns with no guarantee of winning the contract. You think the employees are paying for the honor of working for the ad agency? It's up to the agency to pay talented, top notch people that they are confident in to win the business. If the talent doesn't produce they won't have a job for long.

Hey Jace, can you say who this fake nick is?

Originally Posted by EscortBiz (Post 11742988)

at least some good conversation came out of this

Originally Posted by Profits of Doom (Post 11743026)

Sorry, but this sounds like a lot of sour grapes to me. If I was a designer I would be happy for any opportunity to have my content seen and out there. Even if they don't win they are receiving valuable free advertising. I know it wasn't a contest, but I remember a thread where Twisted Illustrations had a picture for a fight website that was so good it permanently burned them into my mind as a quality designer. I would never have known if not for that pic...

Originally Posted by thehardtruth (Post 11734394)

Do you think it would be reasonable to approach several custom car builders and ask them to each build a car and you will then purchase the one that you prefer? No, you would not. Graphic design is no different.

Originally Posted by BusterBunny (Post 11743269)

50 sore losers:pimp

Originally Posted by Adultnet (Post 11755445)

Its 750$ usd here for just a logo and this is a contest that can make you easy extra buck if you show some talent guys. I see no problem with this if its okay for you to spend some time and come up a good logo that will win.