Photo courtesy of  Start&Finish

Again today, trolling through the vastness that is the interwebs I came across another article discussing crowdsourcing. This is easily one of the most concise, well written arguments against the practice this is another.

Let’s think about this for a minute. Clients now search for examples of solutions to their problems from anyone willing to throw out a possible answer, versus hiring an expert to efficiently and successfully solve the problem. Would you hire an engineer, an investor, a carpenter, or any other professional for that matter who did not have the proper credentials and training? – quoted from IDSGN

I do not crowdsource, will never crowdsource and have zero experience with the process and I am fine with that. The reason: I value myself as a professional designer and the work I create. When someone starts selling logos for $5 and get the second logo half off, companies start to see design as a commodity that can be purchased as an extra value meal or biggie sized product or the like as they drive through their local McBurger restaurant or something. It diminishes the perceived value of design and design thinking. I know that if I do not value my work others will do the same.

The examples above – The Gap tried to roll out this god awful logo and had horrible backlash from the public, then tried to crowdsource a new logo and had backlash from AIGA and designer and then eventually decided to call it a day and stick with their logo. Good call. JCPenney, had a design contest and decided on this winning award from a third year design student. As for JCPenney the result is good, attention to tracking and a good typeface, but I cannot find anywhere what they paid for this logo, did they give the design student a pat on the back and tell em not to let the door hit them on the butt on the way out?

So why would designers even consider being a crowd source designer (I only use this profile for reference, but many of this designer logos are the same or a variant on the same stock art) when AIGA is against the practice, AIA is against the practice, as well as many other professionals whom I do not know? So from what I have read on other blogs and from personal conversations I have formed my opinion of crowdsource design.

Crowd source design may be good/bad for designers (mostly bad), but it can small and medium sized business see it as a benefit. This is an quote from a crowdsource website:

We connect 96,826 passionate designers from around the globe with small businesses who need design projects completed. And, we do it in a timely fashion without the usual risk or cost associated with professional design.

Excuse me? Risk of cost associated with design? I have worked with companies locally who held a crowdsource design competition, they got a nice shiny new logo on the cheap, and then they had an agency finish up their identity system with said design.  There was probably the same cost if not more, to rework the logo and make it functional. In the long run the client did not save any money or reduce said risk. It is interesting to note that the client had a Facebook post illiciting feedback on the logos options prior to their final selection. It seems strange that the company would ask for people’s input on the companies logo.

Who better to know what the company stands for, than the company itself? Maybe they do not know who they are. This is exactly why this client would benefit from Design Thinking or Creative Quotient.

I imagine that for many companies crowdsource design would seem to make sense (though I do not agree),  it is cheap and the company gets a relatively well designed finished product. Their is a drawback with that situation though, said logo, is probably in use by 100s if not 1,000s of other companies worldwide which brings up trademark infringement as well as brand erosion  and required still more work to make it press ready and to translate it on collateral and other mediums. That can be a problem, because how can the same logo be the correct solution for all these companies. The answer: It can’t. It is just a big band-aid of a solution that for many companies is good enough.

These creative samples are from a single designers profile on 99 Designs. Notice the same approach is used on all four samples. If you want to look like everything else, crowdsourcing is an excellent way to save a few schekels.

Since there’s no way to insure that the logo is, or will be, unique, there is a further problem that, consequently, the logo cannot be (practically) copyrighted or trademarked. This may seem like a silly problem for a small company, but it is actually very real. If anyone comes along and likes the client’s logo, they’ll be entirely free to copy it. So, if the company is successful, their logo and brand will be free game for anyone else to use however they like. Enter: Lawsuits

Some would argue that a designer working with a company that does employ crowdsourcing no matter how much sense it makes to that company, does not have a good client that respects the designer, their profession or the industry. However, some also say that for small and medium sized companies it just makes sense. I have even heard rumors of agencies using crowd source as the starting point for their own creative departments (totally crazy!) Regardless, I would argue that for companies serious about their business, have a budget that would allow for it, pay for it. Design, good design is not a commodity that you can do without, design is as integral component of the marketing mix.

I personally believe that if you do participate in crowdsource design you are giving your goodies for free and you are not getting any of the rewards (namely, a steady pay check) you are like the drunk girl at the party; who wants to be the drunk girl at the party? Nobody. You are also setting a very low bar for yourself as a professional and thereby putting the entire industry in a bad light. Do all designers a favor stand up for yourself, demand better treatment, deliver better design and everyone will benefit (except those pesky crowd sourcing websites that would have designers believe that good design is not worth paying for).