Quality Standards in the Marketplace?

[skippytim]

Hey SitePoint...
Long time designer; rare poster. That's why most of you won't recognize me. You see, the thing I've noticed lately here at Sitepoint is this: Contents receive almost 2x the amount of entries as in the the past; but only 1/3 of the entries are even worth giving the time of day!

I mean; come on! I've seen some really terrible entries. It's quite lame. There's really nothing I hate more than spending 3 hours on a great website design and having someone compare it to a 20 minute MS Paint template with some clipart from microsoft office. Seriously!

There is an increasing amount of very sad entries to the contests; and to be honest, it's turning away contest holders and really lowering the sitepoint expectations. Myself; as a designer, I only design top quality work. If I don't like it; then I don't submit it. I like to compare my work to template monster work and make sure I meet their quality standards; because that's how I am...I think SitePoint really should try to crack down on this "fuzz"

I mean it's one thing to get it every once in a while; but I entered a contest just today... My entry was good (I thought), one i couldn't read and was so messy it looked like someone had spilled something on it and spread it around; and the other didn't follow ANY instructions at all.

I SERIOUSLY think we need some QUALITY STANDARDS. Maybe this; what if there was a program where certain designers; who met certain quality standards; for example:

• Exemplary Work
• Multiple Skills
• Takes Feedback
• Good with Clients
• Smooth Transactions

were given an award or maybe a little icon next to their name? I'm not sure how far that would get us besides seperating the serious designers and the children who submit unreadable entries that don't even follow anything the ch wanted!!

[HAWK]

It's a fine line though...

For one thing, design is very much about personal taste.
Secondly, you can't just tell someone to stop entering contests because their work is crap.
Thirdly, it's how people learn.

I completely hear your point and I do sympathise to a degree, but I think it's a bit tricky. It is significantly easier to just disregard the entries you don't like.

[HAWK]

PS - this thread should be in the feedback forum.
I'll get it moved for you.

PPS - I appreciate the effort you have made to come up with a constructive solution rather than just moaning. I don't mean to sound as if I'm disregarding it - and the other staff don't necessarily share my view anyway.

[EJ]

I agree, a lot of entries to contests I've seen lately are complete bullocks, but one entry almost always gets chosen as the winner, so is it a real problem? Can't really do anything about it either, that I can think of anyway.

If there were a filter for decent designers, I don't think there would be many designers left and then the contests wouldn't get any entries

[ses5909]

I've seen you around plenty skippy.

I have also seen what you refer to, but remember, a lot ofdesigners come here to get practice and to learn and if you compare their entries from 6 months ago with their entries today, I would guarantee you would see improvement.

[electroskan.com]

Hey that is the way contests go......everybody has the right to enter. Besides in the new contests system you don't have to scroll down a lot of entries by other designers as was the case earlier. So if you don't want to see bad work...just don't click on them.

[tini1]

Hello.......well, I've been here awhile but everytime I enter a contest I feel my design concept is infringed upon by other designers....I agree more standards and moderation...... it really makes me reluctant to enter, if I feel there is no respect from other designers....

[helix7]

I don't have a problem with amateur contest entries. I think it's great that new designers have this forum to show their ideas, get real feedback from real clients, and practice their design skills.

If you really are concerned about these entries, I think it honestly says more about you and your work than about their elementary designs. I personally don't consider them even competitors to me, as egomaniacal as that may sound.

Seriously, I think there are maybe a dozen or so designers in each contst who I truly consider "competition". Someday some of these newbie designers may become some of the regulars that I consider competitors, but until then, they don't bother me.