I don’t know what thread maker DMC was thinking when it proposed a design contest in which the winner’s design would be made into a pattern without compensating the designer, but the design community definitely didn’t like the idea.
Because entry into the contest was to be done through a hashtag, stitchers took to social media to protest the contest, with stitched obscenities and designs related to not being able to pay bills with exposure.
The good news is that DMC relented, and as of May 1 have been promoting the contest as having a $500 cash prize.
It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on the #dmcxstitchcontest hashtag on Instagram (warning: lots of salty language) to see how this all turns out.
Do you think designers should be compensated for work used by a big company? (Or even a small one?) I’d love to hear your thoughts!
[Photo: stephxstitch via Instagram]
Absolutely, a designer should be compensated for their work. It takes a lot of time and effort to create something. At least a small gift would be appropriate.
Good Grief, YES we should be compensated! The time we crafters spend honing our craft and designing for the enjoyment of others is every bit as valuable and anyone else’s!
I absolutely agree that artists need to be paid for their creativity – regardless of the size of the company/organisation. There would need to be a very good reason for why the artist ins’t paid – e.g. terms in the contract/agreement that state that the artist will be compensated in other ways. It’s disappointing that it took such a public reaction for DMC to update the competition to have a $500 prize for the winning design, as they will still make a significant amount of money from the sales of their floss via their website and global stockists.
I hope that DMC are able to learn from this experience and that in the future, there are similar competitions and ways in which artists are able to get the exposure they want, need and deserve.
#dmcxstitchcontest (the x was missing from the hashtag)
Well, of course they should! Even if the company had a good reason for not awarding a cash prize, they could at least have offered supplies in return for the design.