Do You Think This Business Needs A Designer Union ?? Step Inside Please
 

I have been speaking to several designers and top design companies in this bizz the past few months.. Looking for a solution to the question of so many..
What companies have time for my projects and my deadlines.. And what companies are top notch design firms ?
Seems so many design companies come and go... One day they are offering design deals.. Next day they are nowhere to be found?
What I want to do is get all the design companies with a good reputation in one place.. One site that people looking for design and development can come to, to assure they have all the top design companies looking at the project they are looking to have developed..

So what I?m asking is for any reputable design company, adult or mainstream, to get together to form a union of design companies and firms with good reputations. This can be of reference to possible clients looking to find a trustworthy designer and also a place to find fellow designers to pass along work to.

I will answer thread topic with a vote of no.

i concur with ASM. no.

the only thing that would work is a website that allows people to rate/make comments/etc about designers they've worked with. But even then, there's too many freelancers out there and what stops someone from using a proxy/friends to beef up his/her ratings.

imo the best way to get a feel for designers is to post on the boards asking about them. Not a damn union

It will never happen.

"all the design companies with a good reputation in one place" = Broclub

I was never invited to the broclub :( Boo Hoo

Thats because you have a vagoo.
And you do not share it.

LOL I have heard it called a vag and vergina, but never a vagoo lol... Sounds Italian..
Like ehhh look at this Vagoo !!

I think it's a great idea. Can't stand it when designers fall off the face of the earth. Found a good one recently though. Kaktuz is on the ball

One of the problems l think may occur is what if someone complains a designer didnt come up to spec with a job done ?

Do you set up a meeting to discuss if that designer stays in the union ? and many other different situations could arise if you think hard about it ...

I know Will76 wanted to or at least had the idea to set up a type of adult webmaster union, although it sounded great , im sure it would have been impossible to manage in the way it was intended over time.

Just my :2 cents:

This posts makes me want fettuccine. :1orglaugh

I'm either hungry or have been in porn too long .

might be a noble idea, but who decides the definitions of a good reputation?


does sucking up to content thieves and their business partners count in "having a good reputation"?? :1orglaugh:error

Too many subjective variables I think. Good reputation or quality designs for example, by who's standard?

Also, would you send or want a prospective client to be exposed to all your competitors? Can't picture a designer sending traffic anywhere near or even mentioning this Union (as you call it).

Which would defeat the purpose of it.

See so lets get him involved... I have done work for you, and you now have someone that deos great work... so with client input I think this would work..
What site does Kaktuz run if you don't mind me asking ??

I think it is pretty clear what design companies stick out..And provide great work with no problems...

The purpose of a Union has nothing to do with that industry need. Basically you just want to create a website with a list of reliable and respected designers in adult. Ok so do it. Easy. heh.

Build it and they will come.

I like this idea because this would provide a good way to find reputable and trustworthy designers and less chance of getting bad deals.

mmmm Alfredo vagoo del toro

You don't think the industry needs a place where trusted, hard working designers can be found with testimonials of actual clients, and a rating system for webmasters to view..

And I love the build it they will come :)

Sure if you want to do what the unions did for the auto and other industries in the USA drive all the work overseas.

Well maybe Union is the wrong word here... A designer resource site.. Is that a better term !!

make an optional website that design firms can use and post up that they've started a job

and allow the purchaser to rate them

don't let rating happing w/o an actual creation of a job and public link to the work done

private gigs obviously wouldn't work.. but if the buyer & designer are willing to do it to maintain / prove their integrity it couldnt hurt

That would be a good idea.

Yea very good idea.. Maybe have it so when the site is finished if the site owner wanted to do a little write up stating why they would recommend this designer and why.. Almost like a review site for designers, with the rating and comments all from clients that have spent money..
And on the designer side, the clients that don't pay and are a pain in the ass to deal with ...

Have you guys heard of elance.com ?

HOW ABOUT BUILDING A WEBSITE THAT...

Shows reliable clients?

Union or not i will always deal with YOU..nothing but top notch and prompt service!!
Thanks

Nice idea, but this business isn't that mainstream.

Isnt that the concept behind rent-a-coder?

and in my experience, even the highest rated rent-a-coders are complete flakes.


Good idea, but impracticle to realize

great site great idea.. now lets do one for adult ...

Of course this type of Directory is needed in all industries.

I think what you'd really like to create is more of an "association" of designers who you have allowed into this special "group" of "elite" adult industry designers.

Something along the lines of that is done in mainstream design.. I'm using all of the wrong jargon..

A Union would protect/help the designer not the client.

true too...

someone needs to start an industry escrow site that doesn't rip people off (typically the service provider would pay the fees upon the completed job)... that way customers pay up front but don't have to release funds until the work is complete & accepted

there would also need to be a neutral 3rd party arbitration process (if both fall out, then you both split any fees)

pretty much like rentacoder or any other freelance service online... maybe something people can jump right into tailored to the adult industry

the rating system would work perfectly in this case because deadlines will be set, reviews & comments will be made and service providers (designer, coders, whatever) will be held accountable as well as clients

if a service provider missed a deadline the buyer can take his $ and walk, no sob stories or excuses, arbitration would see you agreed & missed. likewise if the buyer wants 50 million changes that weren't in the original specs agreed to... the designer gets paid and moves on


there you go, someone make some $

to be honest i prefer escrow services when buying... i do not want to get ripped off at all (been there done that).

any honest buyer will appreciate these things... DO NOT BUY WHAT YOU CANT PAY FOR

and service providers DO NOT AGREE TO ANYTHING YOU CANNOT DELIVER BECAUSE IN BUSINESS YOUR FLU, FUNERALS, CAR CRASHES, POWER OUTAGES, ETC ARE NOT OUR PROBLEM - WE REALLY DONT CARE

most importantly for everyone

REQUIREMENTS REQUIREMENTS REQUIREMENTS :)

well, this is not the first time I see this question asked in adult boards. And it never worked. Right now you see designers killing each other for a $20 gig, who do you think will like to give you or anyone else the chance to get a gig out of them or trust someone to hand out gigs? Plus, isn't that exactly what you do right now? I mean, you're a middle person to designers, so I see it as the same with a different name.

And I don't want to sound harsh, but there are many design companies that 'stand out', and IMHO your is not one of those. I mean, you're OK for cheap budgets, maybe medium budgets (or people with high budgets who don't want to invest in their own business), but I think DickmanDesign, Adult Design, Wyldesites and maybe Bliq are in a league of their own, then a second tier of Wolume, FDesign, IAC and maybe AdultMix and then your company and other minor design companies and individuals in a 3rd tier, with a 4th tier of outsourcing companies and fly-by-night individuals. I might be forgetting a few ones in the list, but that's the way I see it. And I can see the results reflects in the prices as well, although in your specific case your prices are quite high for the quality, in most cases the price reflects the quality (you've higher prices than the 2nd tier companies).

Again, please don't take this in a bad way, just trying to be honest here :2 cents:

the designers seal of approval. Members have to follow a set of principles. That could work.

unions are bad.

:2 cents:

Just like good coders, good designers don't need it. Word-of-mouth and existing client referrals keep them covered up. You don't see the best people soliciting for business, they don't need to.

tony404: Maybe, maybe not. Belonging to the painters union doesn't make you a good painter.

Look for the designer label
when you are building a banner, tour or tgp.

Remember somewhere our designers are working,
our wages going to run the house and feed the kids.

We work hard, but who's complaining?
Thanks to our great clients we're paying our way!

So always look for the designer label and get a better designer today!
(Sung to the tune of look for the union label)

Unions have no place in any industry, let alone one that should be driven by level of professionalism and quality of product :)

Dont like it one bit. How can you guarantee equal exposure? And again, whats good and what bad is a subjective thing. Ive had my equal share of asshole customers... and i deal with them in my own way. The only person I answer too... is my client. IM not answering to a panel of my "peers"

I was raised with union labor issues around me my entire life. That being said, I would never, ever, let me reiterate, EVER, work any union labor project again if in any way possible avoidable. Unions are worse than big corporations. It takes 5 people to tell 4 people to instruct 3 people to guide 2 people to release and clear payment to 1 one person.

There was a time and a place in America for unions... There will be a time and place again. IMHO it is not now.

union dues rock ... :thumbsup

lol yes unions are the answer to all!

I don't think you'd be able to stop people from using "scab" designers, and those doing shit for next to nothing are always going to exist...Union or not.

The concept of unions is what's wrong with western economy these days.

I'd say no.

Perhaps a better solution is to set up an escrow entity that acts as a liasson between designers and clients.

Something along the lines of AdultDesign.com (no affiliation - I just used to participate on there as a designer).

I don't think this has anything to do with people getting paid. It has more to do with getting a fair price for their services.

Unions apply to individuals.

So it would apply to designers, but not design companies.

You need a business association, for your design business.

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

this thread is in need of a description pic

http://belondes.com/tmp/broclub.gif

90% of good designers will go to shit within 12 months, between taking on too much work to starting to give out work to bad designers to just becoming lazy

To my fellow webmasters, the moment a designer misses a deadline move the fuck on, you will just have aggravation if you dont.

Cartels don't last. ESPECIALLY in a volatile market such as the online adult industry.