I’ve gotten a few emails wondering where I’ve been and asking for votes. I thought I’d write a message to give you an update.

After winning Zooppa’s Office Live competition a few months ago, I took a break and did a lot of thinking. While it was great to win a competition, there was something off. I didn’t feel the kind of satisfaction I usually get after completing a large project. Completing and even winning this competition was not rewarding for me, and I think I may have figured out why.

I’ve been doing some research about online contests, crowdsourcing, and spec-work. While some of these terms may not mean anything to you, they do have a very serious connection with Zooppa.

Crowdsourcing is defined as the process of outsourcing work that would normally be completed by an employee or paid professional to a large group of individuals for the purpose of creating content or ideas. Some common variations of crowdsourcing are Wikipedia, YouTube, and iStockphoto. Companies use this method, especially with the Internet, because it allows them to collect a variety of content and ideas for a fraction of what it would cost to hire a professional. A cheap alternative is a cheap alternative.

What I am interested in is how this whole process is affecting not only the design community, but to creative professionals in general.

It may be a secret to some, but design is actually a very complicated process; it involves a lot of communication, collaboration, and hard work. The same is true for creating great music, films, and written work. That is why there are professional designers, artists, photographers, directors, writers, and musicians. These people have been trained in their profession, which means much more than learning how to use a couple programs.

The interesting thing about designing for a Zooppa contest, or any other online design competition, is that you are given a list of what the company wants and how they want you to do it. There is no dialogue, no research, and no options.

Also, the whole competition is based on how far you can spread your content for voting. Why spend millions on a marketing campaign when you can bribe the ‘crowd’ to do if for you for a couple thousand dollars? (People-powered brand energy?)

This is not how great advertising is achieved, let alone any other creative project. In fact, it results in nothing more than sophisticated clip art, which is a waste for time and money for everyone involved. That does not worry me. What does worry me is that people are getting the idea that this is how the design process works, that anyone with Photoshop and a few logos is a designer. It would be like saying that everyone with a stethoscope is a doctor. It is simply not true.

The recent growth in crowdsourcing is partly the fault of the recent economic climate but also the fault of the design communities around the world, who have been cornered into positions where they must resort to online contests or spec-work. Which is doing work on speculation, with no compensation, and with the hope of future payment or work. This devalues design. Why would someone pay a professional if they could get another to do it for free? If you are a professional designer/artist/director/writer/musician, and are taking part in these contests, you are threatening your own career.

I’m all for inspiring creativity and building portfolios and communities, but mostly what these contests, and this website, are about is creating buzz for a company. I don’t want to be a puppet.

I realize that this post will probably get deleted, that I’ll get flamed by all sorts of Zooppers, and perhaps even banned from the site, but I just can’t take part in the destruction of my future career anymore. I refuse to be taken advantage of by these companies that offer me “$1,000 for 1st place!”. I cannot afford to give my work away with the hope of winning a competition; I have more respect for myself than that. If I’m going to build my portfolio, I’m doing to do it with dignity, on my own terms, to produce work that I can really be proud of.

While crowdsourcing may be a valuable tool for certain situations, it is very destructive in others. If you are a professional reading this, you’ve heard what I have to say. Think about what you’re doing and how it will affect not only your future, but also future generations.

The beauty of online contests, imo, is ‘normal’ every day designers have a chance at making something for a big named company. Where they wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise. So in the aspect of hurting ourselves, I don’t see it, because it would never happen in the first place. :) Know what I mean?

“Quote”:

The beauty of online contests, imo, is ‘normal’ every day designers have a chance at making something for a big named company. Where they wouldn’t have the opportunity otherwise. So in the aspect of hurting ourselves, I don’t see it, because it would never happen in the first place. :) Know what I mean?

I don’t understand what you mean by ‘normal’ designers, what makes a designer abnormal? That they work with large companies? All designers should be worried about crowdsourcing damaging their career, it devalues the work. Lets say, I wanted to get my hair cut, and I said, “Ok hairdressers, I need my haircut. I want you to do it this way and with these materials. I want you ALL to do the work of cutting my hair, BUT I will only pay the hairdresser whose look I like most.” Do you see my point? You are doing the work for FREE! It is EVEN WORSE if it is a larger company because they definitely have the resources to pay a professional but decide to cut corners to make more money. Also, you’re not even capable of making quality work for that company unless you can communicate with them, like I said, its just clip art, there is no substance. if you want exposure, work hard at what you do, make amazing work. There are no shortcuts to success. It is time that could be much better spent working with businesses IN YOUR AREA, making designs that you will actually GET PAID FOR! At Zooppa, you are not working with them, you are working for them.

“Ok hairdressers, I need my haircut. I want you to do it this way and with these materials. I want you ALL to do the work of cutting my hair, BUT I will only pay the hairdresser whose look I like most.” Do you see my point? Yes, but you’re not seeing mine.

Let’s use your analogy for a second…

In reality, the person getting the haircut will go to ONE hair salon, get their haircut by ONE person, and be done. Crowdsourcing gives everyone an opportunity to cut the hair of people who wouldn’t normally go outside of the salon, period! So if you can compete against that one person at the salon, then yea, crowdsourcing could be an issue, but if you’re like most people, it’s a great opportunity. It’s definitely a risk, but it’s better than no risk at all.

“There are no shortcuts to success. It is time that could be much better spent working with businesses IN YOUR AREA, making designs that you will actually GET PAID FOR!”

And who’s to say that’s not happening?? It is, definitely! My phrase for these jobs is “I come in 1st place all the time!” :D hehe

“I realize that this post will probably get deleted, that I’ll get flamed by all sorts of Zooppers, and perhaps even banned from the site, but I just can’t take part in the destruction of my future career anymore. I refuse to be taken advantage of by these companies that offer me “$1,000 for 1st place!”. I cannot afford to give my work away with the hope of winning a competition; I have more respect for myself than that. If I’m going to build my portfolio, I’m doing to do it with dignity, on my own terms, to produce work that I can really be proud of.”

Have you looked at the GoDaddy contest? 1st place $100,000, 2nd place $50,000 and third place $25,000. Doritos? Where someone won over $600,000 and $1,000,000? Or Zinio/King Kong here on Zooppa? These are MUCH more than $1000 for 1st place.

Personally I’m very proud of the work I do for these contests. These contest are so much more diverse than the usual stuff I do, and brings out my creative juices more so than most ‘real’ projects I work on.

I won the Jones Gaba contest last year, and I worked with the client on a commercial that ran in Chicago… that rocked!! I couldn’t have got that job any other way, except through what Zooppa and other online contests offer. Or being a finalist in HP on Youtube, again, these things are out of reach for most people if it wasn’t for these online contests.

hey henry,
I am quite new here, posted my 3 first “proposals” and trying to figure out this “people-powered” brand thing.
I agree with you in many points. But I guess nowadays we are so used to getting abused – to working for nothing – for the sake of art – that we don’t really think about those things.
But on the other hand, during the process of aquisition of new clients, we have to make projects and proposals, which are not always accepted – that’s time consuming too.
As an independent artist, I often create artworks or t-shirt designs without knowing if they are going to get sales.
So I saw it like making a proposition to a potential new client.
Thanks for your post,
ina

Thanks for your response Ina. I agree with you that proposals require some effort too, but I believe proposals are fair because you are not actually completing the work until after you’ve come to an agreement with the client. As opposed to doing ALL the work, and just giving it to them. Do you see the difference?

Cauthier, I don’t seem to be getting through to you. Of course there are competitions with higher stakes, I never said there weren’t. And my analogy was to illustrate how ludicrous it is for everyone to be doing the work, but only a few getting paid. People should be paid for the work they do, it’s simple. The point is, you are a PAWN. These companies don’t care about you or your work, they want a plethora of work to choose from and analyze. And when you submit designs that you don’t get paid for, you are shorting-changing yourself, and clients get the idea that design work does not need to be paid for. If that is fulfilling to you, then by all means, proceed, but don’t you think you deserve to give yourself more than that?

Hey Henry,
Great to read your post. Looks like you have been doing some thinking. I think though your ‘tune out and disconnect’ decision will only serve to be futile. Here is a quote from you: “…that anyone with Photoshop and a few logos is a designer. It would be like saying that everyone with a stethoscope is a doctor. It is simply not true.” Henry, I think you nailed it. I don’t know any creative who ever went to school for as long and as intensely as a doctor. The graphic arts and the medical arts are two different fruits Henry…let’s not un-necessarily inflate our importance. The fact is, that if we don’t answer these online open calls for content (contests), someone else will. Someone equal too or surpassing of our competency. I have seen it over the four years I have been doing it.

Four years ago I quit a 17 year career as a wedding photographer and started creating :30 spots. To date I have had 4 nationals through these contests, and no, I am not getting anywhere near the AAAA’s reported $350,000.00 fee for a national spot. Ten years from now the average fee for a :30 video spot will be between $10K -$15K. Sorry, but that is the fate of ‘future generations’ of creatives. No one liked it when the master craftsmen, who gilded ivory handled buggy whips were unceremoniously show the door by FORD in the begining of the last century, and those craftsmen were steeped in the tradition of the art……….

If you get a chance and haven’t already, go to www.videocontestking.com. The most recent blog post, and the resulting give and take between myself and an ad agency guy (anonymously called NO THANKS), might prove interesting to you. Don’t tune out Henry, just tune up.

Jared

Hi Zooppers-

Amazing debate.

The way I see it, in the past there were two ways for a creative to make a living. Crowdsourcing models, like Zooppa have offered a third. Each of the three alternatives carries its own benefits and drawbacks.

1) You could work for a company

Chief among benefits in this scenario is the stability. Stable pay, stable work. The main drawback of working for a company is a limitation on the diversity of types of work you can do.

2) You could work for an agency

This scenario offers less stability. This scenario looks more and more like the first scenario with larger firms, and the risk goes up with smaller ones. One of the drawbacks here (again, depending on the size of the agency) is the time and energy spent trying to win new business (or keep old business).

3) You can earn money through competitions

With Zooppa, you can pick and choose your projects, and decide for yourself how you want to approach them & execute them. The chief drawback is that there is no guaranteed paycheck.

Fortunately, these options are not mutually exclusive.

Hopefully, we’re living in an environment whereby creatives are able to find the balance among these options that best works for them.

Henry writes:

“The recent growth in crowdsourcing is partly the fault of the recent economic climate but also the fault of the design communities around the world, who have been cornered into positions where they must resort to online contests or spec-work”

I sincerely hope- and do believe- that Zooppers do not come to compete on our platform out of a sense of desperation. I want Zooppa to be a healthy, vibrant alternative to the other options available to a creatives.

hehehehe your in the advertising profession and you don’t want to be a puppet? Maybe you haven’t had a chance to work professionally yet, because clients, agencies, whoever your working for, they are all master puppeteers! I think this is a great place for students especially, but for professionals as well. It is a great learning environment, and a good place to practice. This will never take over the advertising world, it is an interesting alternative!

Jared. I’ve read your posts, and I think it is a cop-out to say that crowdsourcing is inevitable and I might as well hop on the band wagon while I can. I’m not entirely convinced you put enough effort into converting to the digital age and refreshing your photography business. Sounds to me like you rolled over. My point is that people need to realize what they are doing. Creatives that work in this way, such as you yourself, are just feeding the fire.

Josh. Thanks for your reply. While it’s true that these competitions can be a source of income, I’d be surprised if anyone could make a living off of it. A majority of the people don’t get paid at all. Call me crazy, but I think it makes more sense to find an option where individuals can be creative AND have a steady income.

They say if you like what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I know many people have been jaded by working with impossible clients and stressful deadlines, but even if the work you do is not completely creative, everyone deserves to be proud of (and be paid for) the work they do. To be proud of your work means a lot of hard work and determination. This has always been true. Another important aspect to being proud of your work that is rarely mentioned, is that you do it in an ethical way. By this I mean personally, what is right and wrong for yourself and your work.

I can’t be a part of ‘the crowd’ knowing that the actions I’m taking will lead to the destruction of professional design. My work is not something I throw around anymore. In a way it is an extension of myself, so giving my work to a company to be sorted and analyzed, is just not how I want to work, or ever will again. Even if that means I’m missing opportunities to ‘hit it big’ with companies or firms. What matters to me is living with decency and pride.

I’ve said what I have to say, and will no longer be responding to these posts. Hopefully I’ve inspired a few people, or at least planted a seed. I said it earlier, but I’ll say it again: If you are a professional reading this, you’ve heard what I have to say. Think about what you’re doing and how it will affect not only your future, but also future generations.

The point of the matter though is whether or not there is a potential danger within this practice. Yes, we have concluded that creatively the practice of outsourcing or spec work, is fun. That is irrelevant when the matter of how this will effect everyone’s future career is concerned (assuming everyone or the majority of people involved hope to one day become designers). I’ve spoken with a number of professional designers and they all agree that spec work leads to companies dropping firms and firms eventually losing so much work they cannot stay open, so for those of you who work for smaller firms and use ZOOPPA for your big break, should be warned of the potential future issues. That puts smaller firms in jeopardy and in turn could possibly give the larger firms an even greater monopoly over the industry.
People who have been trained to design should be given a chance to show their design work through firms as opposed to the cheaper alternative which could result in less experienced and possibly less professional designers overall. I’m sure there is a lot of talent both in firms and on different spec sites, but honestly how could that seem at all fair if thought about logically? It is not a matter of whether the best options are being considered because if only spec work is used then no one working in actual firms will be considered at all.

Henry,
Ten years ago, a professional broadcast video set up could cost you $300,000.00.
Two years ago the RED was introduced and overnight the cost was reduced to about $30,000.00 (fully loaded).
Today for about $3,000.00 you can purchase a DSLR that can produce SuperBowl ready content. In case you didn’t know, 7-8 of the commercials you saw during Superbowl 2010 were produced by the Canon 5D Mark II. No, not everyone will take the time to become technically proficient, but now that the cost of the equipment is no longer prohibitive, soon, the only barrier for an artist will be their willingness to learn. I know you didn’t read this because I am taking you at your word that you won’t and don’t expect a response…not under your real name anyways. In the meantime, I wanted to reassure other readers that the future is bright for us freelancers, even if it means that competition is expanding at _big bang_ pace and we may end up soon only being able to earn 5% of the current market rate for the national content we create. The market will dictate what the future will pay for our creative, not our Arts School professor. For me, $15,000.00 for two weeks work is decent compensation for my IP. Everyone else will have to set their own price point.I hope I stay competitive.
Jared

For me, it’s a way to build my portfolio with clients who normally wouldn’t even consider hiring me due to my “newbie-ness” in the business. These contests are a good way to get design careers started. The prizes are getting higher and higher in amounts, so that money (if I win) would definitely be an excellent source of money for me to buy the high-dollar equipment I need to really get my business in with the big guns.

I look at these contests (crowdsourcing) as similar to the music industry (which I am also a part of). When digital downloads became popular, CD sales plummeted, but musicians didn’t give up, they simply adapted and figures out a way to make the new system work for them.

It’s all about adapting, and with the popularity of YouTube and sites like ZOOPA, it’s not going away any time soon…so I merely adapt and do what I can to survive.

With the economy the way it is, big companies are not going to pay big bucks for a designer when they can get it for a fraction of the cost on contests, etc. yes, it’s bad for our industry, but we are not the only ones scrounging for money right now. The big companies are too. My manager (for my music production) is in Hollywood, and he says that Hollywood is plummeting as well, with nightclubs shutting down, foreclosures on production studios, etc. Yes, it would be good to get paid what we should be getting paid, but reality states otherwise until the economy recovers…..so we adapt…and hope to thrive as designers with real pay once the economy settles again…….So, for me, sites like ZOOPA are essential to my survival right now.

Yes, you may get flamed in here for stating what you feel, but I give you props for standing up for the design industry. I wish you the best of luck with your business.