aquent site redesign-spec work
- Started
- Last post
- 173 Responses
- lorac770
Freelancers Union tried the same contest for redesigning their website, but i bitched and encouraged others too, and we got it taken down...
https://be.freelancersunion.org/…
- TheFatBaron0
I don't agree with their stance against all 'spec' work when it comes to new business pitches, but this really bugs me. Emails = written.
- Business pitches are different. Designers are paid for their time with salaries. Design busuinesses are taking the risk.Iggyboo
- god I wish there was an edit button lol. Businesses.. typosss argghIggyboo
- Maybe it's just how they say it.TheFatBaron
- GammaRay0
Aquent is not at all on our side. They are a business and, as such, they only care about the bottom line...paying someone $500 versus, say, $10k to redesign their homepage helps out their bottom line.
- TheFatBaron0
Is anyone else having issues with the CAPTCHA form on AIGA's website? It keeps telling me the text is incorrect. I don't -think- I'm going blind.
- chuparosa0
Thanks for posting this. It is totally outrageous!
- instrmntl0
thats fucked
- Iggyboo0
for a lack of better words I am not shocked that this stuff is happening. Mainly because humans make companies regardless of their company allegiances. I just am disappointed that the value of quality design is dropping because people are so quick to making businesses to devalue it. I guess theirs going to be a future where there is a place for this kind of stuff. But frankly no quality designer will hopefully take part in it. hopefully.
- Josev0
I emailed the president of the AIGA (Sean Adams, who is a great guy) and he responded very quickly. He said that AIGA doesn't condone spec work and that he was going to look into it.
- monkeyshine0
I also recommend everyone go to Aquent's Facebook page and express your concerns.
- ukit0
Let's try to get this thread up to high count so it gets indexed!
- ********0
ok i help you my friend, ukit
- ukit0
It also seems like a bad advertisement for Aquent's services because they are basically saying that the best they have to offer are some random kids on the internet who will work for free.
They are implying that 99 designs is better than Aquent talent!
- Complexfruit0
Wow that is pretty lame of Aquent. That's just a slap in the face of all the people they are suppose to represent.
- ukit0
"Crowdsourcing" is just another word for "slavery."
- ********0
ukit is a genius
- joking.********
- he is like genius in person********
- Thanks, digdre. I hear that a lot, but....thanks.ukit
- joking.
- Josev0
The guy who posted the job, "Aquent Minister" or Matthew Grant, posted a comment on the Aquent facebook profile explaining his thinking behind the contest. He ends the comment with "I await my lambasting."
- ukit0
Can someone repost here? I'm too lazy to go Facebook.
- Josev0
From Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aq…"As the person who launched this contest, I appreciate the feedback. Thanks!
I also share the design community's suspicion, to put it lightly, of "spec" work or contests like these more generally. I would however, ask you to think about it differently.
First of all, I view this as an experiment. What can we get if we take this approach? We could get a bunch of junk, which would reinforce the idea that you can't get good design this way. Maybe we'll get something good. Maybe someone who wouldn't otherwise have the chance to show their stuff will get noticed. Who knows?
Second of all, we're not asking anyone to build an entire site, rebrand Aquent, create a new corporate identity, etc.. In effect, we're asking if anyone would like to take a little time and rearrange our homepage. If you have time and wouldn't mind winning a modest sum, why not give it a go?
In fact, come to think of it, we could have created a Flash game allowing people to rearrange the homepage and submit their new page to us. I bet people would take a stab at it without a prize even being offered!
Or maybe we should do something a little different, but frame it in terms of self-promotion. Maybe we should say this to all the web designers we represent: "Want a chance to show off your work? If you'd like to take a stab at redesigning our homepage, just do it and send us a jpg. We're going to be experimenting with various designs in the coming months, and, if we like yours, we'll put it into our testing rotation. It would be a great way to feature your work!"
Oddly enough, I don't think we would get grief for doing that, although the main difference between that approach and the current one is that it would be free!
I await my lambasting.
Matt Grant"
- ********0
how about we all enter the contest if one of us wins, we back out!
- ukit0
Would be nice if a few from here could take the time to comment on that Facebook page.