Hmm, NO SPEC WORK. I realize this is a start up company, likely with limited funds, but it’s all too easy to get burned by spec work. Design Contests are never the right way to pick partners to work with. They’re a way to get a lot of people to perform the labor while only the “winner” has to be “compensated” for the work. No one would enter a “mow my lawn contest” right? If you need a designer, hire one as your partner.

I’m not suggesting they go blow themselves, which is a bit uncouth. What I am suggesting is that since they’ve identified their budget and their concept they find and hire a designer to work within those constraints to deliver a product they can all be proud of and fairly compensated for.

now that I think about it… didn’t the business examiner pull the exact same maneuver redesigning their website?

I’m not aware of that RR, but the same argument applies if so. If the creative class is all the rage, and a lot of people would like to see it succeed and flourish in Tacoma, everyone involved in it should work to make the line between creative labor and a design contest a little less blurry. Hopefully, this would begin to change expectations about what a creative class can deliver to the Tacoma business community, as partners.

Oftentimes small businesses, and especially not-for-profit businesses, have all the best intentions when they offer “design competitions.” On the surface it seems like a win/win situation: the non-profit gets their logo for little or no money and the graphic designer gets some attention and gets to add to their portfolio. But it’s actually a no-win situation. Design competitions are bad for graphic designers and, like sparkrobot said, bad for businesses. If you enter a competition you are doing a disservice to every hard-working graphic designer out there who deserves to be paid fair market for their talents; and businesses who offer them run the risk of tarnishing their reputations, thereby ruining future partnerships. I’m sure the co-op will receive entries for this competition, and it will be unfortunate. They would be wise to head sparkrobot’s advice and instead hire within their means.

I wonder if there are any graphic designers out there who would be interested in providing their services, gratis, to the co-op. It is a cooperative, after all, largely dependent on the donations, financial and otherwise, of its members…

Also…a designer looking to get a start might consider providing her as yet unknown talent simply for publicity. It seems to me a very well-known and successful graphics designer got a big start (but very little money) from non-profits.

If they are looking for cheap work I do agree that they should go about the process different and not do it as a contest but instead look for some one willing to offer their services for whatever their budget is. Creating a lasting identity is a lot of work and lots of process goes into it. I’m glad to see that other readers here understand that. :)

Is this post asking for an acutual “graphic designer”? Last time I checked this wasn’t a blog for just graphic designers but a blog for everyone. Maybe if they were just looking for a “graphic designer” they would have emailed the known graphic designers. Maybe a 6 year old will come up with the design and they will hire your “graphic designer” self to do some tweaks to it.

I don’t know what the big deal is. The coop accidentally stepped into a heated debate without knowing better. If they had had their stuff together, they should have simply asked a coop minded designer to do the logo, and given them a bit more creative freedom. They might have done it for free. This is Tacoma, the mecca of non-profits.

In the end, you get what you pay for. I’ve included my submission below.
COOP LOGO >>

Also by the way RR, I remember designing the Business Examiner website (with Sitecrafting), and I remember our company getting paid. Maybe there are two business examiner websites?

It just might Erik Hanberg

Cheers

man so much venom in these comments. I’d like to lighten things up by saying i like the idea of a food coop and I like rusty george and I like site crafting and I like the business examiner staff. I like everybody. I even like Steve Dunkelburger. Can we all be friends again?

@Erik H + @Mike P

eventually I’d like to see a conversation on exit 133 where we don’t have to mention fellatio. Thanks. Kids read this site too.

Artists actually get paid???
wow…..it didn’t occur to me to get upset over the co-op’s idea of a contest for a logo…It’s volunteer, soooooo why shouldn’t someone,anyone volunteer-ish to design something…..and um, I thought artists did art because they couldn’t stop themselves from doing…..Art?

Wow. This reminds me of one of those weird discussions about how Mother Teresa had a few annoying character flaws. Maybe so, but step back and recognize the greater subject of the good she did.

I’ve had some contact with the Tacoma Food Coop folks and they’re trying to do something really good for the community, mainly providing a healthy food alternative to low income folks. Cut them some slack.

This also reminds me of those weird conversations about offensive TV shows. Don’t watch ‘em if you don’t like ‘em. Don’t enter contests if you don’t want to.

Sheesh.

I’m with Jake – good point. This was a call to the community to come up with creative ideas for a logo.

To me, it is interesting that it is automatically assumed that the design community is being asked for pro-bono work.

This reminds me of the arts commission discussion, where several individuals were miffed at the idea that artists were being asked to work for free.

But in actuality, it was a call for interested citizens to participate.

Everyone needs to lighten up.

Sounds like anyone here who thought this was a ding on the coop clarified to say their problem isn’t with the coop but with the process. And there are plenty of constructive comments above showing how they might do this sort of thing in the future.

I applaud anyone no afraid to use spaces like this online to have a conversation about whatever they are passionate about. I’m only glad to see these passions haven’t yet been swatted out of existence in this town.

tom waits, Pro-Bono work and Design Contests aren’t one in the same.

Wow. I didn’t intend for this thread to be a spot for name-calling, mud-slinging or dirty laundry airing, though it seems a few of y’all wanted to go there.

Seriously, best of luck to the co-op. I’d hoped to use this topic to start a conversation around the idea that artists should be paid when they’re commissioned. Silly me.

Those who get paid for “creative output” don’t have a monopoly on creative expression. i.e. those who are willing to donate services (hello, there are a lot of folks with skills and experiences who also work in other vocations) aren’t scabs.

and there is a continuum between “John Q. Popcorn” and the professional community. just as there are professional designers who suck, and some very very good avocational artists.

now, i completely understand the frustration with the undervaluation of creative commodities.

but. so some people will submit designs, someone will get $100, and the rest of the people whose time is so incredibly valuable better get back to work on billable projects and quit blogging.

ugh. bye.

of course, it would be a very different thing if, say, Weyerhaeuser or Russell were asking for community input on a new corporate logo.

R.R., the conspiracy is in corn.

I think we’re now covering Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

WOW this one sounds like a bunch of little boys having a p——— match. It is not about ego it is about cost. What I give of my services for free everyday comes back ten fold down the road. Just reading these comments tells me who not to recommend. If you do not have compassion for the rest of us, I dont want to know you or sell you.

RR@47

The logo in the forum with the “windows” motif is stupidly hilarious.

Translation: It would probably work in the real world smashingly.

Sorry about the biodiesel inaccuracy. I’ve been having recurring nightmares about corn kernels, Chevrolet, cows and methane with Al Gore voiceovers.