For most creatives like writers, photographers, or even designers, a constant problem is the way in which other people believe that their work is easily done. But let’s think about that for a minute– because it really isn’t the case. To keep things simple, I’m going to focus on design for this post, since that’s where I make my bread and butter.
While design is in fact a creative field and many designers enjoy their work, it’s in no way easy. What many people might not understand is, proper design is built on strong fundamentals and the work can be quite meticulous if done correctly. Designers’ processes often involve extensive sketching, research and ideation. All of which aren’t seen by your average joe because, well, it’s not always very sexy to watch. So, there are people out there that believe, that if “some schmuck” with Adobe Illustrator did it, so can the guy down the street.
Enter Fiverr and every other low cost design platform that promises amazing results for, well, $5. Now, in theory, this will be great for all involved. The consumer will get a great deal and a platform to post their “gigs” on. While the designers will have a straightforward sales platform to sell their services and make a quick buck. Sound like a dreamy idea right?
Well unfortunately, if you’re a designer or a small business owner who is using Fiverr or any other platform like it. You’re wasting your time and destroying your business’ credibility. Aside from the fact that Fiverr is holding you back from learning what good design is and how to implement it properly, there are many reasons why it’s terrible for anyone who uses it.
1. Fiverr Devalues the Design Industry
DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE
This is probably the number one thing you will hear from designers who have either tried platforms like Fiverr, or have looked into possibly using it, and have seen it for what it was from the very get go. How is Fiverr devaluing the design industry, you may ask? Well again, let’s give this a bit of thought. But from a financial standpoint this time.
Minimum wage in the USA right now is $7.25 nationally. (Which is widely seen as an unlivable wage, but I’m not here to talk politics.) The cheapest logo that you can purchase on Fiverr right now is $5 US. Which doesn’t even factor in Fiverr’s cut which is 20%, or PayPal’s fees that will remove another 2.9% plus a 30¢ fee per transaction. So, let’s do the math here. $5 minus Fiverr’s 20% is $4. Then you subtract Papal’s fees which are 42¢ when your transaction is $4.
So in total, the designer is making a whopping $3.58 per logo gig at it’s cheapest price!
This is after reading and understanding the client’s project brief, researching and sketching many iterations of the concepts, and then adjusting the logo until the client is happy. All of which can take anywhere from an hour at its absolute shortest, to weeks if not months at its longest. Which is of course is after the client has chosen you as their designer in the first place.
So now as yourself, as a designer, is $3.58 worth a logo that may end up taking anywhere from an hour, to months of your day to day work time?
CONSUMER’S PERSPECTIVE
As a consumer or client looking for a logo, the thought of devaluing the design industry may not be your top priority to avoid. You need your logo and you need it for the price you can afford right?
Well, whereas I can agree that a budget is a budget, and that you can’t squeeze water from a stone. I also believe that the values of a business should show through to more than just their customers. It’s like how Hewlett Packard (HP) started this entire idea of values being the backbone of a brand, way back in 1939. They knew that customers would be loyal to a brand that stood for something. So they required all their employees to represent their values so that not only sales wouldn’t falter. But also because Thea and Zizi Lawal knew that people who represented reputable values would create reputable products.
Now I ask you, knowing that the minimum wage in the US is $7.25/ hour, does paying a designer $3.58 after fees on Fiverr and Paypal, before taxes, seem like the reputable thing to do. Or even better yet. Does a payment at that price point represent your values as a company?
2. The “Competition” Won’t Do Fair Work
BOTH DESIGNER & CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE
There is an old saying out there that speaks to both perspectives when talking about the work not being fair on Fiverr. That saying is, “You get what you pay for.”
As a reputable designer, I would expect my fellow creators out in the field to produce original work no matter how hard, or how much time you need to put into it, because you respect and love the craft. But the unfortunately, the reality of what you’ll find on platforms like Fiverr can be quite the opposite. Actually, a fantastic article that provides a perfect example of what I’m talking about is, Sache Greif’s What Kind of Logo Do You Get for $5.
Sache, who creates wonderful work himself, does the classic test of paying a few designers on Fiverr to make logos for a fictional company he made, called “SkyStats.”
What did Sacha get in return? Five logos made from stock logo imagery. Essentially, each person he paid gave him a logo they bought or even downloaded for free.
I guess he got what he paid for in the end.
3. Lower Rates Attract International Sellers
DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE
Let’s face it, Fiverr attracts thousands of different sellers from all over the world.
The main problem for designers is the constant undercutting and competition from other sellers on Fiverr. If 2 people have the same gig but one offers 3 logos instead of 2, then more people are likely to go with the seller who offers 3. It’s common business sense.
Considering they are both getting paid the same rate for their work, it means the guy who has to make 3 is likely to cut corners. By cutting corners, this lowers the standard of the work, but the customer is likely not to know the difference because they weren’t trained in design, nor do they have the experience to see quality when blinded by price.
This in turn, pushes out a lot of workers from the market, especially the high quality designers. After which, you’re only left with the people who basically love working for nothing and creating stock or poor quality designs.
CONSUMER’S PERSPECTIVE
When prices get pushed too low for sellers only people who find it worth their time will stay in the market.
If you look at all the big sellers on Fiverr who are selling gigs for $5 then you’ll notice that none of them are from the US. Instead they are all from much countries who’s exchange is favorable when accepting US dollars, and where the cost of living is much lower.
This is a problem for a few reasons.
The first problem is the language barrier. A lot of sellers don’t speak English as their primary language, which can cause a lot of problems when trying to explain what you want done on the project.
The second potential problem is the time zone difference. This can often mean sellers will be replying in the middle of the night while you’re in bed because they are either unwilling or change their work schedule to fit yours. Or are working with so many other Fiverr clients, that they don’t have the time to truly give your brand the care it needs. Creating not only an inconvenience, but also potentially making tighter deadlines more stressful.
Final Thoughts
A lot of work goes into design. Whether you’re laying out a brochure, designing a website or making a logo… when done right, a ton of effort goes into everything involved. However, sites like Fiverr throw all of this out the window.
Really, please don’t use Fiverr if you’re a designer or if you’re looking for a designer. I’m not saying this because I dislike the site or because I’m a part of the “design-world-echo-chamber” (although I do and I am). Between the fact that it devalues the design industry, people on the site cheat, and the unfair international competition, I’m saying it because it’s what’s best for you.
It’s as simple as that.
