>Agreed. But why does your portfolio have to be the live site? Seems
>easy enough to put the good parts on a zip disk. I guess i'm not sure I
>see the logic in expecting a site to stay a static piece over time,
>graphically or otherwise.
I don't depend on the site to stay live, as several of our early sites are
no longer online or have been redesigned by others. I actually find our
printed version of our Web portfolio to be the handiest for local sales
calls. My earlier rant was mainly intended to make a point, which was that
unless otherwise agreed upon in a written contract, the designer owns all
rights to a site and can choose to let go any he or she wishes to let go
of. I would also like for non-artistic folks simply to be aware of how many
artists feel about seeing their work monkeyed around with. In actuality,
our major sites have stayed with us, not because of any contractual
agreements, but because the clients are happy with our work. I'm certainly
not sitting around crying because I don't get maintenance on the Claris
work that I've done: it's easy enough to look at a corporate site like that
and realize that it's beyond anyone's artistic control.
>I'm sort of curious how you hold those rights to future changes. Are
>you saying that by holding onto the rights to the art, you're indirectly
>tying the customer to using you again for the upgrade (or having to go
>buy new art)?
I'm simply saying that under law, I have that right. In fact, I don't
exercise it as I've never had a need to. Folks who buy art should, however,
be aware of copyright law in case they run up against someone less flexible
than we are. And, anyone who buys art should be aware of how artists feel.
I was indirectly involved with a site here where the agency I designed it
for under sub-contract forced the client to pull it offline when the client
broke some agreements with the agency. It wasn't my doing, but it is a good
example of how copyright can be used against an ill-informed client. I
heard through the grapevine that the end client was pretty shocked to learn
that they didn't own the artwork outright. (I had given over my rights to
the agency.)
>Good thoughts, though . . . makes me wonder if I shouldn't ask the
>agencies to bring the artists in to the next meeting so i can verify
>that they at least have happy working arrangemenhts . . . (amazing how
>terrified these agencies are to let me talk directly to coders,
>designers and artists--I simply want to know the people do the work for
>me and convey adequately what I expect without management mucking it up
>on their end, but everyone is terrified of having their staff bought out
>from underneath them. <g>)
>From my experience as an owner of an ad agency, I recommend that you DEMAND
to meet directly with the creative staff involved with your work. Account
representatives historically try to magnify their own importance of the
process by keeping the creatives out of it. If you convey your needs only
to your account exec, I *guarantee* that: 1) he or she will put his or her
own spin on your input and 2) you'll never see some of the creatives' best
ideas. You'll get much better work if you deal directly with creatives. You
may also wish to insist that the creatives visit your office and look
around. I find it very hard to come up with ideas working blind, yet when I
visit a client and talk informally with staff, look around, invariably I
come up with new ideas. It's probably not necessary to involve yourself
with coders and the full creative staff, but you should at least talk with
the creative director, the art director and the copywriter. You would also
be well advised to insist on seeing ALL the creatives ideas that they come
up with, not just those that the account exec feels you should see. Most of
the best ideas never make it past the account exec.
Suz
Suzanne Stephens, Dave Stephens Design; Ashland, Oregon
541-552-1190, 541-1192 http://www.KickassDesign.com/
CyberCircus Grand Prize Winners http://www.thecybercircus.com/
Web Page Design for Designers: http://www.wpdfd.com/wpdres.htm
Clip Art: http://www.freeimages.com/artists/
Tender Loving Care Interactive DVD movie: http://tenderlovingcare.cc/
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