Would you participate?

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rcktoo

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I am planning a website project focused on South African designers. The project or "marketplace" will be a competition type website where businesses or people pay a specific amount (there would be minimums in place to create an incentive) to host a design competition in a number of different categories. From there, designers submit their ideas and compete to win the prize set by the competition holder. The prize would be prepaid so the winning designer wouldn't risk the chance of being ripped off.

Similar to other design competition websites, but completely local.

Would you guys participate in these competitions?
 
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Graphic design, web design, industrial design, fashion design, etc.
 
In other words, you post your design project and open it up to the industry's (sometimes desperate, often financially deprived) professional designers, get mock-ups and/or prototypes for free and only choose to pay for the best one?

Seems like us designers would be getting it from behind, as per usual...

* Sorry for the bitter tone - fighting to get payment from clients after you completed the work weeks ago is not fun, but this just illustrates why I would never participate in something like this.
 
Sounds like its the norm for designers to be taken advantage of? Don't hear good things from friends/family who are employees!
 
No self respecting web-site designer would do that. If they do it's because they've never earned a cent as a real designer. It's not the fashion industry where you hope to get recognition and jobs, I'm not a web-site designer (simply work in IT field), and I've been offered the job of designing a web-site around 4-5 times (in this year so far). So don't suffer from the illusion that there isn't work in that area, they don't earn much but I don't know any designers that would do it for free.
 
High enough incentives and a fast enough design possibly but how will you marry all the different design specialities into one competition?
 
There would be different competition categories. You would only be able to host a competition in one category.

Does that answer your question?
 
I'm with Gnome on this one, srsly. This might be a good breeding ground for up-and-coming designers/developers, but I highly doubt seasoned professionals would participate in something like this...
 
To be honest, I feel this would be more suited/targeted at up and coming designers as well.
 
Gnome said:
No self respecting web-site designer would do that. If they do it's because they've never earned a cent as a real designer. It's not the fashion industry where you hope to get recognition and jobs, I'm not a web-site designer (simply work in IT field), and I've been offered the job of designing a web-site around 4-5 times (in this year so far). So don't suffer from the illusion that there isn't work in that area, they don't earn much but I don't know any designers that would do it for free.
Click to expand...

+1. Maybe a site where designers can bid on project would be better, but still dodgy though...
 
No midrange.

I wonder if there would be more demand for a "post-then-bid" type of website. I think it would attract better quality designers. It's more ethical as well. What do you guys think?

PS: I am just throwing these things out there in the hope of feedback.
 
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You can use any type of system and call it what you want, but 95% of web-site designers want money for services rendered. So if they get paid you can do it however you want to attract people.

I don't really know any "beginners" in designing a web-site, hell I'm not good at it (the actual design, nice layouts, etc, server side and back end code is where I live) and I still wouldn't do it for free :p

No offense I'm just trying to give you some perspective, Web-site design is kinda like plumbers or mechanics, many people can do it, but the demand is so high that you're damn lucky if you find someone willing do to a decent job for free.

Other types of design on the other hand (fashion, etc.) are harder to get into as you need a name before someone will pay for your work, so in that area I can see your original idea possible working.

That's my opinion (2c) for what its worth ;)
 
A website that showcases existing work already done in categories and then challenges and decides on winners based on various angles and facts, and then ... local - only.

Yup yup, that could work.

Now, how does it make money?
Doesn't the louzy blood sucking government throw 2 or 3 billion rand down the toilet promoting South African skill every year?
 
So basically a spinoff of www.designcrowd.com and www.crowdspring.com

I wouldnt recommend it as those two sites are very popular and the clients pre pay in dollars before their brief becomes open.
Honestly i find that locals are not worried about their design needs and usually get their accountants son to do some dogs breakfast they would call a brochure or whatever

and if the client actually does have the money they would go to an agency, and ZA has some of the best
Sorry man, but I am lank biased towards those two sites and find being pitted against other internationals has given me a lot of growth and dollars
what ZA does need is a forum where locals can discuss design/art thou
 
I mean have a look here

$5000 for a new logo
Here in ZA you have a hard time convincing that a R5000 logo isnt that expensive.
You just wouldnt be able to compete with that and the huge designer database that competes in these comps
If the Client actually prepays they going to want alot of participants
 
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