Hello everyone and most importantly @Darpan and @Grant
I want to bring this view into the light. We designers are being underpaid, undervalued and overlooked.
Let’s start with Ratings
Our overall ratings are drastically dropping and if they reach a particular rank/threshold, we won’t be able to pick new assignments. To fix this, we are told to redesign any negative/“no thank you” ratings on some domains, this will improve your ranking. But what happens when there are no negative ratings? (This is me speaking on my path) and yet my overall ranking still drops and keeps dropping. I am now told to redesign random unrated domains in hopes that the seller/owner some how rates them. This is doing a work free for hopes.
A solution to fix this
Let unrated logo domains after 15 or 30days be automatically rated as “Love it” and if a seller/owner comes back to see that he/she doesn’t like the logo, then can rate it negative and have a complimentary design. This will greatly fix overall ratings.
Complimentary Redesigns
Now some domains, after being bought by another seller, the logo gets a free redesign. Also when an owner doesn’t like a logo, he/she can issue out a redesign request. Now this is fine, but I feel as designers, we should be paid again to redesign your logo completely and not be done
for free.
Confusing/over used AI-description
With the introduction of AI, many domain owners have shifted from using SH expert classification which is real people giving meaning and descriptive write-up to your domain(s). This has brought about negative returns as sellers now over use AI that gives generalized descriptions to domain names. Making one name have over 100 uses, thereby confusing the designer. I have had to redesign a particular domain over 15 times because the owner doesn’t like it and failed to give a descriptive meaning of what he wants designed, rather asking me to reference the AI description that has over generalized and no meaning towards your name. I think some sellers are lazy and are just waiting for their domains
to be designed sold with no work and then collect their money.
A fix
Would be to give back the work to expert classifiers who took their time to give real meanings to you name. If you don’t want to use expert classifiers and choose to use AI description, that is fine, but please give design direction of what you want designed.
External Domain Designer Portfolio.
I have asked for this and yet to get a feedback. A lot of designers here has contributed greatly to the marketplace and have designed thousands of domains. It would be great to our work experience/portfolio if we can use this outside of SH platform, at least to show we are adequate designers. Every time I share my link, it refers back to the landing page, making it that someone has to register with SH to view. Give us an external portfolio.
Lastly, Domain Logo Payment.
I think it is high time yet again the stipends be increased. As we all know, SH just secured a good seed round which I am grateful for because the platform will grow and expand, but I feel as designers and in every other team, we are undervalued, underpriced and overlooked without regarding the fact that everything you see if of our work on visuals, we bring life to brief and write-up. We give physical life to codes. With the rate of inflation and layoffs, our payment system should be increased. I have designed thousands of domains and many of them have been sold of with SH and the seller getting all the cut while the designer who designed the logo gets paid about 0.1% or less. You can imagine what that is. Most of this domains here gets sold because of the visual representation. I am not disputing the
description and length of high valued names, but visual looks also contributes to buyer preference.
Fix
I feel the payment structure should be reviewed and increased. Also if domain sells, we should be given at least 1-2% of the purchased amount. Shout out to domain owners who when their names sells, they give some stipends back to the domain logo designer, I have had few and I am highly grateful. I have been on this platform for over 5 years. and I have contributed, participated and designed thousands of domains, I feel my words should be heard. I have watched this platform grow and it will keep growing.
Once again @darpan and @grant, I am highly grateful to be part of this platform and team. Guys sorry for the long write-up.
