Comments on: The Great Logo Vending Machine http://sparkyfirepants.com/bloggitywordypants/the-great-logo-vending-machine/ Fresh & bright design for licensing Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:42:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: You can’t compete with cheap. So don’t try. | Sparky Firepants: Inside the Pants http://sparkyfirepants.com/bloggitywordypants/the-great-logo-vending-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-1021 You can’t compete with cheap. So don’t try. | Sparky Firepants: Inside the Pants Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:28:44 +0000 http://sparkyfirepants.com/blog/?p=457#comment-1021 [...] of those lessons relates to what I see as the cheapening of design services by crowdsourcing and the bid site [...] [...] of those lessons relates to what I see as the cheapening of design services by crowdsourcing and the bid site [...]

]]> By: BJ Lantz http://sparkyfirepants.com/bloggitywordypants/the-great-logo-vending-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-1020 BJ Lantz Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:49:02 +0000 http://sparkyfirepants.com/blog/?p=457#comment-1020 Oh, soooooo true. So true. When I did graphic design full-time, I was known for logos in particular. The comment I heard most often when showing them the initial designs was: "That's exactly what I was thinking, but I didn't know how to tell you!" My reply was always, "But you DID tell me, you just didn't know that you did." Much in the licensing industry is like what you describe as "crowdsourcing" ~ some companies send out "calls for designs" (thinly veiled cattle calls for art) where they tell you basically what they're looking for (Luau, all-family birthday, summer floral, etc.) and they get a flood of art to look at for free, and they eventually choose the one(s) they want to actually license ~ I swear, when you get one of those licenses it feels like you won the lottery (not for the $$'s involved, but just the sheer luck of being chosen among so many submissions. There is occasional assignment work in the licensing industry, but it really is more "show me what ya' got and I'll decide if I want it", and while I have built nice relationships with everyone I've worked with, it still lacks that give-n-take you get when working with a long-term design client. Oh, soooooo true. So true. When I did graphic design full-time, I was known for logos in particular. The comment I heard most often when showing them the initial designs was: “That’s exactly what I was thinking, but I didn’t know how to tell you!” My reply was always, “But you DID tell me, you just didn’t know that you did.”

Much in the licensing industry is like what you describe as “crowdsourcing” ~ some companies send out “calls for designs” (thinly veiled cattle calls for art) where they tell you basically what they’re looking for (Luau, all-family birthday, summer floral, etc.) and they get a flood of art to look at for free, and they eventually choose the one(s) they want to actually license ~ I swear, when you get one of those licenses it feels like you won the lottery (not for the $$’s involved, but just the sheer luck of being chosen among so many submissions. There is occasional assignment work in the licensing industry, but it really is more “show me what ya’ got and I’ll decide if I want it”, and while I have built nice relationships with everyone I’ve worked with, it still lacks that give-n-take you get when working with a long-term design client.

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