During my recent session at BlogOrlando the topic of logo design came up. The question, if I remember correctly, came up over the $100 - 3 comp - here’s your logo shops. While the crowd discussed the merits of these services someone mentioned having competitions to design/choose a logo. This is where I had to step in. The attendee mentioned how they had conducted a competition to get someone to design their corporate logo. I’m not alone in my dislike for such practices, there’s an entire community out there to prevent designers (mostly young designers) from falling prey to companies like this.
I asked the crowd a simple question, ‘would you have a design competition to repair your roof?’ No, you’d pay a roofer to do what he’s trained to do and fix the damn roof. Competitions undermine the design community and practitioners working and struggling to maintain value in the market. Design is a discipline, it’s the product of study, practice, talent and diligence and it’s the designer’s duty to help clients understand the value of their work or to walk away. Being asked to submit designs without payment (on spec or via a competition) is disrespectful and do, in large part, to lazy clients unwilling to invest time to find competent designers or to formulate a strategy to get the design they want and need. they don’t do their homework ann, as a result, ask designers to do the extra work for them with no guarantee of payment.
Not all of the blame lies at the client’s feet, many people have saturated the ‘design’ market simple because they have access to and a modicum of training on the tools needed to produce designs. Jeff Croft posted about this phenomenon earlier this week. The tools are simply that, tools. To extend the analogy above - just because I have ladders and shingles doesn’t mean I’m a roofer. Many clients have been burnt by this caliber of design and have diminished understanding of the value of design as a result. In the end we all lose. Like Paulie said in Goodfellas - Just don’t do it. Don’t do it.
Why do I feel like the race has already been plotted out, that the candidates chosen? Regardless, I’m still a Joe Biden fan, and wish that those of you already choosing one of the other Democratic candidates would take a minute or two and at least consider Senator Biden. He’s not as sexy or hip or black or female of corrupt or out-of-touch or expensive haircutty or Clintony as the others, but he’s a hard worker, a civil servant, a leader and pragmatist. I used to think we needed ideology and experience was secondary, but I’ve found the inverse to be true. To get things done and affect real change we need someone to lead us there, not wish us there. I believe that person is Joe Biden. It’s not about electability or sexiness or new-ness, it’s about making our world better.
Hey gang, I’ve finally decided to do everyone a favor and get out of your way. I know, it’s been a sweet ride with me at the helm, sooo many great things have happened in PC-land. But alas, I see the writing on the wall, and the wall says narcissistic, middle-aged, white guys living in the past should probably step aside. So with a heavy heart I bid farewell.
Oh and one more thing (eat that Steve jobs), on my way out…I’m a whore. Well not just me, more like we’re whores. The olde guard hack tech journalists. Here’s a secret, we make money from advertisers and find it’s best not to upset the apple-cart and call a spade a spade. So as the door hits me on the way out I just want to say what I should have said from day one, Vista sucks. It really, really sucks. It’s like taking the worst of windows and running through a glossy-floor, drop shadowing crap-ifier. There, I said it. Now that it has much less impact on my financial well-being. I’m a hero to journalists everywhere, those who were too scared to speak the truth, I’ll take the leap and do my job.
Well I’m off to some wacky, hip startup, I sure hope their business model isn’t ad-based or I’m gonna be…well I guess I’ll just keep my mouth shut and be just fine. Once a whore…
I wish blame for our current state of affairs were Bush’s solely to carry, the truth is that he is simply the latest in a line of inept and corrupt presidents who share in this mess. Much like Rome, indeed.
Ethan getting trounced for being, well Ethan? I only wish this were really true. Alas, I’m sure he’ll only last a few hours then be right back in the mix, talking to hear himself and playing marbles on the street corner like an eight year-old.
After everything else that happened at Gnomedex, it’s becoming blinding-clear that the A-listers and bigshots are desperately trying to stay relevant, when in reality there’s a new movement at play, and all the technology the once trumpeted is being used against them to decentralize their influence.
**Update** I’ve actually gained more respect for Dave Winer than I wanted or expected through this little fiasco, funny how that happens.
Here’s why…yes that’s Karl Rove, and yes he’s screwing around with his iPhone clad in a Twins cap while the president inspects (while tossing out more blame) the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Maybe this device has already jumped the shark - so to speak.
The Toyota Prius is the VW microbus of the modern era. The difference being a hippie could get a VW just by trading some primo Widespread Panic tickets to some dude at Bonnaroo, whereas acquiring a Prius means a hippie must come face to face with his number-one enemy….the credit check.
Nice work Mr. Dingell. The last thing we need to conquer the environmental issues we face is a bullshit carbon tax. Fix the issues, don’t tax the problems. I’m really considering turning in my Democrat card, these idiots have lost their minds.
What the media should be covering versus Paris (you know, the vapid whore)…
Story of the Jena Six. While I’m positive this is not an isolated occurrence in the modern south, we’d damn well start recognizing that things need to change and that’s only going to happen through attention and pressure from outside.
