LFGSS 2013 T-shirts (may even be ready in 2012)

I propose an open commission competition.

Pro artists and designers would likely have to tender for work anyway so entering into a competition is hardly that different. However, in keeping with their professional status and allowing talented amateurs to compete on the same level any entrants can submit either a piece of artwork from their existing portfolio or a draft design by a deadline.

A panel of judges* then decide which artists/designers/drafts will be invited on a commission basis to draw up a fully completed design for a basic drawing fee (TBD) and if the design goes into production will get a royalty type payout per T-shirt sold.

• I reckon the panel of judges should be about10 strong and be hand picked from active forum members by Velocio with at least one being the "people's choice". People could privately nominate other members to Velocio outlining why they would make a good panel judge.
  
  

I'd also like to suggest that tynan get a free pass on entry to the second round (for no drawing fee) and that he is barred from being a panel judge.

It's tynan, not Tynan.

I propose an open commission competition.

Pro artists and designers would likely have to tender for work anyway so entering into a competition is hardly that different. However, in keeping with their professional status and allowing talented amateurs to compete on the same level any entrants can submit either a piece of artwork from their existing portfolio or a draft design by a deadline.

A panel of judges* then decide which artists/designers/drafts will be invited on a commission basis to draw up a fully completed design for a basic drawing fee (TBD) and if the design goes into production will get a royalty type payout per T-shirt sold.

• I reckon the panel of judges should be about10 strong and be hand picked from active forum members by Velocio with at least one being the "people's choice". People could privately nominate other members to Velocio outlining why they would make a good panel judge.
  
  

I'd also like to suggest that tynan get a free pass on entry to the second round (for no drawing fee) and that he is barred from being a panel judge.
This all seems like a good idea.

Maybe a smaller panel of just 5 though.

An open format means we all get to lulz at teh funneh t-shirts. And steal the designs and print them ourselves if we want.

It's tynan, not Tynan.
Have you ever seen them together?

Exactly.

Competition! Arguments! Bad designer!

Death match!

Whatever we do, I think it's important that we should over-complicate it.

Pro artists and designers would likely have to tender for work anyway so entering into a competition is hardly that different.

If they are good enough to enter, they should be paid. This is exactly what is wrong with people doing competitions for design - no value on the work created.

In fact, no personal malice intended, but your whole post is a joke. I know this isn't a real project, but the idea that you would get any sort of quality from such a cheap trick is a joke. Would you go to a 3 different bike shops, get them each to fix your bike, and then say,

Oh, I'm only going to pay one, as they are the best, sorry guys

?

Whatever we do, I think it's important that we should over-complicate it.

No, that's far too simplistic a point of view.

tynans knowing phrases were and still are funniest going.
BDW "all about.." still gets tons of use from me.
It looks like lalou might be in the running.for some brilliantly observant designs.

Competition! And I'd like to contribute... send a design suggestion

Any chance for t-shirts without those fucking baggy sleeves?

^this

If they are good enough to enter, they should be paid. This is exactly what is wrong with people doing competitions for design - no value on the work created.

In fact, no personal malice intended, but your whole post is a joke. I know this isn't a real project, but the idea that you would get any sort of quality from such a cheap trick is a joke. Would you go to a 3 different bike shops, get them each to fix your bike, and then say,
?

I think you've completely misunderstood what I was proposing and taken the first sentence wholly out of the context of the paragraph.

I'm aware that design comps often don't attract entrants from professional designers and artists because they can't guarantee that they'll get paid for their hard work. Thus the suggestion of opening up to submissions from professional portfolios, where they don't have to expend what is basically valuable time for them on the design at the beginning. This would allow them to be judged on style and, where possible, interpretation of content.
However, I'm also aware of the equal disconnect that amateur artists/designers, without and established portfolio, might be able to come up with something of equally high quality in a combination of style and content that would capture the interest of the forum and commissioning established/professional artists/designers excludes their contribution. Therefore offering them the opportunity to make an artistic submission.

Yes, you're absolutely right, if people are good enough to enter they should be paid. But I don't think that should be the sole reserve of professionals This is why I then proposed that once the submission phase is over artists of either stripe then get commissioned and paid for that work, both for the creation of the design and on a royalty basis. The first element compensating them for their time and the second encouraging commitment and higher quality in the work. If anything I was trying to work around the issue of comps not placing value on the work created and recognised that as an issue.

Also, I don't really think your allegory correlates at all. It would be more accurate to say that you've got three bikes that need fixing, canvassing opinion on the three best bike shops and amateur mechanics to do the work, paying all three for the fine job that they've done and then paying them a bit more for every week that the quality of the repair work keeps that bike on the road. I'm not sure how you interpreted from my post why only one of the three successful artists would be getting paid.

Or it could be that some of us enjoy doing it and are happy to do some colouring in and see peeps wearing our designs. It still makes me grin when I see someone wearing one of my tees and it's a nice way of giving back to the forum if you have the skillz. I'd say competition then voted down to a shortlist

I'd prefer it to be a forum-designed thing. There's clearly a load of talent here, and I'd like the t-shirt to be a celebration of the people and skills on the forum as well as an advertisement for it.

Just to overcomplicate things, the three could be in categories so there's something there for everyone rather than three similar designs - 'funny'/sporty-looking/arty - designs submitted, voted for over a restricted period by people who intend to buy them, chosen-printed-sold, easy as you like

Any chance for t-shirts without those fucking baggy sleeves?

The t-shirts are going to be custom made... as in, take a piece of fabric, cut it to size, sew it up, put a label in, etc.

So I'll make them as good as I can after some period of getting people to try various blanks (from existing manufacturers) to get a good idea of sizing.

Not everyone is the same size though, and whilst I'm fine with making a greater range of sizes, within a single size all of the shirts will be the same. If it's common to have people with larger triceps then the sleeves may be baggier if you are lacking in that dept.

I'm lacking in the triceps... I live with it being slightly larger.

I'm fat.

Why so complicated? The 'panel' idea is too much - this isn't D&AD, its LFGSS.

Being a designer, I would be much more the idea of one person being commissioned, but I think that it' s going to be tricky to keep everyone happy.

Velocio, pick 5 forum designers; write a short brief, get them to answer it and then let the masses decide.

Or open it up in a thread like the last batch, but beware people voting for T's they think are funny, but wouldn't actually want to buy. You wouldn't want to end up with loads of unsold shirts in your spare room again.

Definitely no non-forum designers should be allowed to enter imo - for us, by us.

competition! lots of voting! like the last ones!

I think an open submission, pick the top five, make the T-shirts.

Done, wallop!

Velocio, this is a money-generating idea right? How about ensuring the shirts that are made are actually commercially viable (i.e - more than just forum 'in' jokes)?

Yeah, I'll only make 3 designs, and will do pre-orders to establish the very real quantities needed (should sharpen the minds on casting votes too).

As of now, I'm in favour of pitching a brief to the designers of LFGSS, and then selecting from what I receive back. Though to sharpen the designer's minds I'll probably limit it to no more than 2 designs per designer.

Anyhow, off to have finding riding through crop fields tomorrow so I'll think about it then and on Tuesday.

Have fun in the fields.

The choice of method has to be the one that didn't lead to the jersey design. As I recall of it, it was designed by the forum or rather a certain element of it and then didn't appeal to the wider forum audience. And I'm assuming that you do have some commercial margin driver behind this one.

Actually that was a commission after the community design had largely led to a dead-end and comedic design that only a handful of people would have purchased.

The jersey is a marmite design, I personally really like it.