aquent site redesign-spec work 173173 Responses

Last post: 1 year, 7 months ago | Thread started: Aug 1, 08, 8:38 a.m.

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• lorac77

  We should all spam their general address () with this letter:

  The AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts, www.aiga.org) believes that doing speculative work seriously compromises the quality of work that clients are entitled to and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide. AIGA strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project.
  Although we realize that such contests are a popular way for organizations to generate publicity and participation—and to save costs—there are a number of reasons why asking for work without compensation except for a single design that is selected, which is termed speculative work in the profession, contradicts the ethics of our profession.
  The first is that design is a process. It involves time, creative energy, strategy and, most importantly, client participation. For a designer to generate work without going through this process is to create something that is undeveloped and that does not reflect the client’s input and participation. The resulting work is not truly representative of the value or level of service designers provide, nor does it adequately or appropriately address your needs as a client. Just as you wouldn't seek legal or financial advice from a consultant prior to hiring them, a designer must also be well acquainted with your organization and goals if they are to make informed and responsible recommendations.
  The other reason is that expecting speculative or uncompensated work demonstrates a trivializing of the contribution design makes to creating value for clients. Of all the entrants in your contest or competition, only one will be selected as a finalist. The time and work of all others will have gone for naught. This attitude on the part of a prospective client is likely to result in receiving work from students, inexperienced or untrained designers, or those less likely to get work from more traditional ways of demonstrating the soundness of their approach toward clients’ problems. The pool of work from which you will select will not necessarily represent the quality of work you deserve from seeking a professional designer. In the end, everyone loses.
  We encourage you to reconsider holding this contest, and instead issue a Request For Proposals from qualified design professionals. I know that selecting a designer can be a difficult and daunting task. To assist you, the AIGA provides resources to help you research firms in your area. This database is available online at www.aiga.org/directory. We have also created a helpful guide that can assist you in researching qualified designers, writing a design brief, and managing the design process. This resource is also available free online at www.aiga.org/design-business-and…...

  • iam seriously on it– benfal991/5

    +1– ethanfink2/5

    done– Haydesign3/5

    done.– _me_4/5

    i've sent that to several people!– hektor9115/5

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 8:52 a.m. – Permalink

• GammaRay

  WOW...absolutely pathetic...I'm completely disgusted.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 8:55 a.m. – Permalink

• ukit

  What fuckers. I agree, completely undermines what they're supposed to be about.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 8:57 a.m. – Permalink

• bulletfactory

  i recently submitted a mockup (1 home page, 1 interior) for a project based on a brief and their current design direction - it was understood that I would be paid for my time regardless of my design concept being selected - if not, they would have gotten a .jpg of my middle finger.
  that's the only way i will submit a design which i've not yet been 'hired' to produce.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:14 a.m. – Permalink

• cast

  i'm gona submit a logo to 99-designs

  can anyone tell me if their legit ?
  and whether there is a tactic to winning - shall i submit my design on the last hour of last day to avoid other people scamming the design ?

  • dont do it.
    http://www.no-spec.c…– sintaxera1/2

    shit thanks
    robbing bastards - i knew it was too good to be true– cast2/2

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:17 a.m. – Permalink

• skwiotsmith

  $500? Ohboy.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:19 a.m. – Permalink

• ukit

  How do you think they arrived at the point where they decided to use 99 Designs?

  • Whoever made the decision doesn't understand their brand, or branding for that matter.– Transit_Broadcast

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:20 a.m. – Permalink

• SoulFly

  I don't think they had a choice. Update Graphics has a brand new site, and the Creative Group has a pretty recent look.
  The other thing is also Aquent probably had all the designers on the road on jobs, so they couldn't find anyone.

  • looks like a way of getting free designs. like bbc– cast

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:22 a.m. – Permalink

• calculator

  pathetic

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:24 a.m. – Permalink

• sintaxera

  Wow. Just goes to show how much they respect the people that go to them for jobs & the industry they work in. absolutely insulting.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:27 a.m. – Permalink

• SoulFly

  I have a feeling that this is fake or something...
  Wouldn't they jeopardize their business strategy by doing something like this? I mean, they need to attract clients, and by having an quick make-over instead of having top designers work on it, that would be a bad thing.

  • sadly not fake. go to their current website and there's a link to it on the homepage– design_bitch

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:31 a.m. – Permalink

• design_bitch

  fuck sakes. i'm so sick of people dragging down our industry as it is. how is it that we rid the world of these wal-marts of design??

  • the wal-mart effect, rather– design_bitch1/2

    Ethics and morals... something too many people are lacking these days. And poverty when people are desperate for a buck they do work on a whim.– Iggyboo2/2

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:43 a.m. – Permalink

• Josev

  What the fuck. It's worth noting that Aquent has a relationship with the AIGA too.

  • I'm writing the AIGA.– Josev1/3

    no kidding. you'd think someone would have put a stop to this– design_bitch2/3

    Aquent is an "official sponsor" of the AIGA. I doubt the AIGA will do anything to rock the boat.– Josev3/3

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:48 a.m. – Permalink

• design_bitch

  looks like Aquent isnt the only one: http://vaiomygraphicsplash.com/D…

  the pot is bigger, but no better

  • muahaha.. celebrity judge is Lauren Conrad on that one. Good god.– bogue

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:56 a.m. – Permalink

• Iggyboo

  I dont get this.. Aquent is that cheap? I really dont get it. I thought they supported artists getting freelance work. I am having a hard time understanding what is going on with ethics in the design field but I thought aquent was on the right side of things.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 9:57 a.m. – Permalink

• lorac77

  Freelancers Union tried the same contest for redesigning their website, but i bitched and encouraged others too, and we got it taken down...
  https://be.freelancersunion.org/…

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 10 a.m. – Permalink

• TheFatBaron

  I don't agree with their stance against all 'spec' work when it comes to new business pitches, but this really bugs me. Emails = written.

  • Business pitches are different. Designers are paid for their time with salaries. Design busuinesses are taking the risk.– Iggyboo1/3

    god I wish there was an edit button lol. Businesses.. typosss arggh– Iggyboo2/3

    Maybe it's just how they say it.– TheFatBaron3/3

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 10 a.m. – Permalink

• GammaRay

  Aquent is not at all on our side. They are a business and, as such, they only care about the bottom line...paying someone $500 versus, say, $10k to redesign their homepage helps out their bottom line.

  • I hope that's not the trend of the future. There goes my job.– falcadia1/3

    I am, of course, being a bit over dramatic. I think what they are doing is absolutely bullshit, especially given who and what they represent.– GammaRay2/3

    ...they are supposed to represent.– GammaRay3/3

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 10 a.m. – Permalink

• TheFatBaron

  Is anyone else having issues with the CAPTCHA form on AIGA's website? It keeps telling me the text is incorrect. I don't -think- I'm going blind.

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 10:09 a.m. – Permalink

• chuparosa

  Thanks for posting this. It is totally outrageous!

  

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  Dog-earAug 1, 08, 11:07 a.m. – Permalink