devaluing student work

I work as a graphic artist. Our unions and guild work very hard to eliminate so-called design contests - usually situations where a private for-profit business tries to get student proposals and briefs for free (as well as work from amateurs and professionals facing a job market driven even more competitive by scams like these), while offering as a prize a cash award less than what they'd pay for a single brief and project from a commercial designer. These "speculative contests" are an underhanded and dishonest way for clients to get plenty of choices without paying craftspeople for their work.

Over on Planetizen, I see a press release advertising a similar plan: the Chamber of Commerce in Jackson, MI will pay out a $25,000 cash award to the student or group of students who can come up with the most succesful urban renewal/revitalization plan for their 8-acre downtown. I think this just devalues the entire profession. Asking students to do professional work – which many of them are perfectly able to do – and then pay only those the Chamber likes the best is ridiculous. What about the dozens of others who worked their asses off and weren't picked? The spiritual capital they gain from hard work is supposed to somehow compensate them? All this does is devalue the work of all planners. Do we really want to teach students that they may not be paid at all for their best work? Do we want to teach clients that they don't need to pay for good work?

Former Jackson Planning Commission member Charles Aymond said maybe not all projects were feasible but the biggest value of the competition was the influx of new ideas.

Yes, I'm sure it was - including all of those "new ideas" that didn't win the prize, but which still become the property of the Chamber. What a deal for them!

Comments

[gaela]

Ugly opportunism. What do professors and students think about these contests? Symmetrical to combatting the proliferation of Wal-Mart by changing consumer habits, so we need to a grass roots effort to discourage participation in such contests. Students! Don't be lured into this TRAP! Of course, I once entered an local advertising contest in the third grade to win chocolate...dang.

[ali]

i agree that it's pretty unfair for contestants, however, if a city has an extremely limited budget and wouldn't be able to afford to hire a "real" firm- having a contest could really be mutually beneficial. the city gets help and a great plan, the student or contest winner gets recognition, future work, and a prize. also, the idea of a contest has worked in places like curitiba, brazil.

[one.person]

This is hardly different from unpaid/little pay internships. Interns work for free / less than commercial wages to gain experience and practical knowledge about their field.

I suspect that the pressure from deadlines, constructive criticism about their work, and exposure to people in their field, just like most internships, is well worth the time spent on one of these projects even if they don't get paid.

If students are perfectly able to do professional work, perhaps all of the barriers to entry (unions, guilds, licensure, etc.) in the field over-value the work.

[Will]

If the client is a non-profit or government, I couldn't disagree more with the post. I worked on a five-month project for a base redevelopment while in grad school. The project became my thesis, and led to some good offers and a great job. Furthermore, as Yale Architecture found out this year, it is helpful to meet with and learn from clients before you start working for them.

I suspect that the town of Jackson does not know what is required to generate a good plan, but I also suspect they don't have the muncipal funding for the $100,000 it would take to bring in Sasaki Associates, either.

[Dale]

I know some people who worked on the Michigan team for the Jackson project. Yes, they worked their asses off and didn't have anything to show for it (except a great proposal), but I think this article comes down to hard on these competitions/initiatives. I agree with the comparison to internships -- I have done work for non-profits and museums through university courses and so forth, but the reality was that we both got something from the deal. In one case, it led to a job. Jackson needed and needs the help; the students wanted the experience and the chance for their ideas to be considered seriously. I think both groups will benefit and I don't see the need for there to be only one method of improving urban design (client established professional).

[erin]

i took part in this competition, which i must say involved some shady politics in the end, but also great real world problems to work out.

of course the chamber held the competition because they wanted to get new ideas for
virtually no price at all. that's why competitions evolve in most design
cases. it is good for students to have the ability to take advantage of close to real world experience with true cities problems, along with politics that they need to witness early in their careers.

and, you know the job offers i'm getting now, well they respect competition
experience.

i've done two and i'm always look for more of them. they're completely worth the time.

if you read up on most designers, they start out doing these competitions. that's how they get work viewed. especially europeans working across all the borders. the competitions often apply to european students and professionals!

no one in their right mind will give beginners cool projects, so go for the competitions!

-erin