Private submissions when confidentiality is needed
I understand that with a private contest, visitors to the site must be logged into to view contest info and submissions.
However, as I have recently encountered, there may be times when a contest holder needs submissions to be private...so that other users logged in (whether designers or contest holders) can't see submissions.
Example: a start-up company has a new product and wants a web site designed to promote/sell said new product. The contest holder can specify in his/her design brief that there are confidentiality issues, and that he/she will communicate via private message or email the exact details of what needs to be designed, product images/names, etc.
So this ensures that confidential company and/or product info is not posted publicly on the design brief.
But what happens when designers communicate w/the contest holder and the submit their designs? Anyone logged into 99designs.com can see the submissions. So if there's confidential product info plastered all over a design - it's basically out there in the open, whether the contest itself is "private" or not.
My solution to this problem is to add functionality that would allow each contest holder to determine whether or not designers who participate in their contest can see other designers' submissions. Ideally in the situation described above:
1. The contest holder would be able to view all submissions.
2. Each designer could view his/her own submission(s).
3. Designers could not view other designers' submission(s).
4. Logged in members of 99designs.com could not view any of the designers' submission(s) except as noted above.
badmoomoo
Designers could still read the feedback on other designers' work in my suggested scenario. After all, we should be designing based on the client's brief, not on what others do.
2 months ago
badmoomoo
I understand where you're coming from. However, my suggestion is not to make feedback private - only the design submissions. Designers can't see each others' work...so when confidentiality is a must for a contest holder, they can have it.
2 months ago
Barack Obama
@Ulahts:
whats wrong with persuading the contest holder leading him to your entries? Isnt that simply just verbally selling your design?
2 months ago
ulahts
While, here you can develop an exponential evolution - belive me i am talking from years of ecperience on both communities - and furthermore you have the opportunity to get more work outside 99designs.
Cheers
Emi
2 months ago
ulahts
...be only a few designers who would be so privileged. The rest won't matter anymore. This system is applied on www.worth1000.com and believe me it doesen't work from the perspective of a n00b or even from an old designer. It's like in the mute movies, no one hears you and no one talks about your submissions. You can learn something but it would take a lot of time.
2 months ago
ulahts
That will atract more spam designers and cases when the designer will persuade the contest holder leading him to his entries. That atracts some jurors / moderators which will evaluate things - that means more time to search and so on.
Also, the lack of feedback: if this days the feedback is still a problem then with private submissions / hidden submissions / hidden comments there will be only...
2 months ago