DesignNYC
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- ohhhhhsnap
DesignNYC
http://www.designyc.orgBasically folks who are making over 90K; ADs, CDs, Senior Designers who are making a GOOD salary... become part of a community who actively work for philanthropic orgs pro bono.
What are your thoughts...
Damaging?
Fair?
- kingsteven0
PR
- ohhhhhsnap0
For Bloomberg?
- monospaced0
I looked through the entire site and didn't see any mention about this being only for folks making over $90K. In fact, it never mentions anything regarding salary anywhere, nor does it specify ADs, CDS, or Senior Designers who make good money.
Anyway, how could a group of designers pioneering social good be damaging or unfair? They're asking for anyone to volunteer and join in.
- ohhhhhsnap0
mono, tx
I did a little research to find out that ALL of the designers are making over at least 80K in their day jobs (they work for pretty big clients)
So here's the thing, it creates a lackadaisical trend for non-profits to FUND RAISE to pay designers. Some designers/ coops/ and design organizations make their money solely on working for philanthropic orgs.
- monospaced0
Look man, doing "a little research" into salaries is fine, but I highly doubt you got a single correct number. And even if you did, it has nothing to do with who can and is participating. Additionally, I don't see any mention that designers get paid at all. In fact, it states clearly that it's pro-bono work. Yes, the work requires money to execute, but that's for production, not for profit (it's non-profit, afterall).
Do a little research, or read their FAQ, and you'll see that they acknowledge that every non-profit incures fees in order to operate. They ask nothing of designers except a committment to participate.
- ohhhhhsnap0
I get that DesignNYC isn't paying them for the work. It's a collective, and it's volunteer. All I am saying is that the designers on their roster receive nice salaries from their day jobs.
My point is that DesignNYC might be taking jobs away from smaller groups/individuals who need this type of work (where NGO's are their bread and butter).
I don't think that they see it this way but it's creating a (lazy) culture where NGO's may no longer feel it necessary to pay for design work. If there is a good service being given to you... I grew up in the school where I learned that you should pay for it. Not applying for funds to pay for design work (of course their grant writers could focus on something else; which is OK, but it just reminds me of how certain groups don't value design work, or believe that it is not real sweat work).
I've heard some of my friends who work high up within NGOs say that they will work with these start ups just because they don't have the funds, and that's OK too, but ...without even trying to apply for subsidies for ngo orgs for this kind of work.
Just my 2cents.
- monospaced0
I see where you're coming from, but I have to disagree that this is "creating a (lazy) culture" where NPOs (I think this is what you meant?) expect free work.
This is more of a collective of designers coming together to provide an avenue for NPOs to more easily acquire pro-bono help. See, the thing is, many successful designers love doing pro-bono work because it's satisfying on many levels. No salary would ever compare with the satisfaction of helping a real cause through design. The well-paid designers out there spend most of their time working on utterly superficial work where the goal is nothing but to make more money, so when an opportunity comes along to do something like this, it feels good.
Another satisfying aspect of doing pro-bono work is that it gives the designer — in my experience — more creative freedom. Since they aren't paying for it, clients are less picky. They're grateful for the blessing of good design and the opportunity to stand out from so many other non-profits.
So, while I do see how your logic led you to believe this, I don't think it's necessarily bad for the industry. What it's good for is design, and with this organization in place, anyone can contribute regardless of their salary. On on the note of applying for funds to pay for design work, that just doesn't happen easily since branding isn't usually that important on the long list of priorities most NPOs have.
That's my two cents, and I am really enjoying this discussion. I hope someone else joins in.
- wordssssss0
iamepic.org
This is the Chicago "version".
We ran a sprint for a small not for profit that gives travel aid to families who have a child fighting cancer. There were about 9 of us. The team was comprised of copywriters designers IA programmers and an illustrator. We met for 8 weeks and did a website for them. I can't speak to the salaries of the participants, and quite frankly think its irrelevant, or at least was irrelevant to the project we worked on. It was about coming together and giving agency quality work to an organization that sorely needed it. The response has been very positive for the organization we worked with, as it has been for each of the organizations that have partnered with epic.While I somewhat agree with the above statement of pro-bono allowing a designer more creative freedom, our team didn't approach it that way. It was structured like a normal project, with deadlines reviews and revisions.
Epic focuses on not for profits in the Chicago area with budgets of less than a million dollars. No ones is making a living doing the design work for a not for profit with a budget of less than a million dollars. That money is going to core activities. Im not sure what DesignNYC requirements are, but could see them being the same.
Long story short I don't feel this is bad for the industry, and isn't taking food out of anyones mouth, it may be doing the opposite. I hired one of team members for another job following it, and I believe another team member received a job through a contact made by the experience.