Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for us, so that we could test the site by running a design contest of our own (check it out). We did not want, need, nor intend to use the winning design. Unless of course, we change our mind on that last point-it is pretty snazzy!
Product/Service
Logo My Way is an online community that connects businesses with amateur and professional graphic designers around the world. Businesses pay an upfront fee (generally $200-$500) to fund a logo contest. This fee is offered as “prize” and awarded to the winning designer. Logo My Way takes a 10% administrative fee from the winner’s booty.
About the Company
Joe Daley is definitely not your “average Joe.” A few months ago, this thirty-something web designer from Ohio, founded Logo My Way. The business’s homepage explains in a clear bullet format, why a business should use their site and how much it is going to cost. And you can’t argue with their facts. For a rock bottom price, a business will get to select from perhaps a hundred logos designed specifically for them. There’s a money back guarantee if at least 40 entries aren’t received, and the business gets a contract giving it full 100% ownership. However, Logo My Way’s “spec” service is proving to be quite a controversial undertaking.
Joe sees himself as a “facilitator.” He provides a way to connect small businesses that need a logo design with graphic designers who can provide this service. But here’s where things begin to heat up. Instead of hiring one of the designers, the business runs a logo contest. Hundreds of designers may submit a logo, but ultimately only one logo wins and only one designer is paid. Many experts feel this is taking advantage of hungry designers and devaluating the service of professionals. But from Joe’s point of view, it’s a “win-win” situation. Who’s right? Well, it depends on how you look at it.
The Pros
You have to admit-this is a sweet deal for businesses. It makes me want to start one just to get a great logo. A business owner would have to be freakin crazy not to get their logo here. They will have more than 40 logos to choose from, guaranteed, and you can see by perusing the winning samples that these are top notch! On the flip side, designers from around the world can participate. Each one gets a portfolio on the site to showcase their work. They can also put their logos in their personal portfolio. This is a great way for new designers to get some exposure and experience. You could look at it as a “practice run.” This spec work gives newbies a feel for what clients are looking for and how to modify their designs with the client feedback provided. It’s a great place to hang out if you are a freelancer with down time. You might even look on it as a hobby-a form of “doodling for cash.” Hey, how many of you buy lottery tickets? Maybe you don’t really expect to win-but you never know if you don’t enter. Logo My Way is sort of like that. And it gives you a chance to hone your skills and do something constructive with your spare time. I know I’m going to sound like my mother here…but how many hours do you waste playing video games or watching television? Here is something fun and constructive you can do in your spare time. No stress…no looming deadline….and you might just make a little money.
The Cons
“Might” is the operative word here. Many will enter, few will win. This is a total waste of time for an experienced designer. Professional designers don’t need the experience and the potential to snag a high paying client is not really there. And, if you need steady income, this is not the place for you, either. You may spend hours designing a great logo, and then the client chooses a tasteless one not near as great as yours-OUCH! Some feel that spec work is akin to ambulance chasing. You might get some work…but you usually just spend a lot of time spinning your wheels. Instead of being a positive experience, spec work is often depressing. Don’t underestimate what a negative effect losing a design contest, time after time after time, can have on your ego. Designing is a personal experience. A designer digs deep into his soul to come up with a work that he thinks is his best effort. When one bears this to the world and then receives rejection in return, it can be devastating. A designer may very well do quite decent work, and then be “discouraged” out of the business by this “contest” scheme. Something about that just seems downright immoral! Then, there’s the whole argument about how this bargain basement practice devaluates the work of graphic designing professionals. Did you ever hear, “Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free?” If Logo My Way succeeds, it could be a kick in the teeth to the big guys who now can demand thousands of dollars for a logo. Suppose a major corporation wanted a redesign. Let’s say McDonald’s has grown tired of those golden arches and they want a fresh new look. Why hire a professional company and pay a million dollars for a logo, when Joe could fix them up with hundreds of logos to choose from, for only a thousand bucks? Now granted McDonald’s would need market research and evaluation services that Logo My Way does not provide. But, can you hear the knees of professional graphic designers starting to knock a little? Yep-they’re definitely beginning to get a little nervous above the long range effects of this practice. Will it cut into their potential profits? My Magic 8 ball says “Definitely maybe.”
Conclusion
Logo My Way is an idea whose time has come. In a world where most of us are accustomed to “instant gratification” this company has found a niche. A small start up company with limited resources, can get a great logo designed-cheap! To be politically correct I should say the service is “inexpensive.” But, let’s face it-it’s CHEAP! It’s so cheap that many professionals claim it’s a “steal.” They argue that Joe is taking advantage of struggling designers and that he’ll burn in hell. Well, maybe not quite that-but you get the point.
Joe Daley’s, Logo My Way has created a lot of controversy. His work will be known around the world for both “good and evil.” It seems to me to be a 50/50 split. You have to admit, Joe has a shrewd business idea and with the right marketing, I predict he’s going to go places! Not too average…not average at all, Joe!
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About The Author
Jacob Haug
My name is Jacob Haug, and I spend the majority of my time in website development. I donate many hours each day helping the web community with technical aspects of website design and development. My current project is The Web Squeeze. A “NEW”, “FRESH”, Web Design and Development community dedicated to helping make the internet a better place! @JacobHaug
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Comments
The first design is surprisingly good! The second one isn’t bad, but the remaining ones — with the helvetica/arial, they remind me of my early days in design. Obsessed with helvetica on tight-kerning, etc, etc. There’s no design sense whatsoever, and well, no-one could use it as their logo! What, a few brackets around one of THE most common fonts and a bit of tight kerning. Like that hasn’t been done before. That’s what makes these kind of sites look bad. On the other hand, as I said, the first one has a bit of creative flare, thank God.
—D—
I agree with you Denise, somewhat. Maybe Helvetica was not the right decision, but as a logo (for TWS) I feel that the 4th is better then the 1st or the second.
To me the alignment on the first one is a bit off, it’s a good idea but the way it’s composed seems almost cheep as if they got to then end and went “that’ll do” without polishing. On the flip side the idea on the 3rd and 4th isn’t as original but it works better as a logo. Also, the brackets are there to signify “the squeeze” part of “the web squeeze” they aren’t just there to add something else to an otherwise plain design.
As for the 2nd, well, the colour balance is OK and I kind of get the globe concept. But otherwise it looks like a stock logo stuck on top of Arial font. Again, “That’ll do”.
You said:
“That’s what makes these kind of sites look bad.”
I don’t think it’s the fault of the designer, from what I’ve seen, I believe, that these kind of sites have 3 kinds of designers using them. Firstly, you have the freelancers who are down on their luck (MAYBE, as a result of lack of skill) or just starting out. Secondly, you have those just trying to kill some free time and hoping to make a quick buck out of it. Finally, you have those who use this site to try and earn money who take a sort of “bish, bash, bosh… next!” attitude and maybe only spend a couple of hours on each logo, a sort of… carpet bombing approach.
On this kind of site I think it is the 3rd category that will earn the most. And for this reason I think that this kind of site poses no threat to (good) larger logo designers who charge thousands, maybe only to bad professional logo designers, but quite frankly I won’t be crying if a bad company goes under.
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[... Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for ...]
[... Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for ...]
[... Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for ...]
[... Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for ...]
[... Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for ...]
[... Disclaimer: This is not a paid review. The Web Squeeze has not profited in any way from writing this article. Logo My Way paid the contest fee for ...]