In typical blogging-daisy-chain fashion, I found out via whosucks.com that the folks at Coming Anarchy had posted this new logo for the Japanese Ministry of Defence. Aside from the strange Web 2.0 look and the utter lack of any predatory animals clutching weapons, as can be found in the many logos displayed on the aforementioned sites, I was struck by the fact that the logo was chosen from among 767 designs submitted as part of a design competition.
Certainly, asking designers to compete for business is not new -- it effectively occurs whenever you send a job or even an RFP out to several studios or agencies -- but the process is certainly becoming more organized and even commoditized. Consider, as a for instance, the contests listed on sitepoint.com.
Is this a step forward or a step backwards? I say both. The copy on the site says, "Need something designed? Don't Outsource it. Crowdsource it!" Sitepoint then allows you to solicit designs from folks around the world -- the web is "worldwide," after all - and you only pay for the one you choose. Sounds simple enough and a clever way of using the connective properties of the web. But isn't it also asking people to work "on spec," a practice actively discouraged by groups like the AIGA?
As I understand the AIGA's position, spec work devalues the graphic design profession and makes designers vulnerable to rip-offs. If I understand sitepoint's concept, their service allows designers everywhere access to jobs for which they would otherwise never be considered.
Who's right?
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