Design Credit ON Website?
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- 41 Responses
- gramme0
We're creating valuable tools for our clients. Why wouldn't they want to let the world know who does this (hopefully) awesome work for them? I'm not buying this false dichotomy between services and products. Design is a service, but it produces tangible artifacts.
- ETM0
Manufacturing is a service/process that creates products. Whether it's a factory or a design studio, it's the same thing. There are materials, tools, skillsets and a final product, physically tangible or not.
- albums0
I've never read in a brief or email, or even heard in a personal meeting, "Please use the materials we're paying you to make for us as your own marketing platform."
I should put this in my footer right now... or better yet, call up Demien and make it a requirement, as (mediatemple) is providing me with a service.
Jesus fuck, I guess I'm not a fame whore.
- cannonball19780
I disagree. You are providing a service, which is design. They pay you for you insight, for your process, etc. as well. Things like websites, documentation, and even knowledge are artifacts that are produced from your service.
- So then Adobe should get credit on every image & illustration you make with their product?albums
- they do, check the exif data.monNom
- it's not a watermark infringing on the image is it? so different than placing info in a footeralbums
- Adobe makes products you buy. Design something you yourself sell on the market, and then put your name all over it.cannonball1978
- ETM0
Nothing can be offered but opinion. There is no right or wrong. No rule book. So there is no need for people to get testy. Its not a politics thread. :)
- mikotondria30
I never just produce a stock templated Wordpress site and put a credit on it; I'd understand that at that point the majority of the work to produce the site has been done by the WP people. If you buy a Ford car, then they've provided you the service of running their manufacturing plants in the right order and they've produced you a car. They stick their name front and center on the thing.
When you produce, from scratch - or html5 bp, as applicable, a site for which you design every visual element (except stock photography and social icons, and maybe client logo (but sometimes that too)), and provide bespoke code (except jquery etc), then that's a tangible creation - how is it different from a Ford Focus ? Which itself might have parts in it that were not designed or manufactured by Ford.
I couldn't agree more precisely with what Gramme says here, in terms of how the credit and the client relationship are sympatico.
- instrmntl0
Well, think of it this way. When a you see a commercial on tv, there is never a Made BY BBDO text at the end. I wouldn't do it, unless you're hard up and have reason to believe it may generate an unbelievable amount of new business. Otherwise, thats what your portfolio is for.
- < this. You will get your credit/ acknowledgement when the ad awards are dealt out...if you are into that.lvl_13
- not a good comparison, client is paying for time, so extra seconds would be a wasteformed
- Yes it is. And I envisioned a footnote at the bottom during to be like the website. There all the time and no extra time.instrmntl
- Nathan_Adams0
Generally we don't. We don't stick credits on print work, so why should a website be any different.
The exceptions are sites that we've worked on in a sponsorship or pro-bono arrangement, or the client has actually suggested it (this has actually happened twice).
I do always include credit within the source code though (usually at the bottom of the main stylesheet).
- fourth0
I try and do it every time. It's in my agreement terms. fuck it. Last big job I got was after a site I made went live. Literally the next morning someone email'ed me and I got two big jobs out of it.
- fadein110
Some people really need to get over themselves on here.
It may not be appropriate to put a link to your site on the homepage of nike.com but small to medium clients really do not mind.
Never had an objection.
I'd imagine the vast majority of users on here freelance for small to medium clients (judging by portfolios).
Its actually bad business sense to miss the marketing/SEO opportunity.
As for credits not appearing on print work - weird, I see design credits on print work all the time depending on the format.
- formed0
Most clients actually like it. We always ask first, on one has ever indicated they didn't like it. We've had clients ask us (or suggest) that we put credit in, in print also. They are happy with the product and relationship and want to see everyone benefit from it.
To the car analogy, it is like having something you are proud of and spent time/money on. Having a professional company taking credit for the design signifies their investment and shows it is 'real'.
That said, if you are producing Yugos, then maybe you should leave your name off!
- melq0
Our policy is against this. The core reason is that, while we will certainly receive benefits (increased awareness of our company, SEO, etc.), that is not what our clients are paying us for. They are paying us to market and promote THEIR business.
I know a lot of people do this. I chalk that up to the still relative youth of the medium. Whenever I see a credit in the footer of the website, I (likely, unfairly) consider the development firm to be a bit hacky.
If someone likes the work enough, they will ask the business owner who did it for them. We've gotten tons of new work through this exact path.
- ETM0
I guess people should just do press releases then, like the large agencies do. When an agency lands or does a campaign for a large client, they are rarely quiet about it.
- instrmntl0
If you're a smaller company or sole proprietor, do press releases via twitter, write a blog as a case study etc. there are ways to self promote without slapping your branding on someone else's product.
- ETM0
Not agreeing or disagreeing, but to go back again to the car analogy, I see all too many people happy to whore out their car as free advertising for shop's or product brands that have customized their car. It's all depends on the person, and as someone pointed out, some clients actually ask or want a credit included. Like everything in this world, their is rarely a clean and cut case for everything.
- You know what I mean, nothing subtle. Vinyl decals. K&N, Flowmaster, _____ customs etc.ETM
- Douglas0
i'm not a web dude, but my 2cents is that the most tasteful way to include your credit (if you choose to do so) is a simple "design: name" on the about/contact footer.
when is see it phrased "site by" , "website by" , "create by" , "web design by"... all sound a little cheap.
- ETM0
The other thing here is that everyone is coming at this as a designer. When the real opinion that matters is the client and their audience/public in general. Most people enjoy life and really don't OCD on little details like this. :)
- albums0
Hey newuser, congrats on an industry related topic that shows the range of personalities / opinions in the the business. This is one of my favorite threads on qbn in a long time. Thanks.
- antagonista0
Lame. Unless it's a free, seriously tacky.