It still amazes me that some designers actually defend their ‘right’ to work for free. All philisophically sound I suppose. However, I have the right to smash my head against a wall, but realize that it’s not a particularly good idea. Take for example – the protection for designers when contest holders abandon contests, probably absconding with the designs and images posted by entrants. Amounts to none. Nada. 99 Designs offers this suggestion in their ‘guidelines’ -

You can withdraw from a contest — close it down without awarding your prizes — but this course of action won’t exactly endear you to designers, for obvious reasons.

That’s nice. Holders can stiff the designers humping their designs, but 99 Designs would prefer if they didn’t, because designers wouldn’t like it. As far as client expectations go, a spokesperson for 99 Designs had this to say in the comment section of Graphic Push –

Then there’s the newbie designers and hobbyists – for them 99designs.com is really just a way to build a decent sized portfolio of design work and improve their skills by working on real projects with real clients. It beats working at McDonalds while you put yourself through design school.

Must have missed it, but I couldn’t find that little nugget mentioned anywhere on the site. Rather 99 Designs offers themselves up as an equal, if not superior, alternative to working with a serious designer in the development of a new company logo. If these logo design contest sites offered themselves up as a quilting bee kind of gig, I would be non-plussed. Unfortunately, they don’t and try to have it both ways. “Hey, we’re a professional solution” when boasting to potential customers. “Hey, we’re not really a professional solution – lighten up” when deflecting criticism aimed at them by the design community.

Did like the working at McDonalds comment though. Judging by the number of ‘entrants’ and ‘payouts’, the odds lean towards making a lot more money shoveling fries at the corner Micky Dees.

For what it’s worth, Positive Spaces takes a look at 99 Designs – The Evil That Changed Names.