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If you don’t have a twitter account, then you are missing out on the latest spec happening in the design industry.
Logo Design Love: It’s interesting to see the recent appearance of Spec Watch, a venture that educates about the very real risks of design contest websites and their so-called ‘communities’.
Spec Watch has been cataloging unpaid and refunded projects, and those terminated due to copyright violation.
Right now Spec Watch is mainly targeting the design contests at Crowdspring and 99designs, but who knows how their campaign will evolve.
To see what all the fuss is about, follow Spec Watch (SpecWatch) on Twitter.
(Thanks David!)
6 responses to “Logo Design Love: SpecWatch on Design Contests”
It shows just how much these sites give young designers the wrong idea of the design profession.
Yes, and the new Spec Watch report just out – the raw numbers of 99Designs – http://tr.im/pGD7 – is shocking too.
I hope designers will listen…
Spec Watch should also follow wilogo.com and Logotournament.com. The last one is even more damaging to the profession. Recently the North Carolina state organisation launched a competition on this website regaridng a new event Creativity Inc., thanks to their communication manager assistant Melinda Reta. I hope she is doing it through the order of her manager. This is the North Carolina State University that we are talking about, one of the major representatives of education in the USA.
The cherry on the cake is the event is about creativity. ;) Such a paradox.
If I want to hold a contest… and some designers want to enter…. thats called freedom… and I understand and have read your reasons, but it doesn’t make any sense.
What’s really happening here is that there are alot of really good designers and the number is growing, and in many ways due to the fact that the tools and education are so available now…. and what happens is, that you designers are a little less special now and it hurts your feelings or something.
If you’re smart, you’ll quit bitching and find new ways to offer value in what you do.
Oh, and I’m guessing the post will never make it on the site… You’re position is so weak on this that I’m sure your scared to have a debate about it and allow others the opportunity to voice any oposition to your views.
Good luck to you! I truly hope you find a way to move on and find a way to adapt to the new world where designers are a little less special….. it can be tough, I know.
There’s plenty of chat on a host of other sites. Here’s a starter:
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/07/interview-with-specwatch-the-naked-truth-about-design-contests/
@Shane: Designers are a little less special now because every kid thinks he can be one because he can fire up the latest (bootleg or otherwise) copy of Photoshop. There’s more to design than cranking out code or rudimentary graphics. There are a lot of factors that go into making not just good design, but great design. Design that is functional, usable and accessible. You aren’t likely to get that for the prices (prizes) these design “contests” offer and no amount of wishing will make it so. And entering these design contests does not a designer make. Even if I were just starting out, I’d prefer to spend my downtime marketing myself and honing my craft, not chasing my tail in a go-nowhere design contest where there are no winners.
And yes, it’s a free country, and no one can tell you what to do, so if you want to stick your hand over an open flame, well that’s certainly your prerogative. Far be it from me to discourage you. But if you want respect from the design community, you’ll savvy up and realize that design contents are for hobbyists, not professionals.