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This feels shady Dribbble, anyone else?

over 4 years ago from , Web Designer

Saw this on Dribbble recently.

https://dribbble.com/shots/6628207-Buddy-Playoff-Automate-the-Web-Development?utm_campaign=announcement-107&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=dribbble

Winner receives an ipad to do a redesign of this screen. Is that really all it takes to get you people to do my design work for me for free? I don't even know who to wave blame at hahaha. But I think Dribbble is in the wrong here. Obviously they were paid a pretty penny for this. But you gotta raise the stakes a bit fellas. An Ipad is a slap to the face. Might as well go design for 99designs.

But anyways enough with my rant. Currently need some serious UX help on a fitness project, please submit to my email. Winner will receive an ipod shuffle and my old wacom tablet.

29 comments

  • Denis RojcykDenis Rojcyk, over 4 years ago

    I really like how all the rebounds are just random dribbble shots :D

    21 points
    • Cameron SageyCameron Sagey, over 4 years ago

      This is the best hahaha. Might just rebound with a random shot of my own

      2 points
      • Matthew O'ConnorMatthew O'Connor, over 4 years ago

        I'm thinking of either making a really bad Paint+comic sans style one, or a post saying "F**K SPEC WORK" and rebound it.

        1 point
    • Rob GillRob Gill, over 4 years ago

      I think this just illustrates how much the brief make no f-ing sense, paraphrasing…

      Use Buddy's template to design your own and share it! Buddy offers 100+ web development automation actions. You can use only a few in your design to show your design concept.



      What the hell? So you want me to design a new template? Or you want me to use your template… to do what? And I’m only allowed to user a “few”… so many questions at this point…

      

…[panic!] submit an illustration and hope for the best. XD

      2 points
  • Aaron Wears Many HatsAaron Wears Many Hats, over 4 years ago

    Say no to spec work

    20 points
  • Gokhun GuneyhanGokhun Guneyhan, over 4 years ago

    It's not spec work, it's just a promotion for both parties.

    OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES: The ownership of your Entry remains with you and is not transferred to the Promotion Parties. By submitting an Entry, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and grant the Promotion Parties an exclusive, fully paid-up and royalty-free, license to publicly display your Entry on https://dribbble.com and in any media formats through any media channels.

    8 points
    • Scott LewisScott Lewis, over 4 years ago

      I disagree. It is spec work. Dribbble + Buddy are trying to promote Buddy's business. They figure the best way to attract web professionals is to run a contest. So they enlist a bunch of designers - an audience that overlaps with their users - to generate a bunch of free content for them on the promise of maybe getting paid if their design is selected. It doesn't really matter that the designer retains ownership (more on that in a minute) and that the designs won't actually be used as the site template on the site because that isn't the purpose. The content is the purpose. Dribbble is not a design business it is a publisher. In other words, it is in the content business. Its product is content. So by enlisting creators of the type of content they publish to work for free with the promise of being paid only if their design is selected, they are 100% engaging in spec work. Ownership of the entries is irrelevant. Dribbble & Buddy have the right to reproduce the content (designs) on whatever media they want in perpetuity.

      Again, it is 100% spec work. Unless you can pay your bills with "exposure dollars" then there is almost zero benefit to the designers, who are creating the actual content. If you can't spend "exposure dollars" then you are working for free and getting paid is contingent upon your design being chosen. In just about every way possible, this is identical to spec work.

      4 points
  • John KarlssonJohn Karlsson, over 4 years ago

    Also it's only open to residents in US, Canada & UK but they don't really advertise that until the fine print. Feel bad for the people putting in hours without knowing they can't win... I hope the guy who posted 5 unrelated car illustrations win hahah

    6 points
  • Duke CavinskiDuke Cavinski, over 4 years ago

    If you're a newb, why not, who cares. That said, I sure as hell wouldn't participate.

    5 points
  • Cameron GettyCameron Getty, over 4 years ago

    Do people still use Dribbble seriously?

    4 points
  • Ryan Bollenbach, over 4 years ago

    I decided to enter: https://dribbble.com/shots/6673707-Buddy-Playoff-Add-a-new-Pipeline

    It's been a cool experience and it's interesting to see the ideas people have.

    I felt it was a fun exercise, it was cool to learn about their app and how it works... lots of interesting workflows.

    I would definitely do more of these contests in the future!

    2 points
  • Diego LafuenteDiego Lafuente, over 4 years ago

    I'm not agaisnt this practice. In the end, they're both (they and the designers) voluntarily doing this.

    2 points
    • Scott LewisScott Lewis, over 4 years ago

      As much as I hate the practice of spec work, I have to agree with you. I find it disappointing that Dribbble is actively promoting the practice of spec work and stupid competitions to get designers to generate free content for a promotional campaign they are no doubt being paid for,

      0 points
      • Diego LafuenteDiego Lafuente, over 4 years ago

        Dribbble is not the same company. In fact it was acquired by another company so now the values and direction has changed. No surprise they don't put the buck to some young promise instead of doing this shit contests.

        0 points
        • Scott LewisScott Lewis, over 4 years ago

          Yeah, I remember when they were acquired and my first thought was that their focus would no longer be design but monetization. I was not wrong, apparently.

          0 points
        • Scott LewisScott Lewis, 4 years ago

          Turns out we were spot on. Dribbble is now expiring invites to push designers to invite more people faster. What I wonder is, why have invites at all when the focus is clearly on growing its user base as quickly as possible? On the one hand, I don't blame Cederholm et all for selling. I would too. On the other hand, disappointed that they didn't at least find a buyer who who remain true to the original ethos.

          0 points
  • John PJohn P, over 4 years ago

    Dribbble in 2019.... lol

    2 points
  • Mantas StankevičiusMantas Stankevičius, over 4 years ago

    Uff, yeah, haven't thought about it like that. Saw it the other day and was like 'meh, whatever', but now it does seem awful like 99designs lol

    2 points
  • Thomas Michael SemmlerThomas Michael Semmler, over 4 years ago

    I wonder when people are going to realise that dribbble is not a community for professional designers. I think there should be an outrage about this, but there isn't because the people on dribbble mainly care about exposure and nothing else. They would have done this even if there was no iPad involved.

    1 point
  • Robert HarriganRobert Harrigan, over 4 years ago

    Ya. It’s scummy. I did the no spec work rebound and after Dribbble defender themselves by saying it’s not spec cause you retain ownership I deleted my account.

    1 point
  • Kyle Y, over 4 years ago

    I have the same opinion about design "contests", but I also think there's a time and place in a designer's career where these types of contests provide motivation to practice and become better.

    0 points
  • Frédéric AudetFrédéric Audet, over 4 years ago

    https://dribbble.com/shots/6662132-No-spec-work

    0 points
  • Robin GoyalRobin Goyal, over 4 years ago

    Which ipad?

    0 points