As Seven explains, there are some losses. Then again, you do not really lose anything because of plagiarism. Someone can copy the idea from your website or from millions other on the world wide web. What you are offering is work partially done. <br>An example: The owner of a small company with about 5 employees and about 1 million $ in annual sales needs a professionnal flyer or pamphlet to be done. He can not afford to hire a graphic designer and having the project done from scratch and paying about 300-500$ while not even being sure of satisfaction at the end. So he goes on the website and looks through different layouts of pamphlets and flyers till he finds one that would match his needs. The owner sends in the text and we put it in the flyer for him. Total cost of lets say about 250$. The graphic designer who did the flyer for us takes his % which lets say is 40% or 100$. The graphic designer is happy beccause he got 100$ for something that was rejected trash to him in the first place. We are happy because we made 150$ for almost no work.<br>The custommer is happy because he knew in advance what he was getting and he got it for a cheaper price then having it done from scratch.<br><br>It's a 3 way win situation which translates into a perfect business strategy. :)<br><br><br>___________________________________________<br>I'm just another Mac user at an 8 hour day Dilbert style cubicle job....<br>

With all due respect...it sounds like you are saying you want your cake and eat it too.<br><br>I didn't want anything- it wasn't my idea!!! <br><br>I was just pointing out what I thought might be some flaws in the idea...<br><br>

Any idea has flaws, and any flaws can be corrected. A project of this size would probably have a minimum of 20-50 page description and strategic thinking related to it. It is not an overnight project or a 1 person project. <br>At the same time, collecting and selling usefull trash has always been a profitable business! <br><br>___________________________________________<br>I'm just another Mac user at an 8 hour day Dilbert style cubicle job....<br>

My bad for mindreading...I interpreted what you "want" as some line items from the bratty designer manifesto:<br><br>1.) The ability to design without any constraints<br>2.) Unquestioning patronage / acceptance of the item produced<br>3.) Sole credit for the item produced since it's guaranteed not to suck: see item #2, and a guarantee that nobody will ever reproduce the item anytimeanyplaceinthewholewideworldgalaxycomsos.<br>4.) Candy & cake at every meal<br><br>Not personally directing this at you DM...I worked in a studio for a few years and this was my general experience with my peers. It made me give up on the industry cause I felt like the TRUE focus of design as a career was self-help.<br><br>;o)<br><br>===================<br>[color:blue]"Does This Hole In The Ground Make My Ass Look Fat?"</font color=blue><br>----<br>S3V3N<br>Washington, DC USA

You forget, however, that deep down all designers are artists- and therein lies the conflict which we must deal with every day:<br><br>Creating something that is pleasing to look at, while at the same time making it 'marketable' for everyone who may be a candidate to buy the product...<br><br>

Yeah...that's why I switched careers a while back. Got into software development instead so I can emphasize function over aesthetics. Not to exclude...just emphasize. You can debate the logic of function, you cannot debate the logic of aesthetics. <br><br>I'd rather be an inventor, not an artist.<br><br>===================<br>[color:blue]"Does This Hole In The Ground Make My Ass Look Fat?"</font color=blue><br>----<br>S3V3N<br>Washington, DC USA

In marketing, you have to get into the skin of your clientelle. Feel what they feel and try to have the same needs. If you mix that with an artis't creativity, you have a professionnal advertising candidate.<br><br>___________________________________________<br>I'm just another Mac user at an 8 hour day Dilbert style cubicle job....<br>

Aha, but you also need someone to design your software's logo, its packaging, its GUI, etc, etc...<br><br>Otherwise you have someone like Gizmo calling it an ugly, steaming POS...<br><br>So what are you saying, that designers are a bunch of whiners who need acceptance all the time?<br><br>

No actually I do that stuff as a personal "loss-leader" for any project. Thinking about it in those terms forced me to shed any self-importance I put on my designs. My point is to emphasize function over aesthetics and let function dictate the logic of aesthetics. NOT exclude aesthetics.<br><br>I did design for over eight years, three in a studio. I realized that, personally, I wasn't happy designing anymore because it wasn't a challenge. I felt like I was doing stuff in my sleep. I helped write a book on Photoshop for Hayden books. My peers sucked because each AIGA meeting was full of group hugs about "the client HATES us! why don't we ever get to BLAH BLAH BLAH". And the early days of the dotcom bubble whet my appetite for software development. <br><br>When that happened, I got tired of developers using my ignorance as a leverage for not working to my specs, so I taught myself development (and it turns out the developers WERE being manipulative).<br><br>I'm very lucky that things have turned out the way they have...<br><br><br>===================<br>[color:blue]"Does This Hole In The Ground Make My Ass Look Fat?"</font color=blue><br>----<br>S3V3N<br>Washington, DC USA

Thinking about it in those terms forced me to shed any self-importance I put on my designs.<br><br>I don't look at it as self-importance...I look at it as I'm proud of my design and I want it to be used as the final product. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?<br><br>I don't think I ever implied that I thought my design was the only solution to the problem, and I don't see myself as someone who tries to force my ideas on anyone. <br><br>If that's the types you've been dealing with, then I do sympathize...<br><br>