Why 99designs sucks
Everyone knows my feelings about crowd-sourcing services like 99designs (founder Mark Harbottle). They promote a system that ruins the client impression with an idea that it is simply a matter of spending an hour tossing pixels at a digital canvas without any thought.
Another terrible idea by 99designs: Logo Store
I planned to use this article to touch on the negative impact that ready-made logos are to designers and companies using them. However, I don’t believe I could have worded it any better than the readers of Sitepoint (Mark Harbottle & creators of 99designs) themselves.
Even though the community has made it clear they don’t support 99designs, Sitepoint continues pushing the service ultimately ruining clients perspective of the industry.
The idea that purchasing a ready-made company logo is beyond me. Shouldn’t your companies first impression be worth more?
Founder Mark Harbottle of 99designs issues an image takedown notice
It was not long after @designerdepot tweeted my article that Mark Harbottle responded.
Instead of defending the actions of your company, you attack me, by accusing me of theft. If we all adopted the mindset that we are stealing by simply using an image as a reference point then all bloggers would be guilty.
It doesn’t take long to see that with your mindset, SitePoint (your baby) is guilty of theft as well by using company logos to refer to the companies themselves.
Your idea of theft is childish.
Furthermore, when I’m refering to theft, I am not accusing your company of directly stealing imagery for your own website. I’m writing about the theft that is accruing within contest. Unlike many of your users I am not claiming stolen imagery as my own and directly profit from it.
Image take down notice and threats of
possible legal action
Not long after posting this response. I received an email from the legal department at 99designs requesting that I remove the image of the team.
We request that remove our image from your web site. I’m referring to the image on this page of our team with the speech bubbles:
http://netjelly.com/99designs-is-ruining-the-design-industry/
You DO NOT have permission to edit or use that image on your site. It’s offensive to our team members, and it breaches our copyright.
I’ll check back in 24 hours and seek alternative action if not removed.
Best Regards,
Mark
I want to show good faith and continue a constructive discussion about the topic, so I have removed the image. I intended to use the image to lighten to mood of the overall article. If I would have known it was going to completely direct all focus from the post itself, I would have never used it to begin with.
The problem with 99designs is it being based off spec work. Secondly, massive amounts of concept and imagery theft are taking place. I understand that is difficult to combat this and they have taken the step to add a blind contest feature to cut down on such theft.
It became important to write the article after they released the ready-made logo store. They continue to ruin relations and completely destroy the idea of unique company branding.
To be honest, I am surprise with the attention I received with all of this, good and bad.
99designs is effectively ruining client, designer relations
It works off a term known in the industry known as spec work. Spec work means any work done on a speculative basis. In other words, requested work that has not had a reasonable fee agreed on before the work begins.
Spec work has the chance to result in non-payment and often theft.
Multiple campaigns have been launched to attempt to bring the industry together with an understanding of not working on projects without an agreement of a fair price with the client beforehand. The result being designers are paid appropriately for anytime they spend working on a project since they had a legal agreement ahead of time.
Asking a designer, who normally charges per project or hourly, to give away design work to compete in the chance to win a project is similar to asking a mechanic to fix your car with the hopes of getting paid if you liked it or not changing your mind after the job is done.
Do you expect to work an 8 hour shift with the hopes that your employer will be pleased enough to pay you? I doubt it.
They cheapen the process by remove the professionalism
They support the perception that graphic design is easy, and all that is required is the right software, a brief company description, and one hour of time to do it correctly.
It is about building an brand.
They promote a system that ruins the client impression with an idea that it is simply a matter of tossing some pixels at a digital canvas, then allowing the clients to decide which one to pay for destroys the credibility and attitude toward our industry.
If you as a designer would take the proper amount of time to understand the client needs, research the company and competitors, brainstorm the brand, come up with an original concept, and sketch the design before opening any kind of software, you would be better off flipping burgers then to dare take the chance with one of these competitions.
You work for under minimal wage usually
Many who defend these actions claim the money they make is better than nothing. I cannot for a minute see the reasoning behind this defense.
Let’s figure the average payout is $150.00 and that you win at least 10% of the contest you enter (which is extremely rare), you spend at a minimal of 3 hours working, this means you make roughly $5 an hour, which doesn’t even cover minimal wage in the United States.
I am charitable in believing that you would be winning 10% of the contest. Also this does not factor the client backing out and the numerous revisions you could be asked for, which adds to more time spent on a single project.
They ruin the reason in hiring a designer
For sometime I planned to write this article. I did not feel it was necessary in till they released a new feature that allows designers to submit logos to a marketplace which can be bought for $90 or $300 if the client wants exclusive rights.
The logo marketplace is another example of them being more concerned with money then the welfare of the industry. Not only is there mass theft, they now are advocating for clients to pay for a logo that is already being branded possibility by multiple other businesses. This completely defeats the purpose of hiring a designer.
The marketplace, like contests, are being flooded with chip-art, stock imagery, and stolen logos. After the designer uploads the logo, it is placed in a marketplace with thousands of others which plan to be bought for cheap prices, which in a professional environment would be worth much more. But the worst thing about this whole process is that when a logo is sold, you as the designer only make 30% commission from your own designs.
They make more then the designer who spend the time creating the logo. I find this completely appalling and cannot believe a designer would sale themselves out this way. The truth is you will never make enough money for the hours you waste your time with this poor excuse for client, designer relations.
Founder of 99designs responds to this article
Not long after this article made it to the mainstream. Mark Harbottle responded with possible legal action against me.
I have decided to post all communication between us in another post. Read it here.
