There chances of winning are to small. That's the main reason why I don't participate in so many contests.. And there is sometimes not really a winning price that suits me (like women products) or maybe I don't just have the time.
Concept stealing, small prizes or, the worst one, is the fact that a lot of people post very nice proffesional designs but, because the thread starter is not a designer, the one that least deserves it sometimes wins. I take part, but I never hope to win as there are just too many variables here that need to be moderated and controlled effectively. Reserving the right to cancel, for example, should not be allowed... I think the prize money should be held somewhere neutral so that the contest starter can't back out so easily or lie and steal work. People are wasting time here sometimes, including myself. It's a shame, it makes all the good contest holders look bad also.
Usually I only enter a contest if I have an idea for the graphic, if i don't have any ideas then i won't bother to enter. I don't really care about the size of the prize, as I don't do the contests just to make money from, I enter them to hone my skills and learn more techniques etc.
When it comes to people backing down. That is usually the fault of the people who enter the contest. It is no diffrent than somone simply not paying you for a graphic they hired you to design. Be smart, don't enter a contest thats being held by somone with 1 post, and no iTrader points. Look into the history of the contest holder. How are the quality of their posts? Whats their rep look like? How many iTrader points do they have? Any negative points? Any past trouble on DP? How long have they been members, etc... If you be smart, and do this before submitting an entry, you usually wont be disappointed. Also, I have to somewhat disagree with what DustyDog said: Whats good, and proffesional in the eyes of one person, can be completely diffrent from another. The point of a contest is for the holder to get what they want, and have a few designs to choose from. If the holder chooses a design that you personally feel to not deserve the prize... So what! The only thing that matters it that the contest holder is happy with the logo. Thats the whole point. Us designers need to know and learn that ALL or most of our clients wont be designers, so of course don't have the eye for certain things. Good designers know how to design around this, and target what they feel their client wants. Just my two cents though. Regards, - Nick
Agree with everyong. - Prize - Poorly designed entrys winning because the thread starter doesn't know about design - Chances of winning, slim.
Reason to participate: build/buffer portfolio, test and improve skills especially conceptualizing (is that a word?), accepting a challenge, building a clientel.... Sometimes the prize is worth it, and sometimes it's not. Don't do it only for the money as there are other "prizes" you gain through the process. However, I think as this contest forum continues to grow, rules need to be implemented to protect all parties involved.
Never a truer word spoken. Too many people are offering labour work at insulting prices ($20? Come on...) and others waste time and cancel, sometimes despite lots of great work and, no doubt it my mind, a lot of work is probably stolen/not paid for.
How many people would still enter contests if there was no prizes? The reward is merely that your folio grows and you have some pride that your work is displayed on many sites. I know I still would, because like I said it's not my main form of money-making. That happens between 2am and 8am usually haha, i'm pretty nocturnal, can't work on web sites during the day, it makes me go potty.
Same here, I'm very nocturnal now. I used to teach English here in China but I didn't want to do it anymore. I thought about returning home to the UK, but turned to do freelance work instead and see how long I can stay afloat over here. Trips to Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam soon! Woo hoo. Sooo warm over here though. Horrible warm. Sometimes, whilst walking outside, everything is just white 'cause it's so bright. Wo bu xi huan ahhh!
very true, someone should set a site up just for comps!! (not counting sitepoint too many designers there!!)
I only participate because of two things. First, I love to draw and design stuff, this was always my #1 hobby. And second of all, it relaxes me, especially after a hard day of work. Like I said before, I'm not a graphic designer its just my hobby. And of course, Im not going to deny the fact that it is nice to get paid from time to time
From my experience in the past, there are several business models 1) Competition in auction format - example, scriptlance.com. Webmaster post the project and designer ( or programmer ) bid. +ve point for designer : Designer don't have to waste their time for nothing. +ve point for webmaster : Webmaster don't have to pay the fee for their future projects because they already have the contact info for the particular designer -ve point for designer : for junior without any rating, the % to win a project is less than 10% -ve point for webmaster : Webmaster can't get the best logo if they pick the wrong designer. 2) Competition using forum portal ( DP, SP etc ) +ve point for designer : Designer can build up their reputation and learn how to improve their skill +ve point for webmaster : A lot. They can choose the best logo. -ve point for designer : A lot. Designer may lost their artwork here. -ve point for webmaster : I can't find any because webmaster have the right not to choose a winner if they are not happy with the work Just my 2 cents