Saving money can be expensive

Couple of days ago I received and RFQ from a government entity. They needed a logo and some applications for it so I was thrilled to see what the project was about. As I read on the RFQ it soon turned out to be an invitation to a logo contest and a dodgy one too. They wanted a sketch or an idea for a logo, reserved the right to back out of the deal, deadline was in less than two weeks and that's not all: they expressively pointed out that the cheapest one will win.

Folks, this is not how you go about designing a logo or business identity. Creative work is not something you buy in bulk or emphasize low price over everything else. Logos and graphic design are highly customized products - in order for them to be successful, designer has to be familiar with the product, company and the project.

Now I'm not trying to sound elitist here. There certainly are endless cases where a highly customized work is simply not needed or won't provide enough value. The thing is to consider your aspirations and adjust the RFQ accordingly. In the one I received the expectations were high but conceptions about creative work were coarsely flawed.

I love my work and practically all of my clients are a pleasure to work with. I treasure them and their goals and in return, they value my work and my opinion. It's a pity that in large institutions this concept is just too difficult to grasp and focus is on saving money, no matter the cost.