New to DC and looking to use frequently. Questions about reselling.

Hello everyone. First of all... I have been addicted to this site for 2 days.

I've been reading through the contests and you guys do such an amazing job.

I have owned an IT solution providor company since 2003 but now am looking to branch out into providing websites for clients more than I do. The demand has gotten to the point where I am going to start a seperate business that offers web sites exclusive of my current business.

The main reason why I am posting is to find out if I would be able to use this site's services to design site layouts for my clients. What are the policies regarding reselling designs here? Basically I will be wanting to do 3 or 4 contests a month for my clients but I would need these things:

- I would need to be able the exclusive right to put the designs when finished on my business's design portfolio.
- I would need to obtain all source files for design work done
- I would need to OWN the design
- I would need to be able to resell the design to the client

I hope this fits in with the rules and regs of DC, if so I feel as if I can bring a lot of traffic into the community and it could be mutually beneficial.

Please let me know as soon as you can as I will have a contest ready to go shortly after.

Thanks in advance!

If you are planning to ask the designer not to take credit at all for their design, and they are unable to display the work in their portfolio, you may not attract that many designers depending on the prize offered.Designers: please feel free to answer in this thread, and let likwidtek know your thoughts and feelings on this

Personally, I am not a website designer, but I see no problem with your contests.

If you are planning to ask the designer not to take credit at all for their design, and they are unable to display the work in their portfolio, you may not attract that many designers depending on the prize offered.Designers: please feel free to answer in this thread, and let likwidtek know your thoughts and feelings on this

Personally, I am not a website designer, but I see no problem with your contests.

Thanks much for your reply!

If there's a way for the designer to be able to be given credit for their work without there being two or more places on the web saying that XYZ Mortgage company designed by so and so then I'd be up for suggestions.

My biggest fear is someone doing a google search for XYZ Mortgage Company and it coming up as someone other than my company providing design services.

Aside from the credit, what about reselling the service? How does that work? Is that allowed?

Thanks again.

I think there's no problem with reselling the design obtained via contest on DC - just make the contest participants aware that you are not the final client.
There are many contests held like that - for example the web designing company may run one for a logo design (which is a service they don't usually offer and don't have employees experienced with this sort of design).

The more important part is the question of who owns the design, displays it in his portfolio, etc. I'd say that such agreement (original designer gives away all his rights) requires much bigger prize amount to attract good web designers.
These conditions have to be clearly stated in the project description, so there are no misunderstandings once it's awarded and all the participants agree for such requirements.

Hi,

I agree with Varelse.
All the conditions regarding the contest (logo, website, etc) must be clearly stated right from the start to ensure that the designers are aware of all the aspects.

Thanks for the feedback. For these terms what would a good prize be?

I would like the designer to claim credit for the work in their portfolio but I just don't want the company's name listed. Maybe it would be ok so long as nothing was linked to the company's actual site, and the company's name was not used in any of the text links. I'd almost prefer that the company's name and contact info was changed when lsited in their portfolio. Does this sound reasonable? Would this be fair enough to allow them to claim credit without having to award a lot more in the prize?

when you say "resell" layouts, what exactly do you mean? reselling to only one of your clients? or reselling these layouts/templates on a site like Template Monster?

I personally do not agree with the resale of my designs, especially since your clients could easily cut out you (the middle man) and come directly to my company. I also don't like the idea of having you get the exclusive rights to my design to put in your portfolio. To me it sounds like you want to take credit for work you didn't create, and then deceive your clients by tricking them into thinking the same thing.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound harsh, so please don't take my reply in that fashion I just want to be honest with how I feel. Many designers are trying to run their own businesses.. so it doesn't always seem logical to support a competing business in the process.

No it would not be reselling layouts like that.

Basically it would be a per client basis. Not reselling the layout over and over in mass. I'm not too sure how this would work on this contest site but that's why I wanted to start here to see how accepted it was or if it was already common.

A common scenerio would be like this one project coming up. I have a parter company in GA who specializes in advertising. Their client needs a website. This particular website requires graphic work that is way beyond my ability. They need something GORGEOUS that reflects what a wonderland their storefront actually is. So, I need a layout that represents that. I think the talent pool here at DC is amazing and love the idea and would love to give some of the amazing artists here a chance to bring in some fresh new projects and award them fairly so that it's more than a win/win situation. I'm shooting for 4 sites per month and would love to bring the business here.

I contract out design work for clients all the time but it's still me who provides them the service and actually puts the site together. Most of the time I do all the design work but it's nowhere near the skill level of you the actual artists. I'm not an artist. I'm an IT geek. My weakness is graphic design and there isn't demand enough yet to hire someone full time. At the same time.. it's not always common to find amazing graphic artists who really aren't very good at coding (let alone XHTML 1.0 Strict with CSS mastery)

For me it's common, I subcontract out all the time... Granted this isn't a site that specializes in that but I feel that it's a demand that could be met by DC. I've worked with several designers this way and it's really marking up their work and expanding on it. Less hassle for them less hassle for the client. They like it because they don't have to deal with the end client and their usual fussyness and pickyness or hassle of bill collecting. My business is providing ONE point of responsability for the client so they don't have to worry about anything other than me taking care of everything. We handle everything. Phone systems, internet connection, servers, network, workstations, business cards, website, copy machines. The whole package. It's great for them because if anythign goes wrong with anything.. they only call one person. And my clients LOVE it.

In all fairness I'm not just a middle man. I still have lots of work to do once I have the custom designed template. I still have to take the PSD, slice it, make any changes, code the site, validate the code, take elements from the PSD to make other images for various things (icons, watermarks, etc), set up the webhost, work with the client to get them everything they need. Make the site work, test the site, fill in content, update the content, maintain the site.. etc.

I don't take credit for the design, just site creation. So in the credit text in the footer it says something to the effect of "Web Site Creation by Acme Inc" or whatever.

Basically the information on the site that I have seen is that the copyright and ownershop of the design work is turned over to the contest holder. After thinking about it, I don't mind the designer putting the LAYOUT in their portfolio but I don't want it linking to the finished product that I finished and worked on or having text that is readable on the site that states the company's name. Not only because I don't want a google search saying that Both John Smith and "Acme Inc" created johnqmortgagecompany.com but also because John Smith did the design. Not the coding, programing, customization, hosting, database coding and managment, and all the other things that goes into making a company's website.

I'm open to any and all ideas how to give credit where credit is due to the layout designer so long as it doesn't cause any brand confusion. Please reply with ideas. I'm very flexible and open to great ideas.

What ways do you guys feel this could work out? In the final product of the site would I have to include "Web Site Creation by Acme Inc | Design by Joe Smith" or the ability to list a snapshot of the layout before delivery to me the client and listing it just as a thumbnail and no text saying my end clients name. You are more than able to put my business name as the client served. That would work for me.

I really love this site and love the art that this community puts out and want to do nothing that takes away from anyone. I just need to be educated in the way that this community prefers to do things. Once I get enough opinions I will write out a sample project description, have you guys proof read it and let me know what sounds fair and what doesn't.

I want more than anything to make great and rewarding contests that are more than fair for everyone and where everyone is credited or compensated.

Hope this helps. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

when you say "resell" layouts, what exactly do you mean? reselling to only one of your clients? or reselling these layouts/templates on a site like Template Monster?

I personally do not agree with the resale of my designs, especially since your clients could easily cut out you (the middle man) and come directly to my company. I also don't like the idea of having you get the exclusive rights to my design to put in your portfolio. To me it sounds like you want to take credit for work you didn't create, and then deceive your clients by tricking them into thinking the same thing.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound harsh, so please don't take my reply in that fashion I just want to be honest with how I feel. Many designers are trying to run their own businesses.. so it doesn't always seem logical to support a competing business in the process.

Here is my take on it...if you are reselling to ONE particular client, and in the footer area you put something on the lines of "Graphics provided by such and such" I MIGHT join in....depending on the prize, time I have, etc. If you are going to take credit for my work, though, I probably won't. If I do something awesome, and wish to include it in my portfolio, I will most likely want that right. But in the same breath, I would put something to the effect of "Layout design for suchandsuch.com, coding and site management provided by (your business name here).

I might be the odd one here, since I do have a mastery of CSS and XHTML, but I have seen some of our designers ask if coding was required. You might get a good turnout from people who only do graphic work and don't know how or wish to code.

Here is my take on it...if you are reselling to ONE particular client, and in the footer area you put something on the lines of "Graphics provided by such and such" I MIGHT join in....depending on the prize, time I have, etc. If you are going to take credit for my work, though, I probably won't. If I do something awesome, and wish to include it in my portfolio, I will most likely want that right. But in the same breath, I would put something to the effect of "Layout design for suchandsuch.com, coding and site management provided by (your business name here).

I might be the odd one here, since I do have a mastery of CSS and XHTML, but I have seen some of our designers ask if coding was required. You might get a good turnout from people who only do graphic work and don't know how or wish to code.

I think you are right on the money here NBG. This sounds good to me.

If you decide to go this route, make sure when you start the contest that you include all the conditions. That way the designers can decide if they wish to enter and abide by the conditions.

When everything is upfront, it is a lot easier.

Awesome. Sounds great.

The first client is having their logo redesigned (I tried to get that part but she has a friend... you know how that goes) and as soon as she is done... I'll start a contest!

I can't wait. Thanks so much guys!