Would it be okay for me to do a logo design competition in an AskMefi question? August 11, 2005 12:11 PM Subscribe
Would it be okay for me to do a logo design competition in an AskMefi question? I'd like a logo designed, and I'm willing to pay $100-$150 or so, and I know there are some talented mefites who could probably knock my socks off when it comes to logo design. I am asking because I don't want to just do it and then get the smackdown for it. And I am asking publicly because I think others can benefit from the answer.
No, it's not okay. Maybe MonkeyFilter, 9622, MetaChat, #mefi, #metachat?
posted by jessamyn at 12:23 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by jessamyn at 12:23 PM on August 11, 2005
This has gotta be a bad idea. Despite calling it a competition it sounds awfully close to a help wanted advertisement and... yep, here it comes... a slippery slope.
posted by cedar at 12:31 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by cedar at 12:31 PM on August 11, 2005
On top of that, a good logo will probably take a good designer a lot longer than 3 hours at $50/hour to do.
posted by SpecialK at 12:32 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by SpecialK at 12:32 PM on August 11, 2005
This sounds perfect for a Jobs site I would like to add here, because people have abused Ask MeFi in the past to solicit candidates for their gigs.
It'll come soon after the projects site, which will be done in the next few days (now that the server migration is complete).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:33 PM on August 11, 2005
It'll come soon after the projects site, which will be done in the next few days (now that the server migration is complete).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:33 PM on August 11, 2005
If I were beth I would take a look at who has answered graphics-related questions before and send out some emails.
posted by cali at 12:40 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by cali at 12:40 PM on August 11, 2005
I think the text ad idea is a good one.
Or you can just send me the cash, 'cause I've got mad, wicked logo skillz.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:32 PM on August 11, 2005
Or you can just send me the cash, 'cause I've got mad, wicked logo skillz.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:32 PM on August 11, 2005
A logo contest with a prize is a meh way to get a logo, anyhow, since you're asking a whole bunch of designers to do work on spec for you in the off chance you'll like theirs better than the rest and pay for it. Because of that you'll get results from a bunch of people who are not designers.
Better to take the $150 and hire a design student whose work you like and who will come up with a logo with you.
posted by mendel at 1:58 PM on August 11, 2005
Better to take the $150 and hire a design student whose work you like and who will come up with a logo with you.
posted by mendel at 1:58 PM on August 11, 2005
In my experience, logo contests are bad news. If the entries aren't good enough, you won't want to pay and the entrants will feel slighted. It also tends to piss off any actual designers since they wouldn't do anything for $50, but I suppose that's not your concern.
posted by smackfu at 2:06 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by smackfu at 2:06 PM on August 11, 2005
I would follow mendel's advice. Logo design contests are a good way to get yelled at anyplace graphic designers frequent, for reasons well outlined by others here.
I think the last person to post something like that to Monkeyfilter got jumped on, too, come to think of it.
posted by furiousthought at 2:23 PM on August 11, 2005
I think the last person to post something like that to Monkeyfilter got jumped on, too, come to think of it.
posted by furiousthought at 2:23 PM on August 11, 2005
beth, you're going about this entirely the wrong way. If you're gonna have a contest, there HAS to be an entrance fee. I'd suggest, say, $20.
posted by fishfucker at 3:15 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by fishfucker at 3:15 PM on August 11, 2005
beth, you might look at this MeTa thread for a graphic designer contact.
posted by Rothko at 3:20 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by Rothko at 3:20 PM on August 11, 2005
*emails beth a design proposal*
posted by loquacious at 3:40 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by loquacious at 3:40 PM on August 11, 2005
you're asking a whole bunch of designers to do work on spec for you in the off chance you'll like theirs better than the rest and pay for it...
I've run into companies/people that want to "interview" for a suppossed graphics job, which of course requires a sample piece ... which they of course plan to use, with out ever hiring anyone. But of course, thats just pure evil, as opposed to the contest idea, which is clearly not mean spirited.
posted by R. Mutt at 4:12 PM on August 11, 2005
I've run into companies/people that want to "interview" for a suppossed graphics job, which of course requires a sample piece ... which they of course plan to use, with out ever hiring anyone. But of course, thats just pure evil, as opposed to the contest idea, which is clearly not mean spirited.
posted by R. Mutt at 4:12 PM on August 11, 2005
I want to have a housebuilding competition. Anyone can build me a house. Whomever builds the one I move into gets $1,000!
posted by chasing at 4:40 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by chasing at 4:40 PM on August 11, 2005
Pfft. Go away, trolls. Her price is fine for the work and the scale of application she wants. *goes back to responding to beth's reply*
posted by loquacious at 4:58 PM on August 11, 2005
posted by loquacious at 4:58 PM on August 11, 2005
This sounds perfect for a Jobs site I would like to add here
I have multiple open positions I'd love to post to such a thing. Hurry, fingers, hurry!
posted by scarabic at 5:12 PM on August 11, 2005
I have multiple open positions I'd love to post to such a thing. Hurry, fingers, hurry!
posted by scarabic at 5:12 PM on August 11, 2005
Give the girl a break - at least she was polite enough to ask first.
Pretty tough to have a win around here lately, that's for sure.
*Points beth at MetaChat, where folk are much friendly, which is strange, given that they are mostly the same folk.*
posted by dg at 9:17 PM on August 11, 2005
Pretty tough to have a win around here lately, that's for sure.
*Points beth at MetaChat, where folk are much friendly, which is strange, given that they are mostly the same folk.*
posted by dg at 9:17 PM on August 11, 2005
* castigates dg unmercifully, but without much attention to actual logic or verificable facts, just playing to emotion and preconceived notions, really *
* wonders what "castigates" means *
posted by yhbc at 9:20 PM on August 11, 2005
* wonders what "castigates" means *
posted by yhbc at 9:20 PM on August 11, 2005
#mefi is definitely the place to do this.
You've seen some of our previous work, and you that at #mefi Quality is Job #1.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:12 PM on August 11, 2005
You've seen some of our previous work, and you that at #mefi Quality is Job #1.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:12 PM on August 11, 2005
As others have said, not particularly a fit for ask but obviously something that the community will respond to should the appropriate vehicle be built.
As for comments about price, I'd side on those who believe $150 for a logo is painful to see. It can take quite a lot of time, including revisions, and you end up getting a minumum wage type rate per hour. Others of course, have a different opinion.
posted by juiceCake at 7:17 AM on August 12, 2005
As for comments about price, I'd side on those who believe $150 for a logo is painful to see. It can take quite a lot of time, including revisions, and you end up getting a minumum wage type rate per hour. Others of course, have a different opinion.
posted by juiceCake at 7:17 AM on August 12, 2005
*wants in on castigation cause it sounds fun!*
[what DG said]
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:37 AM on August 12, 2005
[what DG said]
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:37 AM on August 12, 2005
Beth, I just emailed you the contact info for the woman who just did my new logo. She rocks muchly. I think she could probably meet your price point, assuming you don't want a dozen proofs of concept or a zillion revisions. No promises though on rate...designers generally charge by the hour, and hours to do the job are really client driven.
posted by dejah420 at 9:24 AM on August 12, 2005
posted by dejah420 at 9:24 AM on August 12, 2005
I thought this was an entirely reasonable question and am a little surprised at the vitriol.
Also, it is obvious user #1 agrees this would be a worthwhile addition to the MeFi community.
As far as the price, if $150 is too cheap, then no designer will take her bid. Let the market decide. If someone does take it, then someone felt it was a fair price.
Not all designers are already "established" and many are happy to take freelance work that an art house wouldn't touch.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:32 AM on August 12, 2005
Also, it is obvious user #1 agrees this would be a worthwhile addition to the MeFi community.
As far as the price, if $150 is too cheap, then no designer will take her bid. Let the market decide. If someone does take it, then someone felt it was a fair price.
Not all designers are already "established" and many are happy to take freelance work that an art house wouldn't touch.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:32 AM on August 12, 2005
As far as the price, if $150 is too cheap, then no designer will take her bid. Let the market decide. If someone does take it, then someone felt it was a fair price.
But she's not offering $150 for a logo. She's asking for a bunch of logos for free, and promising to pay $150 to one of the submitters, and leaving the rest of the submitters with nothing for their efforts.
Also, it is obvious user #1 agrees this would be a worthwhile addition to the MeFi community.
No, he said that it would be appropriate for the new "Jobs" site which does not exist yet.
posted by mendel at 11:04 AM on August 12, 2005
But she's not offering $150 for a logo. She's asking for a bunch of logos for free, and promising to pay $150 to one of the submitters, and leaving the rest of the submitters with nothing for their efforts.
Also, it is obvious user #1 agrees this would be a worthwhile addition to the MeFi community.
No, he said that it would be appropriate for the new "Jobs" site which does not exist yet.
posted by mendel at 11:04 AM on August 12, 2005
I'm a fairly "established" designer. I've been doing graphic design since I was a pre-teen in my dad's print shop, since well before "desktop publishing" was the norm. I learned how to do it with ink, paper, graphic arts camera, contact frame, film, manual paste-up, manual font and typographic layouts. And more.
I've done a fair amount of logotype and iconographic design, and a firm grasp of the psychology, style, and mechanics involved, and how to design logos so that they're reproducible over a broad range of media formats from business cards and letterheads to fliers, posters, signage and larger.
For the record, my quote to beth was 20 hours of actual work and consulting for $150. It should take far less then that, but it's nice to error on the other side, because "3 hours" just doesn't cut it, and I know it. I also quoted her that time spent doing general research and startup won't be counted against that 20 hours. (Cutscene to: Dozens of graphic designers wincing and pulling out their own hair.)
I've already worked up three thumbnails on paper, and I'm working on a vector mockup right now.
Why would I do this for $150? I need the work. I'm not really doing anything else at the moment besides a personal fine art project - and this will help fund that. It's fun. It's nice to help out a mefi member with a quality product. And since she's just starting up a business, she could use the price break and a good logo to help establish her image.
I'm even going to openly send high quality proofs and mockups without so much as a contract. Why? Because it's metafilter. I already have something of a working knowledge of who beth probably is as a person. She values her reputation here, and because of the tone of her posts I find her trustworthy.
Would I operate in a manner as openly trusting as this outside of metafilter? Hell no! Well, at least, probably not. It depends on the client. I've been burned enough times that I know what I'm doing.
As an aside, I'd love to see a networking/projects function for MetaFilter to finally come to fruition. We could have a nice little metafilter economy going on. Even games like Second Life and World of Warcraft and the like have alternate but real-world economies going on. There's a lot of untapped potential here on metafilter in that regard.
posted by loquacious at 11:10 AM on August 12, 2005
I've done a fair amount of logotype and iconographic design, and a firm grasp of the psychology, style, and mechanics involved, and how to design logos so that they're reproducible over a broad range of media formats from business cards and letterheads to fliers, posters, signage and larger.
For the record, my quote to beth was 20 hours of actual work and consulting for $150. It should take far less then that, but it's nice to error on the other side, because "3 hours" just doesn't cut it, and I know it. I also quoted her that time spent doing general research and startup won't be counted against that 20 hours. (Cutscene to: Dozens of graphic designers wincing and pulling out their own hair.)
I've already worked up three thumbnails on paper, and I'm working on a vector mockup right now.
Why would I do this for $150? I need the work. I'm not really doing anything else at the moment besides a personal fine art project - and this will help fund that. It's fun. It's nice to help out a mefi member with a quality product. And since she's just starting up a business, she could use the price break and a good logo to help establish her image.
I'm even going to openly send high quality proofs and mockups without so much as a contract. Why? Because it's metafilter. I already have something of a working knowledge of who beth probably is as a person. She values her reputation here, and because of the tone of her posts I find her trustworthy.
Would I operate in a manner as openly trusting as this outside of metafilter? Hell no! Well, at least, probably not. It depends on the client. I've been burned enough times that I know what I'm doing.
As an aside, I'd love to see a networking/projects function for MetaFilter to finally come to fruition. We could have a nice little metafilter economy going on. Even games like Second Life and World of Warcraft and the like have alternate but real-world economies going on. There's a lot of untapped potential here on metafilter in that regard.
posted by loquacious at 11:10 AM on August 12, 2005
This is a bad idea. It's an insulting request. Don't do it. Please.
What is your line of work? Perhaps you can knock my socks off by applying all your experience, talent and skills to one of my projects? I'll pay you $100.
Get it?
posted by quadog at 3:36 PM on August 12, 2005
What is your line of work? Perhaps you can knock my socks off by applying all your experience, talent and skills to one of my projects? I'll pay you $100.
Get it?
posted by quadog at 3:36 PM on August 12, 2005
Also, it is obvious user #1 agrees this would be a worthwhile addition to the MeFi community.
No, he said that it would be appropriate for the new "Jobs" site which does not exist yet.
posted by mendel at 11:04 AM PST on August 12 [!]
Which part of "addition" confused you?
Also, the entire idea is somewhat strange. Don't use AskMeFi to contact other MeFi members about work, that's not the right venue. Of course, the right venue for this doesn't exist.
Hmm.
posted by Ynoxas at 3:50 PM on August 12, 2005
No, he said that it would be appropriate for the new "Jobs" site which does not exist yet.
posted by mendel at 11:04 AM PST on August 12 [!]
Which part of "addition" confused you?
Also, the entire idea is somewhat strange. Don't use AskMeFi to contact other MeFi members about work, that's not the right venue. Of course, the right venue for this doesn't exist.
Hmm.
posted by Ynoxas at 3:50 PM on August 12, 2005
Whatcha got in mind, quadog? :P
/low overhead and hungry.
posted by loquacious at 4:26 PM on August 12, 2005
/low overhead and hungry.
posted by loquacious at 4:26 PM on August 12, 2005
Hey. I just wanted to pop in and say that I agree doing it as a contest would be kind of lame, sorry. I'm not trying to cheat anyone out of their labor or anything.
As it turns out loquacious made me a great offer so I'm taking him up on it. I think any kind of thing Matt could come up with to further the meeting of clients and service providers in the mefi community would be great.
And I don't want people to think I was only offering a small amount because I was greedy or something. I make around $10/hr, and I'm trying to be prudent with my cash outlay for the little business I am trying to start. I am trying not to get my hopes up too high, but at this point I am unsure whether I'll even get enough business to cover what I've invested in equipment.
I have never hired anyone for any kind of artistic or design work in my life, so I didn't know what price points are considered most reasonable. I also didn't know anything about how much time it takes - I thought 3-5 hours maybe that would work out to $30-50 an hour or so. But from what people have been saying that's probably a really poor estimate. Color me clueless, but please don't think I'd ask someone to work for so many hours that it would come out to less than minimum wage or anything like that.
That said, I will probably end up paying him more.
posted by beth at 5:00 PM on August 12, 2005
As it turns out loquacious made me a great offer so I'm taking him up on it. I think any kind of thing Matt could come up with to further the meeting of clients and service providers in the mefi community would be great.
And I don't want people to think I was only offering a small amount because I was greedy or something. I make around $10/hr, and I'm trying to be prudent with my cash outlay for the little business I am trying to start. I am trying not to get my hopes up too high, but at this point I am unsure whether I'll even get enough business to cover what I've invested in equipment.
I have never hired anyone for any kind of artistic or design work in my life, so I didn't know what price points are considered most reasonable. I also didn't know anything about how much time it takes - I thought 3-5 hours maybe that would work out to $30-50 an hour or so. But from what people have been saying that's probably a really poor estimate. Color me clueless, but please don't think I'd ask someone to work for so many hours that it would come out to less than minimum wage or anything like that.
That said, I will probably end up paying him more.
posted by beth at 5:00 PM on August 12, 2005
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(How many days has that been pushed back a day for, anyway?)
posted by me3dia at 12:18 PM on August 11, 2005