Comments on: Aquent, 99Designs and the Design Industry http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/ To educate the public about speculative (spec) work Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:18:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Val http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-64928 Val Tue, 12 May 2009 21:27:52 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-64928 The price of creative work is largely a function of reputation. Crowd sourcing provides a market-based mechanism that lets newcomers establish this reputation on merit. They can then later charge higher fees if warranted. Crowd sourcing is just another result of the intersection of globalization and technology. It’s here to stay. Get used to it. All arguments that crowd sourcing somehow “undermines” the industry show a lack of understanding of economics. In this case, AIGA is acting just like the RIAA . The price of creative work is largely a function of reputation. Crowd sourcing provides a market-based mechanism that lets newcomers establish this reputation on merit. They can then later charge higher fees if warranted.

Crowd sourcing is just another result of the intersection of globalization and technology. It’s here to stay. Get used to it. All arguments that crowd sourcing somehow “undermines” the industry show a lack of understanding of economics. In this case, AIGA is acting just like the RIAA .

]]> By: Amy http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-30405 Amy Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:15:05 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-30405 I have been researching about Spec work recently, I also did a post on my blog: www.theamylynn.com/blog. I found on a good post on aiga.org: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/position-spec-work. It has two useful sample letters on how to respond to contests like 99Designs and other spec work. Check it out. I have been researching about Spec work recently, I also did a post on my blog: http://www.theamylynn.com/blog. I found on a good post on aiga.org: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/position-spec-work. It has two useful sample letters on how to respond to contests like 99Designs and other spec work. Check it out.

]]> By: Anthony Zinni http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29599 Anthony Zinni Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:29:16 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29599 I am totally upset by Aquent choosing to use 99designs, even as an experiment. Either way you look at it, they are giving business to the company and encouraging designers to take part. The only effective way to stop 99designs and similar site is to not use them no matter what. Does this surprise me? no not really... I used to receive updates from Aquent and similar services located here in Chicago but have since learned to just ignore 99% of what they send. It is very obvious that a lot of these companies have no interest in the designers themselves. I mean take for example that I got an email listing the other day that wanted a designer to work on location with their own computer, and for 15-25 dollars an hour. This was a freelance position that would take over 3 months at only 20 hours a week and was in the middle of nowhere which would require at least an hours drive for any designer living in Chicago. The job would have entailed a new website, logo, identity, brochure, and other various tasks. If you do the math that is between 3,600 and 6,000 dollars with some pretty extremely headaches like on site working. If I was a full time freelancer this would definitely not even come close to being a feasible job, not if I wanted to stay in business. These types of low paying / no frills jobs seem to be the norm amongst these services lately, so I can see why they wouldn't think 99designs was all that bad. I am glad they at least added an apology and took down the contest, I actually liked some of the things Matthew has written on their blog in the past. (NOTE: The job I am referring to did not come from Aquent, but it is very similar to what they have sent me in the past as well.) I am totally upset by Aquent choosing to use 99designs, even as an experiment. Either way you look at it, they are giving business to the company and encouraging designers to take part. The only effective way to stop 99designs and similar site is to not use them no matter what.

Does this surprise me? no not really… I used to receive updates from Aquent and similar services located here in Chicago but have since learned to just ignore 99% of what they send. It is very obvious that a lot of these companies have no interest in the designers themselves.

I mean take for example that I got an email listing the other day that wanted a designer to work on location with their own computer, and for 15-25 dollars an hour. This was a freelance position that would take over 3 months at only 20 hours a week and was in the middle of nowhere which would require at least an hours drive for any designer living in Chicago. The job would have entailed a new website, logo, identity, brochure, and other various tasks.

If you do the math that is between 3,600 and 6,000 dollars with some pretty extremely headaches like on site working. If I was a full time freelancer this would definitely not even come close to being a feasible job, not if I wanted to stay in business.

These types of low paying / no frills jobs seem to be the norm amongst these services lately, so I can see why they wouldn’t think 99designs was all that bad. I am glad they at least added an apology and took down the contest, I actually liked some of the things Matthew has written on their blog in the past.

(NOTE: The job I am referring to did not come from Aquent, but it is very similar to what they have sent me in the past as well.)

]]> By: Michael Swartzbeck http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29490 Michael Swartzbeck Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:28:45 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29490 Why am I not surprised at this? For some years, I'd take time to update my resume, etc. at Aquent, but after awhile there didn't seem to be any point to it, as they never called, never returned calls reminding them of my availability, and never emailed except to send me spam for seminars in -- of all things -- "email marketing". Haven't been in touch with them in years, and don't see any point in bothering with them anymore. Sad thing is, the temp shops here in DC actually used to be pretty good at staying in touch with their people and actually keeping them fairly busy. Btw -- and forgive me if this is old news -- but at least here in DC, GeniusRocket is all over Craigslist like a goddamn' _rash_. Why am I not surprised at this? For some years, I’d take time to update my resume, etc. at Aquent, but after awhile there didn’t seem to be any point to it, as they never called, never returned calls reminding them of my availability, and never emailed except to send me spam for seminars in — of all things — “email marketing”.

Haven’t been in touch with them in years, and don’t see any point in bothering with them anymore.

Sad thing is, the temp shops here in DC actually used to be pretty good at staying in touch with their people and actually keeping them fairly busy.

Btw — and forgive me if this is old news — but at least here in DC, GeniusRocket is all over Craigslist like a goddamn’ _rash_.

]]> By: r http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29304 r Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:13:58 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29304 99designs.com totes banned me for posting a link to no-spec on all their contests. A couple people accused me of ruining their fun, even after I explained that if a contest holder offers $500 for a logo and 50 people put ten hours in, that's less than $1 per hour paid for the design. *sigh* Not so mad at Aquent as I am at the existence of a site like this at all. 99designs.com totes banned me for posting a link to no-spec on all their contests. A couple people accused me of ruining their fun, even after I explained that if a contest holder offers $500 for a logo and 50 people put ten hours in, that’s less than $1 per hour paid for the design. *sigh*

Not so mad at Aquent as I am at the existence of a site like this at all.

]]> By: cat http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29209 cat Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:25:59 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29209 John, interesting read. Also interesting to find out that Aquent used 99Designs twice before. <a href="http://99designs.com/contests/2539" rel="nofollow">$500 - Direct mail brochure</a> <a href="http://99designs.com/contests/3707" rel="nofollow">Halloween website theming contest</a> Equally interesting that after all his involvement with AIGA and designers, Matthew doesn't get it. John, interesting read. Also interesting to find out that Aquent used 99Designs twice before.

$500 – Direct mail brochure

Halloween website theming contest

Equally interesting that after all his involvement with AIGA and designers, Matthew doesn’t get it.

]]> By: John Joseph http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29191 John Joseph Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:50:29 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29191 Your ire is well supported. Check out this post: http://thedenveregotist.com/textpattern/index.php?event=article&step=edit&ID=2351 Your ire is well supported. Check out this post:
http://thedenveregotist.com/textpattern/index.php?event=article&step=edit&ID=2351

]]> By: no-spec http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29183 no-spec Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:05:35 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29183 Thanks again for contacting us Mark. It was certainly an interesting read (I just now finished reading the comments at Qbn). Thanks again for contacting us Mark. It was certainly an interesting read (I just now finished reading the comments at Qbn).

]]> By: mark rushworth http://www.no-spec.com/archives/aquent-99designs-design-industry/comment-page-1/#comment-29176 mark rushworth Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:04:10 +0000 http://www.no-spec.com/?p=169#comment-29176 Happy to help! Happy to help!

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