Comments on: The Crowdsourcing Quagmire

By: JIm M

JIm M — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:27:34 +0000

Innovation and creativity require diverse views of the same opportunity. For those who are too cheap to pay, they’ll get what they get, sometimes good and sometimes bad. But, probably not great solutions. There is a designer for everyone just as there is a finance person, a marketing person a CEO or sales person that fits the culture of the company. Some are sneaky and manipulaive and others are too honest to make money. Crowdsourcing is not limited to the capability of the designers, but to the skill and execution of the business proceses and the people that deliver good design to the market in the form of a profitable end product. The idea or design sucks, no matter how good or pure, if the execution is poor. It’s that simple.
I’d like to see someone successfully crowdsource the strategic direction of a company or the creative accounting or the manufacturing. We would probably eliminate a whole lot of MBA’s and others who have no ability in running a company. Innovation and design is the differentiator in the company’s end product and ultimately their long term viability. When we commoditize any part of the business model we compromise the sustainability of our business if just a little.
As for me, I would rather my competition not know my strategy nor the tactics I am using to get their. I prefer not to be a “flash in the pan” and I call on good, qualified people to partner with. To me, crowdsourcing is a mediocre solution for a world class company. It’s a bit like a clothing company only selling beige because beige sells. Crowdsourcing is a great way to explore a value proposition in a category you are not familiar with. But once you have success in that category, you need to build the expertise that will sustain the results.

By: Glen

Glen — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:09:17 +0000

Personally, I am quite on the fence regarding the use of a crowdsourcing site for a logo design. It is still a touchy issue for most designers who said that crowdsourcing is a no-no for obtaining a logo design. I have tried crowdsourcing before and I know the risks involved but it comes within the territory. But there are other no-frills logo design websites online such as http://www.logobee.com, http://www.logodesignstation.com, logoyes.com, etc. which are actually great in getting a professional logo design at a fraction of the price and minus the risks of crowdsourcing (plagiarism is one of them). Seeing that there are no consultation services, the price is significantly lower than that of conventional design firms. For instance, I have tried http://www.logodesignstation.com and the experience was indeed a positive one. I managed to get my business logo design at an affordable price and the turnaround time was great as well. Highly recommended. Although crowdsourcing for logo designs could be a bane for some, many find it to be a viable alternative to get a fast logo on the cheap. It all depends on the individual actually.

By: Jonathan B

Jonathan B — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:45:57 +0000

This article makes some very good points, and so do the other commentators; but if Jeff Boshers and Jacob Gude feel that design contests are detrimental to the design industry, then why did Six Revisions hold a promotional contest with a crowdsourcing website like designcontest.com?

http://sixrevisions.com/contests/giveaway-5-amazon-kindle-3g-from-designcontest-com/

By: George Birbilis

George Birbilis — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:25:37 +0000

I think @ximi is right in their comment, crowdsourcing is like outsourcing in the matter of cost. May sound few money for say an outsourcer in the US, but a designer in Africa will find the money to be a real lot

By: Ambrose

Ambrose — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:38:10 +0000

The article mentions “For a few hours of work, a little extra cash can (potentially) be made.” This is a vast underestimation. There is no way a project can be done in less than at least 16–20 hours of work, not counting the extra hours that one has to go through after “winning”.

So I would say the biggest reasons why designers would do crowdsourcing projects is they don’t know the going market rate, “they don’t know what they’re worth”, and/or they don’t know about spec work. If they don’t know what to charge in the first place, the rates paid by a successful crowdsourcing project can be very attractive, especially if the designer is fresh out and has done projects that are even worse.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:08:30 +0000

As a college student the thing I need most is practice. I don’t really care if I get paid for it or not, I just want to practice while seeing how I compare to the people who currently work in the field I will one day be in. The prospect of maybe getting a bit of money for something I need to do anyway is just a bonus.

By: Christian Logan

Christian Logan — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:59:24 +0000

Crowdsourcing is here to stay. More businesses are turning towards getting more ideas for their projects via crowd sourcing. But doesnt that help the business to get a huge collection of ideas generated by different people. The final decision is made by the client.

By: David

David — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:13:17 +0000

I guess the biggest change that needs to happen (instead of just saying “crowdsourcing sucks” is to change the expectations of those running such a contest. If crowdsourcing was just part of the selection process and less emphasis was given on creating a “complete and ready to use” logo or graphic, then it could be a much better experience for everyone.

Real designers could post scanned sketches, or photos of sketches. The prize would be a first round fee for submissions. Proof that the designer has the understanding needed to complete the project, rather than trying to make designers try to complete high quality projects in a week for next to nothing.

I am getting ready to start a logo contest for a Library, and they don’t have five figures to play with. They barely have four figures, but they still want to connect with someone that can help them build a new branding initiative.

We will run the crowdsourcing event as a way to pick someone to work with over a longer period of time. We don’t expect to get a “COMPLETE” logo that we can use. I think this is a nice compromise, as even the best portfolios might not really sell you on what a designer could do for a particular project.

By: Matt Witt

Matt Witt — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:22:27 +0000

I enjoyed your article and having taken part in crowd sourced projects I understand the pros and cons that effect me directly. It’s useful to read other peoples views and see how crowdsourcing works (or not) for each individual.

My experience has been positive. I went freelance a year and a half ago and one crowd sourcing site inparticular helped me a great deal. It’s a case of carefully choosing the projects you take part in. I tended to go for those that offered the posibility of ongoing work following the inital contest and I ensured that I built a working relationship with the contest holders while the project was on.

This method really helped my business get off the ground and now over a third of the projects I work on (charged at my standard hourly rate) are derived from three or four sucessful contests, not only from the contest holders themselves but from clients they have referred me to.

It has been a great networking tool, has put me in touch with people from all over the world and has allowed my business to grow in a way that otherwise would not have been possible, especially at such an early stage.

I am not entirely pro crowd sourcing and see how it can be detrimental to the industry and designers but I believe that this is balanced by the benefits it can offer start-up freelancers and smaller business by helping them to gain a footing in the industry.

By: Leandro

Leandro — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:42:20 +0000

wow
great words! thanks a lot