One way of trying to get free, or at the very least cheap, design material is to launch a contest for a logo or other design elements. This is not surprising coming from an association as clueless as the IOC but for Canada’s ‘leading’ media supplier to take this on as a practice is ethically corrupt.

Recently the CBC has launched a contest, aimed at graphic designers, to produce a logo for their show The Dragons’ Den. Their condescension is made worst by their call for entries that claims this is a worth while venture for a designer since their efforts ‘may’ be seen by 2.2 million viewers.

http://www.designtourney.com/project/The-Dragons-Den-needs-a-new-logo/brief/120

No other industry would accept this as good practice. I cannot image a ‘contest’ requesting carpenters to build sets for the show, and whomever supplies the most popular work will get paid. Why then are the education, expertise and portfolio of a marketing and design expert not respected in the same way?

The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada calls this speculative work and it is strictly against their members’ code of ethics. This means that any professional member taking part in a contest like this is not only cheapening their worth but is also putting  their professional accreditation at risk, and rightly so.

GDC Code of Ethics can be downloaded here… http://www.gdc.net/database/rte/file/1_3%20Ethics%202006.pdf

Speculative work is covered in section 40.

The contest details show types of logos that the CBC find acceptable. These include logos for the Olympics, Nike, Toyota, Ferrari and more. These are all companies who have spent thousands to develop their brand and logo marks yet the CBC is expecting us to provide the same level of research and expertise with no compensation.

We work hard to build up solid portfolios and provide out clients with a product that properly promotes them to their following. As educated and experienced business professionals, we deserve, and expect, to be paid for our time.

I sincerely hope that the Society of Graphic Designers go after the CBC as hard and as publically as they did when the IOC tried this.

Posted in Industry News