Despite the fact that I hired a designer to redesign my blog, I’m wanting to experiment with social tools as I encounter them, I recently deployed an ad on twitter using Magpie, see the results.
Part of my role as an analyst is to experiment with the social tools that I cover. You all know me as a practitioner, and that’s how I learn best –by doing (and making mistakes). Although very controversial, I’ve decided to experiment with outsourcing the creation of my header for my blog, I’m using a vendor called CROWDspring, and offering an award of $250 to the single designer that I’ll choose to accept the banner (and I’ll send them some traffic). Not everyone agrees, and perhaps the most vocal is Andrew Hyde who says spec work is evil.
The system requires me to put the requirements of the design, plus links to some examples, and I uploaded a logo which will be used, and some other background information. Although I just launched a few days ago a few designs have started to come in (see gallery), some I like, and a few that I’m not so hot on. It’s going to run for 3 weeks, and I know that there will dozens of other submissions and I can choose the right one for me.
I encourage you to read my post why I think Spec Work (work being done before getting paid, or not at all) is here to stay. Designers: Why Spec Work Is Not Going Away How You Should Respond. I’ll also be debating this topic at SXSW in one of the main halls, I encourage you to come (one of my panelists states why he’s grey). I’ll update this post as the project continues, to provide a perspective of what it’s like from the buyer side.
The internet is causing new business models to happen, and I’m a firm believer that this Groundswell example isn’t going away but will only increase.
I spoke to crowdspring, and they even have a corporate service for $1000, and they tell me that some large brands are starting to embrace this system, it’s a direct threat to large existing agencies.
Update: I need to mention that I’ll be doing a review of the experience, and will tell about the good –and bad of using crowdsourcing for design. This isn’t for everyone, more to come later.
Update: March 12 I’ve chosen a winner.
(I don’t have any issues with spec work, and think that strongly opposing it is like shouting at a rising tide).
That said – my issue with this particular project is that you have placed so strong a restriction on the design by providing the logo that there’s too little for the designer to do.
Zack
Jeremiah, does Forrester do research on a spec basis?
It just sort of feels that doing it this way is taking advantage of the time and talent of these folks.
Yes, it’s their choice to do it. But for example, I can’t put a spec request for research and let companies battle over who’s report I’ll choose. If it’s just time and talent and thinking, then this method of bidding or “crowd sourcing” should be considered in all industries.
And for the record, our company also does proprietary research as well (http://www.ypartnership.com/) So this will be an interesting Monday morning water cooler topic 🙂
Jeremiah,
The bottom line is this is a one-sided argument with no advantages for the talented thinkers you and others that support ‘crowd-sourcing’ are displacing.
Maybe for pairing up entry-level designers to cut their teeth on D-level companies (as indicated in one of the linked articles) this makes sense. Your blog banner is one example where the design doesn’t matter one way or the other, so its fine.
But assuming this works in any other scenario is an absolute disrespect of an entire industry of people who based their careers on more than putting pixels on a screen or page.
It looks like Aquent a specialized staffing agency that focuses on interactive looked at a Crowdsourcing model for their redesign then withdrew.
Check out this Facebook thread:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=25232810527
And their Crowdsourcing project link:
http://99designs.com/contests/9979
> but the designers who are not chosen are working for free
This is true in any instance, but you need to think more broadly than this. For a designer with talent, they will win some and lose others. Over a year (approximately 2000 hours), they might be able to submit 1000 ideas. A really good designer might win 500 of these contests, at say $250 each. SO, even though they would be “working for free” 500 times, they would still pull in $125K. On the other hand, a really bad desinger would rarely win, and would receive very little compensation. Over time that bad designer would probably leave the business for career opportunities that are a better fit for them.
In the end, the good designers will win out over the poor designers, and will be compensated for their work.
Note: this does not address the question about whether the overall level of compensation for designers will go down. I think it will, but that is what happens when your world opens up and competition scales up dramatically. Designers are facing the same challenges that others are facing when they have to compete internationally for work.
It is very good and interesting post. It is really fruitful idea. Thanks for sharing all with us.