By 
Phandroid was the world’s first Android-focused news source and we’ve been embracing our blue buddy for several years now. Phandroid has grown incredibly alongside Android and we’ve seen a boat load of improvements and new features along the way. Over the holiday season you’re going to notice a strong focus on reader/member appreciation, so stay tuned for awesomeness, but we’re also re-committing ourselves to make this place as perfect for our followers as possible.
And that’s starting now. With our logo. Winner takes $1,000!
Our contest is hosted at 99Designs.com so we can streamline the process, but we’re giving our faithful fans added incentive: if YOU happen to win the contest we’ll be tossing in a Kindle Fire for safe measure. Simply remind us that you deserve it after we’ve awarded your prize through 99Designs and the Fire is yours.
The contest has 3 very important rules:
- Blue Android Robots = Phandroid
- Our smile and wink make us unique (our antennas too)
- We want to proudly display the word “Phandroid” so you know you’ve found the right place
Whether or not you enter the contest, it’ll be fun to follow all the Phandroids that enter and offer their own renditions of the classic Phandroid logo. I’m really excited to see what the design community comes up with and hey – while we’re on the topic – you DO know that we’re HIRING A DESIGNER (among other positions), right?
We thought about scoping out the best logo designer we could find or hiring a branding company to catapult us into the upper echelon of marketing genius. But then we thought why not keep with Android’s theme and atmosphere by giving our readers the opportunity? And we know you’ll do an amazing job. Good luck to everyone and thanks for being such a brilliant group! I promise you’re going to love what we’ve got coming in the next couple of months!
Thank God. No offense, but the current logo is lame.
Love you!
We tied Rob up, stole his wallet .. we will release him once he has a cooler logo.
I actually love the current logo. Maybe it’s cause it’s been with me for several years now. But no use being stubborn… others are really eager to see something new and fresh and I agree it would be nice to have something a bit more modern and bad ass.
is it open to global fans, anyone from any country can participate?
YES!!! Let’s make sure the wink is on the correct side of the smile this time around ;D
Damnit that is funny! Should have taken a sheet before I read that.
I don’t get it.
Try again.
I can do it perfectly
please capture a picture of that face!
Where’s the picture, rob?
http://superstickphase.com/archive/RobDroid.jpg
this!
And since disqus wont let me reply to bossmans post below… phases, that is wrong on SO many levels, LOL!
I just tried to wink like that.. I feel like a fool!
So Chavez will I be taking your position when I get hired?
99Designs says the prize is $700. What’s the deal?
On my screen (and others I’ve asked) it says $1,000. If you hover over it says (including 99designs fees). If the fee is $300 we were unaware, but we feel like getting the cash, a Kindle Fire, and your design shown to millions of people every day is still a pretty darn good prize.
Hopefully you agree :)
Sure do. I think it’s awesome that you guys are opening this up to fans, and the prizes are unbelievable!
Just wondering where the disconnect was, thanks for the clarification!
My pleasure. If you enter… good luck!
As a programmer, I am sure glad no one ever assumes it is acceptable to ask me to submit my code as part of a “contest”, and then decides which one of us they want to pay.
Unfortunately, there are enough starving artists out there that they put up with being taken advantage of for 0 to little compensation. Spec work is dirty, and calling it a contest doesn’t make it any less so.
http://www.no-spec.com/
Well that’s just, like, your opinion, man.
Well of course it is, but the facts don’t change here. Phandroid will be paying ~$1000 for hundreds of hours of design work. The majority of designers in this contest will not be paid for their time or talent. It is pretty clear to see who is getting the raw deal here.
To you, the contest is “fun”. To people who try to make their living in that industry, it is predatory.
I can see your point. But to lots of readers (professional graphic designers or not) could also see this fun. If you are a reader and want to be apart of this awesome community… win cash and prizes doing so.. I think thats fun. A professional could easily whip out a fun graphic in a half hour …and if they dont win..oh well, they do this for a living and probably have lots of clientele lined up for many days to come. If your not a professional and just give it a try… maybe you come up with the next best thing and not only win but also find a career path to pursue. Also, think of students… design students get home from class.. could be a easy way to pick up some extra cash since its more challenging to get those clients the professionals have.
Either way, I get your point. I hope that most do not look at this as Phandroid readers are geting a raw deal but look at this as an opportunity to be apart of a community change and maybe get some prizes.
As a student designer I agree. I could have spent all yesterday afternoon playing xbox, but I saw this and thought “what the heck…it’s worth a shot.” I view this as fun. Thanks for the chance!
The facts DO change. They change depending on who enters. Some designers think it’s a raw deal and predatory- they won’t enter. Others look at it as a fun opportunity to make money, contribute to a community, and possibly make a bunch of money and get some great exposure.
Think what you want and follow your beliefs, but don’t expect everyone to blindly follow your design contest version of “Occupy Wallstreet” just because you personally think entering contests is a waste of time. I’m not suggesting anyone try to make a living off design contests.
Logic. It’s the new black.
Facts I cited: “Phandroid will be paying ~$1000 for hundreds of hours of design work. The majority of designers in this contest will not be paid for their time or talent”
How again did those facts change? Obviously people enter these things for their own reasons – some for fun, and some with the hope of making money. Either way, Phandroid gets a lot of work for a proportionally small investment.
I have no idea what you mean by “design Contest version of “Occupy Wall St.”, or “Logic. It’s the new black”, so I will just ignore that.
I don’t think you are intentionally trying to marginalize or take advantage of designers, but just be aware that this is the general sentiment about the nature of such “design contests” and similar spec work. These things are proportionally much worse for designers.
Imo, “true” artists do what they do because they love what they do, not for money. If they happen to make money on it, its just a plus.
You can’t possibly believe that someone who expects compensation for the use of their skills is not “true artist”. A “true artist” has every right to make a living for themselves fairly, as does anyone in any other skilled profession.
This attitude is entirely foreign to every other profession. People think they are doing artists a favor by “letting them” give a design a try, or “giving them exposure”, and that they should just take it sitting down because omg they love art.
You can’t make a plumber try out to fix your toilet. You can’t have 1000 people write your next android app and choose which one to pay. You can’t go to 5 doctors, and choose which one you pay. Artists are the obvious target for this predatory practice because so many of them are just looking for a break.
Dude, you’re gettin 1000 bucks and a tablet….is that not “getting paid”? If you’re as confident as you think you are in your talents, you should walk away a rich man for a couple hours worth of work! Unless of course you suck, then, well you just continue to be a “starving artist”.
….so work on a logo for an hour, win, and get paid a huge hourly rate?
As you wished: http://www.sourcebits.com/dreamjob
I have read that link in full 3 times now, and still have no idea how 1)that is what I wished for, or 2)that relates to this conversation about spec-work.
While I would choose not to participate in that job hunt for other reasons, what sourcebits is doing is most certainly not spec-work. Their hiring process involves sending them a sample of your best work, and if chosen, sending them your full portfolio and a 2 minute video talking about yourself (much like you would do at an interview).
The twist is that the community gets to vote for the finalists. Notice, however, that sourcebits is not in any way asking applicants to produce original content for commercial use in their business and deciding who to pay. They are effectively asking applicants to submit resumes, and deciding who to hire. Sounds quite a bit like a normal job hunt, if you ask me.
Perhaps you could be a bit more clear as to how you think that is what I wished for, or where that fits in?
How many entries can you submit?
As many as you want I believe… just don’t infiltrate us with a billion crappy logos please :) GOOD LUCK!
I never done a contest before, I will give it my best.
Good Luck!
I’m thinking about entering, but seriously… you can’t ask for a logo redesign and then have 3 rules about how the logo has to look the same. :)
Ha! Those are pretty general rules. A friendly blue robot sporting the word Phandroid. INFINITE ways you cuold iterate that :)
+1
My brain is already buzzing with ideas.
thats where creativity comes in brother ^_^ you think those guidelines are stringent, wait till you see some of the crazy clients.
Have you looked at any of the entires? Some of them are literally the exact same logo that Phandroid uses now.
I entered as well, and I did my best to be as creative as possible… but I gotta admit that I would have gone in a completely different direction if it weren’t for the guidelines.
skys the limit ^_^
Cool – glad to see you running a contest on the site.
Cheers,Jason
Jason Aiken
Community Director
99designs
Hey thanks for dropping by Jason. We’re pretty excited. Already some interesting concepts and with a week left and your feedback system, we’re eager to see what some great designers can come up with!
Speaking of that feedback system, some feedback would be nice ;)
Guys, it’s a seriously punk move to hold a design “contest”. As a designer myself, who works TO GET PAID, I will simply point you all to:
http://www.no-spec.com/
Weaksauce move Phandroid. Weaksauce.
….so work on a logo for an hour, win, and get paid a huge hourly rate?
So what you are saying is that though I am
not a “designer” by trade my abilities and creativity hold no
merte? I have a feeling you are going to say that they do but
you support yourself by being a designer. Sorry, it just doesn’t
hold water. If I am a designer “hobbyist” or part time
artist or hell just someone that wants to enter the contest that does not
detract from you or your ability to enter and win the monies, thus supporting
yourself. What the true case here is can your design, as a professional,
win over an “ammature”. If you make a living designing
I would think you hold the upper hand. Am I wrong. And should
the best design not win?
You’re hilarious. The closest thing to a “punk move” is your comment.
If you want to enter, then enter. If you don’t, then don’t. It isn’t like Phandroid is holding the entire design world hostage and forcing them to take this project or be banished to middle earth.We’re offering a fun opportunity for designers to be a part of the community, use their creative juices, and win some money. If you don’t want to be a part of that… THEN DON’T. Nobody is forcing you to enter. Nobody is forcing anyone to enter.
Obviously people don’t HAVE to participate. But if you dangle a big enough carrot in front of their nose, you can get lots of people to work for the hope of getting paid, without actually having to pay them all.
Again, I don’t believe the intention here is to exploit, but I do believe it hasn’t been fully considered.
Isn’t that the same as any contest? You enter to try to win.
http://www.no-spec.com/faq/
You can spin anything to make it look bad.. but I think that this contest does not reflect that FAQ. I mean seriously, I could write that all over to help promote contests…its all how you want to make it look.
The bottom line is Phandroid is not forcing anyone to enter. There is nothing that is falsely advertised, its pretty clear! They could have done this same contest and offered just the tablet, or the satisfaction of making the logo…and community users would still submit designs. It’s pretty damn cool that you can win money and a tablet.
This site is known for contests and that is what this is. Like if they said submit the funniest picture you could take today… you could argue that too. Would there be professional photographers in the mix posting links to that FAQ? lol. I would hope not.
do a research on spec work, there are upsides and downsides to it. graphic designers usually look down on it.
If Phandroid could even find a designer that would reply to the job posting this wouldn’t even be needed..lol.
Designers are hard to find.. bottom line! I guess you freelance? Are you saying you don’t have a bunch of clients lined up? If that is the case I think there is a weak link between designers looking for jobs and employers looking for designers.
This is just for fun… the important thing is.. if you don’t have a hour to loose on maybe winning a prize.. dont do it. Find a client and write a contract.
I am not a professional designer, but I do draw art and logos for fun and have, in the past, submitted them to contests. I have also helped out friends, both on the technical and artistic sides, to bring their ideas to fruition as a design product. And I always recommend they see a professional if I know they have the funds. However, Zach and “k_day” bring up valid arguments that appear to be dismissed by those who perceive their criticism as simple “hating” on Phandroid.
1. Depending on the audience size and interest, Phandroid will likely gather 100’s of submissions. Some of these will be by true amateurs, demonstrating their allegiance to the site. Other will be by design students and other creatives who are desperate to gain some experience. Regardless of the source, for the cost of $1000 and a likely-donated tablet (or a $1200 outlay), Phandroid will have collected the a large submission of work.
2. Assume that each submission takes an average of 1 hour, from layout to final submission; which itself is a low-end estimate by orders of magnitude.
3. Also assume that the hourly rate for design work for a logo with the distribution evidenced by the site is $75 per hour. (I’ll admit, I’m ballparking here, as I have seen similar service far above this rate and far below, and I don’t know the industry average.)
4. At an assumed 500 submissions, Phandroid will have collected a body of work with an estimated raw market value of $37,500. Stripping away all of the PowerPoint, clip art, and Windows Paint crap that would never make the cut, we can bring the figure down to around $20,000, and maybe a bit less. Meanwhile the offered price is 5% of that value.
4. Phandroid has made no mention of the rights of the artists who submit. Will they retain the right to re-use their art if it is not selected? If it is the lucky winner, will there be any royalties paid for a logo that is THE face of the site to tens of thousands of readers and advertisers and a money generator itself?
Phandroid, and many of the small companies that use contests and crowd-sourcing to promote their brand mostly act out of ignorance. But commissioning users to provide a key piece of branding that is a logo, is a far cry different than the silly caption contests and user art submissions.
Graphic design is an art. It is also a business. The two are not mutually exclusive. Designers have a right to expect payment for their efforts. Contests like this dilute the pool by flooding it with art, and make it harder for professional graphic artists to compete. Who can feed themselves or their family without a fee? No one is forced to enter, but professionals are forced, by contests and spec art, to compete against free.
Everyone who enters, save one, has worked for free. If a manufacturing company offered jobs to 20 people, but only paid the most productive employee each day, week, or year, it would be seen as immoral, unethical, and illegal. And yet, this contest, and the many like it, promotes the same ends.
Perhaps Phandroid, like the many other small business and some huge corporations (surprisingly), don’t wish to spend the $2000 (?) that a professional design service offers, and only see this as a 50% savings, but the cost is greater, as I have illustrated. The argument is not one of artistic merit or Phandroid allegiance, but one of protecting a valuable, but often fragile industry from business practices that are exploitative and harmful to the larger economy. Lose enough of these jobs, working graphic designers become unemployed, and we all pay. Having a professional studio cull the artwork makes it worse. It’s an industry preying on itself; cannibalism.
And now I’ve wasted 30 minutes bringing rational thought to an internet comment board. Shouldn’t I be getting paid for this?
Be warned 99designs may use their own staff to make a very professional logo to reap in contest benefits. please pick a logo that isn’t to professional to prevent this. The winner should stay within the community.
Where did you come up with that? Thinking of that situation and how much traffic they get.. wouldn’t it be kind of ridiculous to waste assets on designs where they have lots of competition?
… I am sure Rob wont pic a logo that looks like something off of monster template or something like that..lol.
Either way, I think Phandroid readers have an insight on what Rob would like. Right?.. eh, what do I know?
To all of you nothing about spec, it is not any one elses problem you chose a career with limited employment opportunity. Phandroid cab hold a contest if they want to, it is a free country. Complain to someone else please.
Already got a few designs up. I kept the android pretty much the same, because I honestly really like his facial expression. I basically just played with the text and made it much cleaner.
Hmm, any specific criteria on the dimensions, rez, file type etc? I’m definitively entering as a newb graphic designer/artist ;)
Holy crap your readers are whiners. Colors, shapes and text are not rocket science. Phandroid is offering to pay you to put them together in an aesthetically pleasing order? Show some fricken gratitude.
I can not upload mine I have no clue why!?!?! It will not even upload on here.. http://s1110.photobucket.com/albums/h445/Craig_Poland/?action=view¤t=phandroid1.jpg
Feel that the Roboto text would be somewhat appropriate for the logo?
Its awesome.This make me interest to participate in the logo design contest.Thanks for sharing.When will it arrive.
Hey.. I just noticed that the contest is closed.. I have worked on the
logo and put a lot of time and effort into it. Is there any way I can
submit it? I would hate to throw it away, it looks amazing…
Thanks,
CJDesigns2011
Not sure why my comment got deleted…
I have put around 2 hours into this logo and it looks amazing. I was just about to submit my design in by the time I realized it was closed for the next round. Is there any way I can submit it? I would hate to throw this awesome design away…
Thanks,
Chris Winans
CJDesigns2011
(edit – you can tell I’m a newbie already.. Didn’t realize there was a sort out of newest first.. LoL)