aquent site redesign-spec work
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- Josev0
The guy who posted the job, "Aquent Minister" or Matthew Grant, posted a comment on the Aquent facebook profile explaining his thinking behind the contest. He ends the comment with "I await my lambasting."
- ukit0
Can someone repost here? I'm too lazy to go Facebook.
- johndiggity0
matt, do you understand you are representing the aquent brand on a design forum populated by designers, aka, the lifeblood of your company? how do you think this will effect aquent's rep with the designers on this board? when potential talent googles aquent and this thread pops up, what kind of perception do you think they will have of the aquent brand? do you think they will see it as a place that values their talent? is that contrary to the aquent brand promise?
here's a resource for you to engage with your base, to develop an authentic brand, and you are basically shitting all over it.
- Josev0
From Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aq…"As the person who launched this contest, I appreciate the feedback. Thanks!
I also share the design community's suspicion, to put it lightly, of "spec" work or contests like these more generally. I would however, ask you to think about it differently.
First of all, I view this as an experiment. What can we get if we take this approach? We could get a bunch of junk, which would reinforce the idea that you can't get good design this way. Maybe we'll get something good. Maybe someone who wouldn't otherwise have the chance to show their stuff will get noticed. Who knows?
Second of all, we're not asking anyone to build an entire site, rebrand Aquent, create a new corporate identity, etc.. In effect, we're asking if anyone would like to take a little time and rearrange our homepage. If you have time and wouldn't mind winning a modest sum, why not give it a go?
In fact, come to think of it, we could have created a Flash game allowing people to rearrange the homepage and submit their new page to us. I bet people would take a stab at it without a prize even being offered!
Or maybe we should do something a little different, but frame it in terms of self-promotion. Maybe we should say this to all the web designers we represent: "Want a chance to show off your work? If you'd like to take a stab at redesigning our homepage, just do it and send us a jpg. We're going to be experimenting with various designs in the coming months, and, if we like yours, we'll put it into our testing rotation. It would be a great way to feature your work!"
Oddly enough, I don't think we would get grief for doing that, although the main difference between that approach and the current one is that it would be free!
I await my lambasting.
Matt Grant"
- Josev0
Not only that but I assume that they are the "official sponsor" of the AIGA (it's on the AIGA home page) so that they can have access to a higher quality of professional and have more legitimacy in the creative community. Yet they do this which undermines the AIGA's cause.
- digdre0
how about we all enter the contest if one of us wins, we back out!
- ukit0
Would be nice if a few from here could take the time to comment on that Facebook page.
- roundabout0
I for one will not be using Aquent. It appropriate to think that Mat, and the the business model used by him is only interested in making money and has no real interest or understanding of the design community on a professional level. Very embarrassing for Aquent, and the design business as a hole.
- epete220
Hmmm how about a contest for doctors. The first doctor to perform the surgery correct gets their name on a website! woohoo!
- AngArtist0
"Take a stab at redesigning their homepage?" So they are going to make a handful of designers spend hours on a design knowing that they may not get paid for their hard work? And then Aquent gets a lot of comps to choose from for free. And if there is one that they like, they are only out a measly $500. How nice. Makes me sick. Aquent should be ashamed. I'm sorry, but Matt Grant's BS is only to make him feel better. There is nothing good about what they are doing.
- letters20
Mistake was made. Mistake was corrected. While its true that most of us didn't expect this kind of mistake from this particular company it doesnt change the fact that it was a mistake. They listened, they disagreed, they understood an alternative perspective and then they corrected their mistake. Could they do more? Sure, one can often do more to correct an error - however I think this kind of turnaround shows some real humility and isn't an easy thing to swallow...
- ukit0
Here is what else he had to say:
Ian - I appreciate your passion on this subject but respectfully disagree with you for two reasons.
First of all, I question the equation of this, or any contest, with spec work. No one has to enter if they don't want to and, frankly, there is the potential for everyone involved to be compensated either by winning the prize or via feedback on their design work, which I have been providing, or by coming to the attention of Aquent's recruiters.
Second of all, I question the AIGA et al's opposition to spec work. Many AIGA members have been emailing me the same position statement about spec work, all of which include the line: "We encourage you to reconsider holding this contest, and instead issue a Request For Proposals from qualified design professionals."
Have you ever worked on or submitted an RFP? Do you realize how much effort (time, energy, and money) goes into that? Do you realize how little the "losers" in these competitions are compensated? RFPs ARE spec work (and, given the number of hoops you have to jump through and the nature of the information you are asked to provide, can even be worse).
I think the only legitimate argument against this contest is the one made in that No-Spec post you included: Contests are not a good way to get good design. This may in fact be true, though there is the chance (and the odds probably aren't as bad as the lottery's) that something good might come of it.
Anxious to hear your response. I have some other thoughts that I'll post on my blog.
matt
- Lt_Jack_Hammer0
@ max_prophet: I think people are offering "consultancy and site audits" as a way to show the people at Aquent just how ridiculously stupid their idea was to have that contest...because of all of the thought that needs to go into a redesign...again, it's not just about making something look pretty. It also shows we are a group with ideas and offer more than just mudslinging and name calling...even though the latter is MUCH more fun.
Also, we are back on all of this bullshit because of Judi (from Aquent) being the Captain of U.S.S. Horrible Timing.
- Meeklo0
Interesting read, I didn't knew what aquent was till I saw this thread, but I think something positive grew out of this thread, or at least designers got together to voice their opinions against something that we (and I would like to include myself) consider unethical, I'm proud of all of those here that had expressed themselves without insulting, some of the responses here were incredibly polite and mature, and for that reason alone I'm glad I'm part of this community.
I think insults and bad personal experiences related to aquent, and unrelated to the title should be left out of this thread.
I think aquent deserves recognition for coming here, listening to the community and deciding to take an alternative solution to the spec work contest. That right there sends a positive message to me.
- trooper0
ive blogged with all the links on one page http://markrushworth.com/templat… theres more to it thaan just the 99design site and the aquent blog!
- You should add links to the AIGA website and mention that they're major supporters of AIGA.Josev
- Also, it's worth mentioning that they, Aquent, do get some value form that relationship. AIGA gives them some legitimacy (or has) within the creative community.Josev
- legitimacy within the creative community.Josev
- 23kon0
bottom line:
recruitment agencies and agents are all just fuckin' sharks out to hit as many targets as they can and fill their bank account with money youve sweat for!yes they are handy if you are lazy and cant be assed trying to actually look for work yourself.
back to my first point ... fuckin sharks!
i got paid off from a company years ago, half an hour after id been told i was being let go (and i hadnt told anyone) i gets a phone call from not one but two agencies. madness eh?
they can locate blood from miles away!
- GammaRay0
Here's something that a lot of people are forgetting about...
Good design is, in large part, about communicating a message to its intended audience in a clear manner. It is also about providing a solution to a problem. (of course there are many other things I'm glossing over here but bare with me) Design contests don't allow the designer to fully understand the clients needs, problems, concerns and, therefore, doesn't allow them to provide the client with the best solution possible. How, Matt, am I supposed to know why you guys are redesigning your homepage or what your intended goals are with it if I can't have a full kick-off meeting with you?...if all I have to go on is a few words posted on a site?...you're completely glossing over the fact that there is more to design than just "let's make something look pretty"...YAAYYY....
CLEARLY you, Matt, do not understand the value of good design. It is MUCH more than just making something look new or different or fresh...yes good design (something that is purely aesthetically pleasing) can be achieved through a design contest...there are tons of talented designers that could just make something look good...but, are they really providing you with a total solution??? Do they really understand WHY you want to redesign the homepage??? If the current Aquent homepage is working so well why redesign it? Obviously it is not meeting some business level expectations somewhere and someone raised that concern and felt the need to redesign it....is this contest going to provide Aquent with the business solution it needs or just something that looks pretty??? Or is that all that matters to Aquent...all gloss and no substance.
Seriously, Matt, you really have no idea what goes into providing a client with a good design solution do you? You should feel very very sad about yourself...clearly you are a hack who wormed his way up the food chain...cause if you had a clue you wouldn't even begin to think about doing what you're doing.
- um, actually GammaRay, I do know what does into good design. I saw this more as a kind of public brainstorming. Oddly enough, although the contest entirely allows for it, not one person has asked me these business related questions. Likewise, it's curious that people focus on how much we suck for doing this, but know one approaches us as a designer interested in working with us to solve this business problem.Aquentminister
- I for one think this content should stay in topic if it is to be legit. Gamma you don't have your website listed are you trolling?Iggyboo
- If Matt is willing to step up and say he's the one who setup the contest then he has to be ready to personally defend his decision...let's not be babies here.GammaRay
- decision...let's not be babies here.GammaRay
- And, if you're going to do something stupid be prepared to be called stupid.GammaRay
- Wait a second, are you calling me stupid?Aquentminister
- 23kon0
so yeah this doesnt surprise me they are running this greedy-ass comp
- Josev0
I wonder what Aquent's clients would think about this?