The argument has been made that many of the designers that participate in crowdsourcing are not in fact true designers. Possibly. But let's face it, the new economy has made life extremely difficult for most of the American population so I imagine there are at least 20 to 30% of those crowdsourced designers are in fact highly disillusioned and spiteful graphic designers that are working three jobs to make ends meet. The rest are the typical pile of hacks and wannabes. Many are designers that have little or no regard for "copyright infringement." More on that in a second.
Now look at this from the designer's perspective. You see someone wanting a specific kind of logo and willing to pay $100 for the best one. Considering the 100 to 1 odds you might actually get paid to do think that person is actually going to spend any real time on the psychology behind your logo design? My guess is, they have a stockpile of logos that their "real" clients rejected somewhere tucked away in their hard drive. In ten minutes they change the name, save it as a PDF and that's what you get, recycled garbage. And that's if you're lucky. The designer is not spending any real time gaining an understanding about your business. Essentially you're getting a design that will more than likely be pretty, but ineffectual.
Then there is the worst case scenario. There is the possibility that your logo was designed by someone in another country. They do not know anything about your business, much less your industry or culture. Regardless, nobody is checking to see if your logo is in fact breaking any copyright laws. And I can imagine there might be a few designers trying to sabotage you by intentionally creating a logo that could get you in trouble. Why wouldn't they? Crowdsourcing is killing off a lot of the lesser designers. There is a lot of spite amongst struggling graphic designers.
And granted, there are times when someone gets lucky and gets a nice logo that works out very well for them. Hey, a broken clock is correct twice a day. If you got lucky, good for you! Have a cigar! (If you don't some and you are a health-nut, have a carrot stick instead. Actually, we should all have carrot sticks, forget the cigar.)
When I design a logo I spend time researching, a LOT of time conducting research. When a client hires my skills I intend on providing the best possible service I can offer. I ask plenty of deep questions, about your company, your personality, your clients, everything I need to know. A lot of designers can make something look nice. My work connects emotionally. Using the elements and principles of design I can easily make a logo that in a mere five seconds explains to your potential clients exactly what kind of company you are. And since I'll be working on all of your future promotions and your website, I can apply all of the information I gathered to those future assignments. Small design elements used in the process of creating your logo will echo in the rest of your promotional campaign. It's consistency on a meta level. And considering I've only had one client go under in the last ten years, including the great recession, my track record speaks for itself. And I haven't even talked about your social media campaign or the upcoming gameification craze. I bet you don't even know what gameification is… much less that outsourced designer.
This is a people business. All of the greatest business deals are done over hand-shakes and coffee, with personal human connection. You need to look your designer in the eye and see if they are worth a damn. And your designer is more than likely a very proficient networker. I have generated leads for many of my clients just because it is damn good business practice. I have generated thousands of dollars for my clients just by telling the right person about what they do. And they have done the same for me. Without good people, there is no business, always remember this.
And I was reminded the other day of just how important it is to meet face-to-face when conducting business. I had a delightful conversation with a charming individual that not only might generate a lead, but it truly made my day and in some small form… restored my ever-dwindling faith in humanity. I sincerely doubt your crowdsourced designer will do that for you. Your crowdsourced designer more than likely hates you.
Then there is the concern of costs. We are still recovering from the recession after all. But the argument is always illustrated by extreme examples of design firm fees. "Did you know GlemCo paid $8,000,000 for their logo? And the CEO had to chop off one of his toes? That's crazy!" This is a lazy blanket argument. Even if I charged 300% more than what you'd be willing to pay a crowdsourced designer, that calculates to $300 as opposed to $100, which is a drop in the bucket. If you aren't willing to invest in yourself, get out the game and leave it to the professionals. Besides, investing in yourself and your livelihood is one of the most gratifying experiences one could have. And the laws of positive attraction, trust me it works. I'm still in business. And you don't have to take out a load to get good design, there a plenty of designers that will work for reasonable rates. Another reason why I'm still in business.
And I am far from perfect, despite what this apparently manic ego-centric article might indicate. I cannot say when one of my designs might fail (some already have) or "gasp" accidentally stumble upon another trademark… it can and will happen. But at least I put the hours and the effort in. And I know of plenty of hack and slash design firms that have no business staying in business, which in turn generates a bad name for the industry. In the end, it is all about the effort you are willing to put into your company. The more effort the better the chances of your success. Crowdsourcing is up there with always expecting the easy free "el cheapo" deal. You'll lose a lot of fans and potential clients in the process. I've seen a lot of obsessive penny pinchers go out of business before the paint dries in their office. Remember, don't be penny-wise and dollar foolish.
That's my rant, now I got to get back to my book. All of you get back to work. Feel free to post argumentative and angry comments below.
