If the Design Exchange in Toronto really is about “Promoting the value of Canadian Design” as it claims, then one has to wonder what the hell they’re doing. In collaboration with the Department of Canadian Heritage, they have launched an open, speculative national competition for the redesign of the Canadian Cultural Gateway Website. Are you kidding me? Weren’t they paying attention during the international media tempest caused last year with the open, speculative competition to design the 2010 Vancouver Olympic logo? I reckon someone deserves a spanking.
According to the contest website, the competition is “to encourage Canadians to share their vision on the selection for the best design interface for culture.ca” by allowing anyone to submit work – for free of course – without qualifying candidates through an RFP process, to be voted on by the public, with the winner receiving $2,500 CDN for their effort. I wonder how good “the best” will be without any of the best designers in Canada participating?
The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, the national governing body of graphic design in Canada, is strongly opposed to open design competitions on speculation and prohibits members from participating in its code of ethics. GDC National President Peggy Cady reminded organizers that these open speculative “contests undermine and devalue the profession of graphic design. They also damage the Canadian economy.” and has submitted a formal complaint to the organizers as well as forwarding the issue to the Design Working Group of Trade Team Canada-Cultural Goods and Services.
Posted by Mark Busse
Michael Surtees (February 22nd, 2006)
I just got an email from the Design Exchange Express, below is part of the content…
“Oops! We Made a Mistake!
Our recent Express alert included a teaser announcing an upcoming project with Culture.ca. This project is only at the conceptual stage and no decision to proceed has been made. We apologize for any inconvenience the announcement may have caused.”
Mark Busse (February 22nd, 2006)
Looks like some heavy revisions to this competition are underway thanks in part to a story run on CBC’s “On the Coast” on Monday night by JJ Lee.
You can read the transcipt of the episode Lee’s report here.