Design Contests are a hotly debated subject at the moment. On one side you have designers that feel they are losing out on worthwhile business to cheap contests on websites and forums, and on the other side you have designers that either earn their living through these contests, or use them as a testing ground to improve their design abilities.

It may seem silly for someone who designs and developers for clients on the Web to promote an online site where users can run contests to get what they want made with minimal fuss, but I respect people enough not to pull the wool over their eyes about their alternatives. The big design contest website in question is 99designs, a website that branched off from the ever-popular Sitepoint.com.

As far as my views on the subject go, I have always been, and remain entirely neutral to Design Contests, as I feel they do not take away from my target market in the slightest.

If a Client wishes to go to a design firm or a freelance worker to get a design, then on top of their price they get a detailed project briefing, clearly-set goals and objectives for what the design is to look like, and the eventual design created and signed off happily by the client. A Design Contest merely requires that you register to a website and write a listing about what you want designed and a price and date set down for the design. Once the time is up you choose the best one and that user gets the money. Sounds good, right?

Well, not exactly. This is a very direct and impersonal approach to design work, and in the end you sacrifice potential happiness. In the very likely chance that you cannot reach an agreement on a design with a designer during the time limit you still have to pay for the best one. You also never get to see or hear much from the designer outside of the website, and that is a shame when you have your heart set on a certain design. It really restricts you if you like to shop around for a good deal.

In a way it’s like buying a new car. You may want a fast, red sports car. If you go to a dealer you can shop around various places for the car you like, which can be stressful and time-consuming. In the end you could always ask a car expert to get the best possible car for you, and you may end up with a great one. Still, you could end up wishing for a Ferrari and ending up in a Fiat. It is a definite risk, and one you should consider when dealing with contests.

For designers it’s a great way to push creative muscle. Instead of taking on clients that want an exact design you are given freedom to express yourselves a bit more. At the end of the day you have a piece for your portfolio, regardless of if you win or not. Still, it’s cheap work and rarely pays brilliantly.

I don’t see the contest debate as a purely two-sided argument. People want to take sides without thinking of the situations facing other designers. Whilst it may seem like cheap money to people in America in eastern countries it may be a lot of money and a vital part of a designers income. On my online travels I’ve seen several designers from countries like India that use contests as a main source of income. Yes, design contests devalue certain markets, but as designers and developers it’s something we have to learn to live with. What we designers and developers need to be working on is our business practices and our skillsets, and if design contests help designers become better then I’m okay with it.

If you are a client that’s looking for a website, logo or print media to be created then there is a lot of selection. However, it’s best to look at all the alternatives before a decision is made. If you go with a design firm or freelancer you can get a cheap website that is usable, looks great and conforms to standards, or you could get an expensive web-veteran that drags code and images from projects in the 90’s and provides nothing but headaches as you throw ideas back and forth. On the other side you could enter a design contest and get a cheap design that looks great, or a reasonably expensive fee for a design you’re either not happy with or feel that doesn’t represent what you wanted.

You may believe there to be some bias, but I truthfully believe that a personal approach is needed for design and development projects. Still, I occasionally see some great designs come from design contests on forums, so it’s really down to client preference.