So I’m currently AT flash forward.  live blogging for the win!  The WiFi in here is really really spotty, so this is probably going to be my only post.  It’s been pretty fun so far, San Fran is a beautiful city.  The convention hall is pretty awesome too.  The keynote is in about fifteen minutes.  They have a pretty sweet computer lounge downstairs, I might sneak in there every so often to throw some stuff up.  Also, Mike Gong says hi.

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photo evidence (mike gong says hi!)

My current company, in it’s infinite wisdom, is sending about 90% of the creative department to Flash Forward in San Francisco.  Flash Forward is a design, usability, accesibilty, developing (etc etc…) conference that focuses mainly on the use of Adobe Flash.  I’m pretty excited about going.  I’ve always heard about it, and that it’s a lot of fun, but have never had the pleasure of attending.  Before I started this job, I was familiar enough with flash, and used it on occassion, but not to the extent that my new position forces me to, and I’m having a blast learning all kinds of new things.  I’m pretty stoked to go to all the lectures and workshops that I can fit in.  I’ll be bringing a camera, and my laptop, so don’t be surprised if some blogging happens while I’m out there (barring that the hotel/conference area has free wifi).  If you’re going as well, hit me up, I might be able to swing by whereever you’ll be and say hi.  Also, I’ll have stickers to give out.  ONWARD!

(p.s. Scott McCloud is going to be there talking about comics…I’m pretty much nerding out about that).

So, I’ve recently added a new feature to the site, using a pretty cool new web tool, Firefly.

It’s a pretty nifty little javascript tool.  You simply add a small string of code to your site, and visitors can turn live chat on and off.  The chat is displayed over top of your screen, in real time, allowing you to see the chat bubbles and cursors of other users.  When set up as admin, you can control the content allowed in the chats, and ban certain users from chatting on your page, as well as look up logs from your chat.  It’s like the next evolution of twitter.  People can leave messages, or interact with your site, on a whole new level.

I’m going to leave it installed for the forseeable future on this site, unless I feel it needs to come down, enjoy playing with it! (simply click the handy slider in the sidebar!)

There are many websites out there that boast the ability to have designs done for you on the cheap, or more quickly, or what have you, and most of them I tend to ignore. That being said, there is one that has come to my attention recently which irks me more than any I’ve seen before it. 99designs.com is a giant pile of ripoff, wrapped up in web 2.0 jargon. I’m being quite forward and mean, yes, but the “how it works” statement is enough to make me very angry.

To quote the opening line:

Getting something designed at 99designs is easy. We help you run a “design contest”, where thousands of designers compete to create the best possible design to meet your needs. All you need is a clear idea of what you want designed and how much you’re prepared to pay for it.

First off, just the initial idea of a “design contest” is very off putting. Let’s be honest, you’re not running a contest, you’re trolling for a cheap designer. Also, contests are generally a situation in which you throw in your name (sometimes some sort of entry fee) and you win a prize. I can’t recall how many contests I’ve entered in my life, but I can say I never entered a contest where I win the right to be exploited.

Another point “designers compete to create the best possible design to meet your needs” is completely and utterly false. Blindly submitting a design, amidst “thousands” of other people, to a project you know very little about (reading a small brief is no substitute for actual client-designer interaction) is not meeting a client’s needs. Face it, most of the designers probably glanced over the brief, if that, and a good majority of the clients don’t even really fill it out to any useful extent. It’s a small step above picking a template. The design is going to reflect the designers habits and likes, and it may not suit the client at all.

Secondly, and probably my biggest problem, is this line:

Step 2: Set Your Budget

We will ask you how much you’re willing to pay the winning designer to purchase their design. This is called the prize. Prize amounts generally range from $50 to $500 depending on the type of design you require.

Right off the bat, they are instructing users to not only underpay the designer who “wins” but also, undercut any potential freelancers who would be competing against this site for business.

Essentially, this whole website is a pitch for spec work. It dumbs down, and devalues what a good, honest, and knowledgeable designer can do for a client. It’s also flooding the market with less-than-inspired designs, because most self-respecting designers are not going to commit their work to this website.

I urge you to go ahead and poke around on the site, think long and hard about what they are doing, poke around in their terms and conditions, and make an educated decision for yourself.

Also, while deciding what to write in this article, I came across another designer aggravated by this “service” graphicPUSH says this a lot more eloquently than I probably could, and I suggest you read his article as well.

I know I haven’t posted in a while, so to make up for it, I give you free icons. (You can’t be mad at me now, internet people)

It’s a 4-icon pack, consisting of some of the illustrations in my site. You’ll find them both in Mac and Windows format. I hope you enjoy!

Mac version. ICNS format.

Download!

Windows Version. ICO Format.

Download!