The experiment (part 2)

Hey folks

About a week ago I started an experiment with the designer website 99designs.com. I wanted to update you all on the progress.

If what happened can be called progress.

Initially there were some designs coming in for my business card that looked promising. They were well thought-out and showed some creativity. The first phase of the contest lasted about three days and about 7 people participated. The designs were varied. Two of the designers created work that seemed to fit well with what I had requested (a sci-fi business card). The other five either ignored my requests completely or just slapped some generic images/colours onto a card and called it a day. I spoke with a few of them and requested changes. Most of them were done and the cards looked somewhat better. (However... the amount of people who insist on putting an extra e at the end of my first name or start spelling my last name wrong when before they had it correct... yikes.)

The contest entry phase ended... and I wasn't blown away by any of the designs. They were 'ok' but not suitable to my writing/style at all.

I contacted 99designs customer support (These guys are actually on the ball! Helpful advice and fast answers!) and asked them what to do. They offered to extend my contest and I did.

A few of the designers stuck around and have been making changes/submitting new designs.

Another designer - one of them who did not stick around - told me he would no longer waste time on this contest (He actually had one of the best designs but got butthurt when I rated his last half-hearted attempt to spell my name correctly with a 2-star). All right. He hadn't spent a lot of time on the contest in the first place (his design was the most creative of them but needed an hour or two more of detail work) and apparently expected to just get a 270 euros prize by doing half an hour's work. (???)

Another designer yet has been working round the clock on the contest. He has submitted thirty designs and made every change I asked. He's not the best (sadly) but I can tell he's making an effort. He's available online most of the day and actively communicates with me to let me know what he's doing. This guy gets 5 stars on worth ethic but unfortunately only 3 stars for design concepts.

These two examples just about sum up my experience with 99designs. There are those designers who want to make a quick buck and don't intend to 'waste time' beyond half an hour's work and those who put in a congratulatory amount of effort but just don't have the skills (yet) to create a good design.

I'm not sure who deserves the prize money at this point. I'd love to have a design I really like for almost 300 euros but none of the ones submitted is it.

At the same time my second contest for a book cover is trudging along... not at all. The only cover submitted is a terror that quite frankly fits on a creepy 80's horror film but not a story about friendship and starlight. Like what! The main character (a headstrong little girl) looks like she's some sort of psycho escaped from Cthulu's army. I'm going to have nightmares of her tonight.

So far WriteBot doesn't like the 99designs experiment very much. WriteBot would like to have a lovely sci-fi business card but isn't sure it will still be possible until the end of the month (when there's ComicCon). But WriteBot refuses to just obtain a mediocre design. WriteBot wants the BEST business card.

I guess WriteBot will have to wait a while longer to start handing out cards...

All that being said... I think 99designs isn't a great place if you want quality work. A lot of the designers don't want to put in the amount of work required to complete a good design (even when ten hours of work could get them about 270 euros - which is quite a lot more than most people make in a day) and think they can make a quick buck by putting something together in photoshop and throwing it out there as a design. It's a bit disappointing... but I guess people want to find shortcuts everywhere.

WriteBot out!