Design 21: Social Design Network

Damn straight. I can't believe a company so concerned with image has that horrific logo associated with their name. Not that it's a good name or anything, but still. What exactly do you think their logo is? At first I assumed it was a gradated eyeball... oooooo originality. But on further examination I think that it is a bowling ball inside of an orb. Or perhaps a woman stretching on her side while wearing a flower on her bald head. And then we have the type. Certainly an interesting blend there. 3-4 weights in media, and then some travesty of tracking and stretched type on the cai part. So yes, I think you hit the nail on the head with your point. Why would anyone want to hire a "media communicator" from them? I hope they don't list graphic design or web as one of their ways to help clients.

Does anyone really know how to unsubscribe from this site because there doesn't seem to be a way. I don't even want my name on here. Until then I will just be coming back and writing snarky remarks.

I'm sorry, but this is a complete and total crock o' shyte. You have completely discredited yourself as an organization in my mind. It's not that I mind that my work wasn't "chosen" as a finalist, in fact I wouldn't expect much looking at the previous selections from judging. And in fact I know how bad film festival logos are, aside from Tribeca and a few others who have invested in their identities. But for you to say that out of 1605 entries a decision could not be made was irrelevant. If anything you needed less judges. Judging by committee is the worst thing ever and everyone with half a sense of business knows it does not work.

As a graphic designer, my opinion about design competitions is that they are evil things. They are for people who don't want to pay for design services and so they offer a "competition" instead of hiring a couple firms whose work they like and asking for sketches. And in my mind film festivals are the worst offenders of this. I entered another film competition for GenArt last year (begrudgingly) and of course they chose some drop-shadowed, contrived, photoshop deluxe solution, but I am proud of the entry that I produced and have received great feedback about it from some of the best studios in New York.

So what am I getting at?

1) Stop offering these "competitions" if a panel of designers by committee can't make a decision.

2) Don't cover it up with a blanketed response on your site with some semi-apologetic resp...