Logo work
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- pr2
I got involved with a start up organization that wants to create simple yet engaging political videos about a whole range of issues. As it's a start up there is no money yet here (or will there ever be?) but lots of passion to make a difference.
As they need a logo i thought it would be great to involve some art students to design the logo - obviously one of the reasons being that there is no money to compensate. One of the ideas someone had was to make it into a contest where by some deadline we would pick a winner, but a contest without a prize doesn't make much sense to me.
In your opinion what would be the best way to engage the students and still make it worth their time?
- monospaced1
You kinda have to pay them, or feed them really, really well.
- akrokdesign0
i can't get it why there is no money at all for this kinda work. how do they run the company with no cash? do they have lunch breaks? will there be desks? do they pay rent or do they say, we have no cash, we're are a start up?
- Plenty of companies start with no money and lots of passion and investment of free time.luckyorphan
- d_rek0
Well, you should really make it worth their time in some way/shape/form. If you're propositioning students from an art school it's not like they wont have a heavy workload already so asking them to do something out of the goodness of their heart is moot point - they simply wont have the time to do it.
Now you don't have to pay them a large sum. Say $250-500 to the winner and/or group of winners.. This money will go a long way in helping a student survive.
- whatsup0
If you have any belief to help students in their future, you should not only think about compensation, but think about how you and your organization can help these kids.
- d_rek0
anecdote:
In my senior year one of my instructors was propositioned to create an identity for a non-profit. He proposed the idea to the class to work together in groups to create the identity. Even though they were a non-profit he never entertained the idea of not compensating the students. He worked the project into the curriculum so that it counted as a grade while the winning team got to split a $500 prize. It created some friendly competition, allowed us to directly present work to some clients and in the end, gave us a decent amount of process and an identity to put in our portfolio.
- I should note, the non-profit was more than willing to compensate for the work.d_rek
- They put their limited budget to good use by approaching the school for work.d_rek
- I was going to suggest something similar, but the political nature seemed iffy for this appoach.acrossthesea
- dMullins0
Anecdote for a devil's advocate:
One time this guy wanted me to do a ton of free work for his start-up (PowerPoint presos, a logo, some stationary, a web project, etc.) that had no money, but one day they were going to make millions off of his great idea. I turned it down, not having the extra time. Today his idea/company is bankrupt, he is working for minimum wage at a job he hates, and I never lost weeks of my time to this company that never made it.
- i can offer you about 40 anecdotes where non-paying went nowhere and about 15 where paying did the same thing.pr2
- < This is the more likely scenario. But there's always the exception. Or is there?luckyorphan
- there is never the exception. if there's no money, there is no determination behind it.monNom
- as the people involved are not willing to put their own cash into the project.monNom
- pr2-1
you guys don't have to tell me about "no compensation for work" as i deal with that all the time trying to lecture some looser why his "fantastic" idea for a film still needs some $ behind, but as mentioned above sometimes ideas (especially the ones that don't aim for profit in the first place) can be accomplished with enthusiasm alone.
Paying students $500 seems ridiculous as after all they are students and from my not-so-long-ago times at a university i remember liking simply being involved with working on a "real world" work rather then just student projects.
- digdre0
i'm a design student
- acrossthesea0
Why not just post some flyer around the campus with something like:
"Seeking designers for all types who are passionate about [insert political cause]. Make a difference and be heard!"- ok, we are getting somewhere.pr2
- meant to say "of all types"acrossthesea
- inkpink0
if your organization really is a good cause (hard to tell from description) and you really can't pay a dime for design, maybe talk to design instructors at local colleges. we did some charity logos as a class when i was in school.
but at the same time... you're on here posting? you have zero design skills? and what's your time worth trying to organize a contest. sure you could find someone to do a logo for $500.
- whatsup0
I'm not sure if the AIGA is going to approve of this. You should write Richard Grefe a letter and tell them about your situation
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/…
why let everyone know that you don't know jack about your own organization and company?
- inkpink0
and why a contest rather than call out for volunteer?
are you holding a contest because you really can't pay a dime for design...
or are you trying to (take advantage) and see as many concepts as possible without committing to any one designer?
this is my problem with contests.
- I'm agints making it into a contest as there is no prize.pr2
- inkpink0
or maybe offer a trade here on qbn;
a logo design in exchange for some of your professional time doing video production... perhaps putting together a reel or something.
seems fair.
- d_rek1
pr2,
You're statement is beyond ridiculous. Enthusiasm aside, the "real world" involves real clients with real money who value their time as much as yours. If someone isn't willing to compensate you adequately for your services, whether it be through fair trade or in dollar signs, then they probably aren't worth working with.
And really, outside of some of the trust-fund, hipster douchebags artst/designer wannabes who were living off of mommy-and-daddy's dime there was a considerable portion of colleagues that I knew, including myself, who worked full or part-time and took classes full-time to be able to afford themselves the privilege of higher education. Not to get up in arms, but you're coming off as quite naive.
- pr2-1
Listen, the fact that a start up has no money what-so-ever doesn't lie too good with me as after all there are at least some basic expenses (in a way even the $250 as a "prize" would go a long way to get some great response from students) but despite of that i'm willing to give it a try and see how it goes.
- whatsup1
You get what you pay for.
- ukit0
Considering the nature of this startup won't you eventually need not just a logo but a website? And ads, other promotions, viral marketing, an online campaign of some kind? Are you just going to create the videos and post them on YouTube and hope for the best?
Instead of trying to get some mediocre college student trust fund hipster to work for free, why not take a real designer on board and make them part of the company? Give them actual equity in the company in exchange for their work and then you will never will to worry about this issue again.
- pr2-1
by your logic since i'll be shooting one of the videos - a cinematographer with over 5 years of experience - because they are not paying me they will be getting a video that looks like it was shot by some film student...
- ukit0
Yeah but you're trying to compare an industry that is extremely hard to break into (professional filmmaker) with one where there is a ton of paying work (graphic design). It seems logical to work for free in the first kind of industry, not so much in the second one.
Are you expecting the guy who creates your company's legal documents to work for free? What about your hosting, will you not host a website unless you get it for free? Why is it that people think graphic design can be done for free, compared to everything else?
- pr2-1
Are you saying that filmmakers should work for free but graphic designers shouldn't?