DISQUS

Luca This does not make a whole lot of sense to me. A lawful contract among consenting adults "unethical"? You say that there is no compensation, but that's not true -- the best competitor does get the money, and everybody gets a shot at that. If somebody steals a competitor's idea without paying that's a different deal, that's breach of contract.

You say that businesses that can't afford a "real" designer don't deserve to be in business. That's utter elitist nonsense. The world is not just VC funded tech companies. In the real world there are a lot of small business owners who have the right to have a half way decent logo on their business card instead of their business name written in an ugly font, if they can have it for $250.

What about the kid in India or Costa Rica that works through websites like CrowdSpring and 99designs? No matter how talented he is, that kid won't be hired by the next hot VC funded startup to design their website. Doing spec work is the best shot he has at making money doing something he likes to do, and if he's good he can make very decent money compared with the alternatives he has.

If the "traditional" design community wants to fight the threat of a new business model that brings a lot of new competitors into the marketplace, that's fine. But please call it for what it is -- a protectionist effort. Don't call a plumber who wants a decent logo on his truck an unethical weasel. Don't call the kid in Costa Rica who's trying to make a few bucks an unethical weasel.

I came into this debate with no axe to grind, and with an open mind. All I've seen from you is arguments sorely lacking foundations, and unjustified heavy-handed accusations. I must say that my mind is closing fast...

Luca First of all, thank you for not calling me a sockpuppet... ;-)

You are correct that 99% of designers don't get a cent. However 100% get a shot at getting $500. Everybody knows that going in, and that chance of winning the $500 must be better than the alternatives or otherwise they would not participate. I don't think that anybody who submits designs through those websites would like to see them disappear, and therefore I doubt that they would welcome you as an advocate. So I truly don't see your "problem" with that mechanism.

Let's talk about the client side. I don't mean to be demeaning to the vast majority of small business owners, but do you really believe that a good designer would be justified for, say, an electrical contractor's business? Do you think that a lot of plumbers would benefit from having their "core identity" brought to light by a "real" designer? I'd say that they just need a cost-effective, decent-looking logo.

Now let's talk about costs. If you live in Boulder's startup world and you rub elbows with lots of world-class designers, getting a phenomenal logo for $500 is probably possible. But if you are a farm equipment dealer in a small town how do you find a good designer? You probably end up stumbling on a moonlighting high school art teacher who will produce something way cheesier than what you can get via CrowdSpring. Or you'll end up spending a whole lot more than $500 in your own time to find a better designer (who will probably look down upon your business and ask for well more than $500).

You say that many industries have been burned by the spec model -- what examples do you have in mind? Taylors have certainly been burned by the "spec model" of manufactured suits, and their industry has been decimated -- is that a bad thing?

"Spec work is wrong" -- it sounds like it's wrong only for those whose business model is being disrupted. If you don't like the rules of the game, don't play. But please don't call "unethical weasels" those who decide to play. If insults are your currency, don't expect to buy understanding.

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