Design Freeloaders | Mysterious Ad Art | Adobe Mistake
So many topics have popped into my head and inbox as of late, that I've decided to throw you all bits and pieces of some of them. These things run the gamut between online design, help-wanted postings to a strange advertisement photo to that trainwreck of a logo from Adobe. Let's get started...
I came across this article/post in reference to people posting their desire for design work for free:
Dear Craigslist (Las Vegas),
I would like to take this time to bring a problem to your attention that you may not be aware of. It is a problem that is seriously affecting myself, my peers, and our clients… and it needs immediate attention!!!
The problem, in a nutshell, is freeloading.
You see, here on the creative gig boards...you will find a plethora of talented, hard-working, highly skilled professionals from many different fields. Designers, Illustrators, Photographers and more. These are not people who are hard-up, or starving. Some of us just seek the occasional extra bit of income to supplement our salaries. Some of us use CL as a primary source of that income. Either way, using CL does not, by any measure, define us as some sort of discount day-labor or bargain-basement boobs who will do anything for a dollar.
Every day, the CL gig boards across the nation are being inundated with posts seeking skilled, professional services for “free” or “cheap”. Some offer the “opportunity” to “build your portfolio”. Others offer payment “Once my project is sold” to a publisher, etc. Some are even bold enough to equate compensation with the chance for your work “to be seen” on their website/business card/letterhead/etc.
In short, they are looking for free work.
Now, I am not begrudging anyone’s right to ask for free work. But I am making you aware that, because of the hordes of these posts appearing on CL daily, it is becoming increasingly difficult and frustrating for myself and my peers to find serious gigs.
It is also forcing us to scrutinize what serious gigs we do find, to the point where, I am sure, many serious professionals are no longer willing to post on the CL gig board, for fear of being lumped in with these freeloaders. In short, it is hurting everyone but the freeloaders.
I ask you to create a separate, “FREE” gig board for these people. This way, they can post to their heart’s content, and be sure to reach their target audience, as only those looking to work for nothing will read this board.
This way, when we flag the non-paying ones, there will be no question whether or not we are in the right in doing so.
This is a fairly straightforward and simple solution to a plaguing problem. I urge you to take this action immediately. Myself, and my peers, would be eternally grateful!
I don't know who wrote this, but I can fully agree with the notion. I do a weekly post in the San Francisco Bay Area CL community offering my freelance design services and get responses from a lot of these freeloaders. I guess you get what you pay for...
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Next, take a look at this photo from an internet ad that popped up on my email portal screen:
What is up with this "woman"? What is her left hand doing? Am I just seeing things, or is she/he grabbing what looks like male anatomy under her dress? Just what are these "Mystery Shoppers" supposed to be shopping for? Let's move on...
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Last, but not least, is this "logo" from Adobe for Photoshop:
Where did it come from and what were they thinking? How does it fit in with any of the other CS branding elements? Are they going to "design" a similar type logo for Illustrator? InDesign? Acrobat? Let's hope not. But, if they did, it would at least show some continuity with this random branding strategy. Let's all learn from this one, folks...
As always, thanks for reading this and POSTING YOUR COMMENTS - Post something, will ya?
At this point Adobe Photoshop and its other brand products don't need fancy graphics to tout their products. The simple letter system appeals to me. If they are reintroducing graphics to their products its a poor idea. Why preach to the converted?
obviously, if you choose to become a mystery shopper, this woman will come to your house and rub her privates...that's what it's saying to me.
First I no longer post on CL because of that reason, it would be nice if they could control the freeloaders.
Second, if you shop for free either you get a sexy woman or you'll look like a sexy woman.
Third, I watched the keynote address from the top guy at Adobe during the Photoshop world a month or so ago and they talked about the new logo. I say, whatever, if Adobe feels they need new logos, lets see what happens. It's the best program out there and everyone knows it.