99designs.com and similar services
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- jagara
...ever used them (both as a client or as a designer)?
Browsing the projects, it (not surprisingly) seems like you get some pretty generic (albeit frequently pretty decent) submissions on there.
I think most clients know they will work that is more interesting and taylormade, when working with people they can actually meet in person.
Still, services like these pop up all over the place...anything to worry about, ya think?
- meffid0
I've used, also worked in their offices (on another project).
- meffid0
http://99designs.com/contests/18…
Some great work on there.
- hahahaahahkuttyranks
- prefer #53 to the winning one. Stellar stuff.shitehawke
- Winner: http://99designs.com…jagara
- shitehawke0
There will always be a market for this kind of thing as clients who don't really see the value in design and just 'need a logo' will go to them, in the same way they would have a clip-art or word designed letterhead.
The main thing I think is to realise what you can offer a client and try to aim for clients that will appreciate your skills.
- meffid0
They're no competition or anything to worry about, they're all in their place and clients. Who wants to work for a client who wants 'rounds' of design or 99 versions of a logo to pick from?
- jagara0
@shitehawke: Yeah, and i think that what makes the submissions extra generic is that sites like 99design are open submissions from all countries... somebody from scandinavia is likely to have radically different taste tahn somebody from Uganda or the US. So they kinda all (have to-) go for the universal-web-2.0-glassbubble-ge... to be sure it's not to weird to be considered...
Contests are usually 7 days long...how often do you get something that really fits within that timeframe :D
- meffid0
I couldn't resist entering when I saw this comp, I received an AWESOME stars rating of 0.
I still laugh when I look at it.
- actually thats my new favourite.shitehawke
- It's Phallictastic.meffid
- shitehawke0
Aye jagara, thats true, but I think attempting a design based upon a 2 or three line brief without talking to the client and finding out exactly what they need and wish to achieve is going to produce a generic look. Add to that you have no time for development and you're up against an unknown number of rivals and it doesn't make much sense.
Besides, identity work is not just a logo, despite what a client thinks. It might be a logo and how that logo is applied to everything and whats all the supporting material used to compliment it that makes a brand.
nike has a logo, but that logo means fuck all without the overall brand behind it, and clients need to realise this. Its another thing that irks me when theres a story about a logo for some major organisation or city or whatever and people claim "logo cost €500,000" and theres uproar. Its all about context.
- jagara0
Well, my only worry is that sites like 99design will gain too much popularity with the smaller clients. I've actually lost a client because they thought the process was taking too long (around 10 days for a identity suggestion and a website mockup). They ended up using a Latvian designer (nothing wrong with Latvian design otherwise) though a similar service, and got the whole ting for 1500DKK (around 300$). Generic-est shit ever, of course!
Gotta admit that was one of my worst clients ever. And some years ago :D