Earlier this August, an influencer posted a video about a logo design contest that he wanted for his brand. I decided not to mention the influencer's name because I don't want to give his competition attention. However, I do think it's important to discuss the problem with Logo Design Contests and why it is unethical to the creative community. I commented on his video to illustrate why these contests are problematic. In this article, I wanted to discuss how contests such as these take advantage of creatives and the creative community.
Why Creative Contests are an Issue:
The problem with contests like these is that they promote free work. The influencer in this case, has a huge following on Social Media which allows him a lot of influence. On Youtube alone, he has a half-million subscribers. His video promoting the logo design contests has received 83,000 views at the time of writing this article.
Working for Free versus Spec Work
There are some valid cases where I can see working for free as being value for professional development. Non-profits and charities that normally can't afford your services make sense, especially if you're just starting out or switching to a new industry. I also think that doing work for an influencer or organization with a large following makes sense as long as there is an agreement in place and you're not competing with others for the same project.In the case for this influencer's logo contest, if you participate there is a big chance that you won't receive the value for the work that you're doing. The contest page doesn't describe the rights and ownership for the rejected or winning submissions. Also, according to the contest details, only three entrants will receive value from the contest:
- First Prize: $1,000 (CAD) + Shout Out on Vlog + Consideration for Future Projects
- Second Prize: Shout Out on Influencers Vlog + Consideration for Future Projects
- Third Prize: Shout Out on Influencers Vlog + Consideration for Future Projects
The Value of a Logo:
A year ago I stumbled on the Youtube channel called The Futur. The channel discusses a lot about the business of design. In the below video, Chris Do discusses the value and true cost of logo design:
How You Should Hire a Designer
Whether or not you're an influencer or not you should treat hiring a graphic designer like any other profession. If you wouldn't hold a contest for whichever lawyer can draw up the best contract, you shouldn't do the same for logo designers. You would research and then select the one who's style fits your own. I think the main issue is that this influencer doesn't value design work. Nothing illustrates this point better than the video by Zulu Alpha Kilo:
The Difference Between Other Contests
Something that really bothered me about this logo contest, is that the influencer compared it to a film festival or film competition type of a contest. I think for most film festivals you're submitting original work or work that is not directly related to the subject of the film festival. If I'm mistaken please let me know but I think most videos submitted for film festivals are not going to be part of their brand and used over and over again.
Summary: The Problem with Logo Design Contests
In conclusion, I encourage everyone to visit the website No!Spec as it is very informative on why these contests are a problem for creatives. These types of contest devalue creative work. Going forward I'm hoping influencer researches and chooses a designer to create his logo rather than proceeding with this contest. I also want to mention that this is not only an issue for designers but others such as photographers, illustrators, videographers and other creatives.
