Design Contests

Design contests are something I’ve talked about before, once last spring with Designer to Designer: Spec Work and then a couple of years before that in 2006 with Just Say No to Spec Work, and I feel like I need to say a little bit about it again, for the non-web designers who now read my blog.

What prompted this is an email I received today in response to my inquiry about submitting my designs to a company I won’t name. I inquired about how to go about submitting a design to them for consideration and they responded with an invitation to join their contest. It was explained that they don’t take submissions other than through this contest and that I should keep in mind I would no longer own the copyright to any design of mine that is chosen.

Now that last bit can be negotiated if they paid a reasonable rate for licensing the work, but competing for the possibility of maybe having the honor of being chosen is asking a little much.

I had chills and flashbacks to my early web design days when I was offered an ipod for a website design and then told that since I was the only entrant, it wouldn’t be fair to call me the “winner” and I was sufficiently blown off.

I would have no problem with them telling me they’re just not accepting submissions right now, but I can’t help thinking of all the poor beginning designers out there falling for the contest angle thinking it’s good business.

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Now, design contests aren’t all bad, but typically they’re not doing a great service to you, the designer, you, the end user, you the client, or you the competition who comes by your designs the honest way, by hiring designers or licensing the work outright.

So, if you find yourself itching to enter your designs in a contest, let me just point out a few differences in legitimate design contests and spec contests.

A legit contest:

• asks for existing design work
• leaves copyright with the designer
• often doesn’t profit from entries, though occasionally will use the winning design with permission
• provides the winner with payment for any use of the design (just as if they had commissioned the work outside of the contest)
• runs within a set timeframe and for a specific purpose (such as the Mattt Bags contest)

A spec contest:

• calls for new work typically but may take existing work as well
• retains copyright of winner’s design (and often non-winning entries as well)
• pays a small prize to the winner only
• reserves the right NOT to choose any winner at all (truly rotten)
• holds the contest solely as a way to seek out new designs to exploit (as opposed to spotlighting talented designers)
• is often ongoing, rather than within a specific timeframe for a specific purpose

And check out No Spec! for more on this topic.

#1 rule: ALWAYS CHECK THE FINE PRINT

Seriously, people, read those terms and conditions when you submit your work. Pay special attention to all of the verbage that deals with copyright and ownership, and how they choose a winner. And go read those two posts I mentioned at the beginning – like, now.

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