Hi James
Yes, I'm in two minds about this as well. I think these kind of design contests (and I'm thinking specifically of the ones on Sitepoint) can have value for designers starting out. In the class I teach, the trainees sometimes enter these competitions and a couple of them have won, so they receive a bit of cash but importantly they also have a little bit of real world experience to put in their portfolio - so I think that's useful.
On the other hand, the people offering prizes are getting a lot of work done by lots of people for very little money, which seems a bit "design sweat shop" to me.
So it's "horses for courses" - I don't enter the competitions but I don't think there's a need for our livlihoods to feel threatened. (Famous last words!) I'm sure there will always be people who will pay for good design skills.
Jennifer |