Crowdsourcing logo designs is becoming increasingly popular in today’s world that practically lives online. Crowdsourcing is the act of oursourcing tasks to a large group of people or a community. Basically, an employer can log on and put up a little spec saying ‘I need a logo in 48 hours for $100′ and thats it! Within hours, even less, ideas are uploaded in the masses. As great as this idea sounds, there are massive drawbacks.
Here are some of the reasons that I disagree with it :
- It devalues the work of professional designers : Why do I say this? Because someone who is truly passionate about building a brand identity doesn’t just design a logo. A lot of research gets put into a project, a creative brief, hours- even days, of thoughts and sketching, meetings etc.
The end result will have a meaning and will be the best that a business could have, because the time was invested into it. A designer caters to the needs of the business by understanding what it’s clients need as well. - Poor Quality : Many designers that enter these contests spend a minimum time on the design, as there is no guarantee they will win and be paid for it. Also, how can the best design be given if they don’t know much about the business and industry?
- Stolen/Recycled Ideas : Contestants in these competitions have been known to copy or steal ideas they have seen on other competitions, or that they have submitted for previous competitions.
- Hidden Costs : Reviewing over 20 000 entries can take a lot more time than you thought. Legal risks of intellectual property infringement are high with crowdsourcing, so legal expenses can mount as well.
A logo is much more than a picture on your website or your business card. It is the face of your business – your business that you have worked incredibly hard to build into a success. When people see your logo, they will know what it is that you do and associate their experiences they have had with it. In a world striving for individuality, it makes sense to hire a designer for an original product instead of heading towards the masses.
