So Many Web Designers, But So Few Talent

Mar 21, 2008

I am looking around for a web designer right now to develop my online advertising corporate website (InfluenzaMedia.com), and have posted on popular freelance websites such as Elance.com or Guru.com.

I’ve gotten over 30+ bids for the projected - all with reasonable quotes. However, I have noticed that out of the 30 something companies I looked at, only about 2 or 3 produce decent websites. Most of them claim to be web designers, but I don’t see any design in their work. They all look like cookie-cutters to me…

Maybe Guru.com or Elance.com isn’t the right place to look for talent, despite so many articles proclaiming that they are the prime place to look for online services…

- Peter Kao

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Michael Fagan 8 months ago 1 point
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why not look for some local people? facebook, craigslist, kijiji, the web clinic, and upcoming designcamp and barcamps...

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http://faganm.com/

Peter Kao 8 months ago 1 point
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Hi Michael,

That's what I'm doing :)
I just had a (false) impression that there are a lot of quality providers on these websites. I guess I was wrong...

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http://peterkao.com

Thusenth 8 months ago 1 point
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Once you start finding good designers, you'll also find that they're: 1 - Expensive and/or 2 - Booked up.

Even the student ones.

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http://www.thusenth.ca

Webflo Studios 7 months ago 1 point
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It is hard to find quality design, however I have work for many web design firms and quite frankly it is because those simple designs "work." Once a company gets a handle of how they want to do business ( or even a free lance designer), they tend to stick with the style and type of design they can dot he quickest. In turn, portfolios seem jaded with simple content boxes and unoriginal design.

I myself try to go outside box and sometimes I succeed other times not so much. But the great thing about design is you can always start over and redesign again, ideas are all around us and great design means even greater development.

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http://www.webflostuiods.com

Peter Kao 7 months ago 1 point
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Well said. I just wish there was some single source out there on the internet where I can find good web designers that don't cost me my limbs...

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http://peterkao.com

Michael Liu 6 months ago 1 point
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Have you looked at some of the design communities (deviantart, etc)? Lot's of great designers there and the younger ones probably charge a whole lot less.

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http://www.electronicaviation.com

Webflo Studios 6 months ago 1 point
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Great so they can create amazing designs, however those "kids" or "young adults" do not know about internet marketing, social psychology, color theory, ROI, basic economics. Sure they will make you something pretty, there is plenty of amazing and talented individuals on deviant art, but the majority are great artists....they are not great business people.

I am a digital art major and I can assure you that a large majority of my fellow colleagues have submitted their work to that wonderful website, but none of them know enough to make a living off of the businesses side of the internet. Making something pretty is completely different then making something that is functional, updatable, accessible, and cost effective.

Also they are "cheap" they do not know their own worth. Places for web designers like Elance and Guru are a great example of cheap labor that cares only about speed, but no quality of work. Many of those individuals do not take time to get to know your businesses and design/develop something accordingly.

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http://www.webflostudios.com