I've noticed recently, that a lot of people have started discussions within contest threads that are related to design concepts, techniques and copyright issues. I hereby declare this thread the place for all resources and discussion of such things. Taking a contest thread off-topic is not fair to the contest holder or the people participating in the contest. CSS Based Web Design http://www.cssimport.com/ http://www.cssbeauty.com/ http://www.csszengarden.com/ Logo Inspiration http://www.attik.com/ http://www.tolleson.com/ Colour/Pallete Ideas http://www.colourlovers.com/ http://www.colorwhore.com/ Discussion It has come to my attention that people are talking about others' creativity and their approach to design. At first, I felt it bad practice to tell others how to be creative, but I then realised how 'in need' it really is. There are a few people here who are new to design, logo and graphic development and just don't understand or maybe even appreciate the idea of being creative, individual or unique. I understand that a $30 contest will not make you want to spend hours in Photoshop/Illustrator etc to come up with an amazing graphic, and rightly so. I wouldn't do so myself. But, I must say, even a touch of individualism or uniqueness will really make your logo stand out and be noticed. Ask yourself, 'do you want your logo to blend in, or stand out?' and we all know the answer to this. Of course you want to stand out, you want people to say 'wow' and you want to win. Don't do it just for the money; do it for the pride, acheivement and enjoyment of opening up a program and creating something that truely represents how you feel or how you wish to express an idea, image or thought that is relative to where it is to be presented. $30 doesn't mean steal, but it also doesn't mean spend hours creating something only to possibly win. It means, just spend a minute or two really thinking about it. Ask yourself 'What do I have to offer?' not 'Where is a good place to steal concepts?'. Using a graphic is one thing, using a graphic as an entire concept and passing it off as your own, is another thing entirely. Discuss, share and mix your ideas, thoughts and resources. Don't give away the resources that are for you, but pass around the resources that are helpful to the design community as a whole.
Very nice post DustDog. "Taking a contest thread off-topic is not fair to the contest holder or the people participating in the contest" I agree with this. Thanks for sharing.
Nicely said DustyDog, Hopefully you don't get your thread reported by someone who is upset with this and have it moved like it happened to me =/ - I agree with overtaking thread not fair for contest holder, but then no one would talk about it, it won't get noticed enough. But yeah, I agree 100% - It's easy to take someone else's brilliant design, such as a drawing, and add text, and of course it'll look atleast somewhat good because of the drawing that someone spent a lot of work on. I guess some don't realize the seriousness of stealing copyright stuff. It's not a game. You could get in big trouble. I guess it's a matter of time before it happens to someone. All it takes is one complaint. Digital Millennium Copyright Act: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMCA
I say get off peoples backs, if they design poor logos etc... they aren't gonna win so don't let it upset you. People like you dusty and daveyboy win all the time, so people know what level they have to reach to stand a chance
I agree with dustydog. I'm only new here, I've also only entered one contest, which has yet to be decided. But I have browsed many other contests, and seen instances of the issue he raises, and it annoys me. I've won nothing, but would hate for somebody to steal my concept to win a contest. Copyright aside, it's just plain low. And if something is not unique, there is no pride in the work. I have looked at many contests, which I could have entered. And my first thought, after browsing through the entries is this: "Do I have a unique idea/concept that has a chance of competing with the existing entries?" If the answer is no, I don't enter. If the answer is yes, I will. But I certainly wont browse the ideas/conepts already entered and try and tweak them to my gain. So before entering a competition, ask yourself: "Do you have a unique idea/concept that has a chance of competing with the existing entries?" And be honest with yourself first and foremost.
I think there is a difference between concept theft and meeting the needs of the contest holder. Say for example, dusty dog creates a great logo. The contest holder likes the style and colours. Now, if i am entering the fray am i going to create something different, or am i going to think 'hmm the contest holder likes that design' and create a variation on it? It's a tough pill to swallow but at the end of the day, it makes sense. Otherwise, why keep the contest running if he is already set on that particular design? I don't like when people simply use a custom shape or brush on photoshop and add some text. I have been guilty of it myself in the past and I admit that it is lazy and sloppy and no, you hardly ever win with these designs as the CH's are looking for more. Let's give them more
I agree completely with DaveyBoy. Sure, my design in the $30 contest turned out to be similar to someone else's. But I was following the needs of the contest holder. I made the changes from my original design based on what the contest holder asked me to change. I of course, want to win the contest, and the best way to do that is to follow what the contest holder wants.
True, following what the contest holder wants is best, but sometimes they are not sure what they want, and they specifically say that. Then something comes up, and they say they like it. That doesn't mean to completely stick to that. Some Times, It doesn't hurt to try something different, they might like the different thing even better, unless they say otherwise. DaveyBoy - I agree, using a photoshop custom shape and just adding text for every single contest is not very original. Besides the contest holder can probably do that themselves, though i realize not everyone can.
Some interesting points and discussion. I agree, in part, if the contest holder says 'Oh, I really like this!' about another logo in the competition, it can sometimes pretty much narrow down all your options to the point where your attempt is going to look very similar. Nothing can be done there, but logos have many aspects. Layout, style, colour, font etc etc. I feel it helps to read through the thread and just try to figure out what the Contest Holder really likes about a certain logo. You know, people are very different from eachother, it could be a simple case of seeing a certain shade of green on a certain shade of black and, in his mind, it's pure genius. It's like those people who see used tampons, glued to a blank canvas, as 'Modern Art' and spend $50,000 to purchase it. I never would, but it sure gets them excited. Each to their own. Next time you eat at a restaurant, and I know this is weird, but spend a little time watching people preparing to eat, preparing to receive lunch, to pay for it, to finish, to drink... I've done this before and you'll notice, people show almost everything entirely different. It's the smallest most hidden away details that often make anything what it is and, thus, these are the things we react to sub-consciously. That's kinda weird and off-topic, but I can't seem to make my point any other way right now. 8:27am and 35c outside.