aquent site redesign-spec work
Out of context: Reply #56
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- bigtrick0
There are 13 submissions so far to the contest. Let's say that at the end of the contest, there will be 60 submissions. Let's further say that each submitter spent 5 hours working on his/her work. So, in total, 300 hours will have been spent on designing this mockup. Aquent will then pay out $500 in total for this work. The one designer that "wins" gets decent compensation - $100/hr worth. The 59 designers who did not win, wasted 5 hours each of their time.
Essentially, these spec contests are a tremendous waste of resources. *295 hours* of design time will have gone up in smoke. That is equivalent to one designer working 60-hour weeks for almost 5 weeks straight. Every contest ensures that design work goes to waste.
Another way to look at the numbers: if designers had to compete in these contests to earn money, and they had a "win" rate of 1 in every 60 contests, spending 5 hours of work on each contest entry, they would earn $500 for every 300 hours spent working - a pay rate of $1.67 an hour. They would clearly be better off working at McD's where they can earn five times as much.
I hope that helps.
- bigtrick - I think the key point her is: "if designers had to compete in these contests" - do you really think that contests will eclipse traditional paths to design? Are you also opposed to outsourcing design to India or Malaysia?Aquentminister