Alberta PCs ditch 'Wild Rose Country' slogan on new licence plates

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

That's my biggest beef with unsolicited designs in general, it cheapens our trade down to window dressing while ignoring the other 80% of the variables at play in the average project.

Yes, the final design should be pleasing to the eyes, but it should also fit the budget, appease stakeholders, and last but not least, provide an effective solution to the problem being addressed.

Slapping together an unsolicited design like this is akin to throwing a successful dinner party and declaring yourself a better chef than Gordon Ramsey because one of your guest said your steak was better than the one he had at a restaurant in Vegas.

Sure, maybe you can do up 5-6 steaks at a time and average out a little bitter than some steakhouses, but you're not dealing with 100+ seats and a staff of 12 that evening.

maybe i'm missing your point, but isn't that exactly what those 3 designs we are voting on are? 3 unsolicited designs by 3M in a bid to get work making the reflective coating.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

That's my biggest beef with unsolicited designs in general, it cheapens our trade down to window dressing while ignoring the other 80% of the variables at play in the average project.

Yes, the final design should be pleasing to the eyes, but it should also fit the budget, appease stakeholders, and last but not least, provide an effective solution to the problem being addressed.

Slapping together an unsolicited design like this is akin to throwing a successful dinner party and declaring yourself a better chef than Gordon Ramsey because one of your guest said your steak was better than the one he had at a restaurant in Vegas.

Sure, maybe you can do up 5-6 steaks at a time and average out a little bitter than some steakhouses, but you're not dealing with 100+ seats and a staff of 12 that evening.

Isnt these firms complaint though that they were never asked and that no design firm was ever asked. These unsoclisited designed are basically saying if in an hour we can toss something together that is better than the bag of crap 3m gave you imagine how we can meet your requirements if you gave us the contract.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by GGG

Isnt these firms complaint though that they were never asked and that no design firm was ever asked. These unsoclisited designed are basically saying if in an hour we can toss something together that is better than the bag of crap 3m gave you imagine how we can meet your requirements if you gave us the contract.

The thing is they have no idea what the requirements are, the 1 hour "this is better!" design is without constraints at all.

I guess my point is design as a profession is much more then the aesthetics of the finished product. Obviousy the finished product should look good, but there is so much more that goes into it then "make this widget look good".

If that we're the case we'd all be driving the Homer with full grain leather interiors and a child isolation dome.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

The thing is they have no idea what the requirements are, the 1 hour "this is better!" design is without constraints at all.

I guess my point is design as a profession is much more then the aesthetics of the finished product. Obviousy the finished product should look good, but there is so much more that goes into it then "make this widget look good".

If that we're the case we'd all be driving the Homer with full grain leather interiors and a child isolation dome.

It's a bleeping license plate, the only design limitations should be "can be read. fits on car".

[Slava]

The way to do this was to say "here are the new license plates" with no choices or options. Giving people a couple choices just opens it up for people to want other options. Just another example of why a benevolent dictator would be better I suppose!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Madman

This is from their site:

"The mountain range profile is modeled after the one on Alberta's flag and coat of arms."

I understand the design. But as Sun noted, the custom shape of the plate due to the mountains looks tacky.

Originally Posted by Slava

The way to do this was to say "here are the new license plates" with no choices or options. Giving people a couple choices just opens it up for people to want other options. Just another example of why a benevolent dictator would be better I suppose!

I thought we had one at the federal level?

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by Swarly

maybe i'm missing your point, but isn't that exactly what those 3 designs we are voting on are? 3 unsolicited designs by 3M in a bid to get work making the reflective coating.

From my understanding, 3M (the tape company) has the contract for producing the license plates for the province. They offered to design the plates for free. They were given instructions on what needed to be included on the plates and these are the three designs that made it through the committee process.

What jaydorn and I are trying to say, is that these unsolicited designs didn't have to go through the same design process as the three choices we have. They didn't have to meet the physical requirements of the license plate production (the mountain cut out). They ignored the removal of "Wild Rose Country" when 3M was told to remove it. They didn't have to get their designs approved by a committee of people with little to no design sense.

Originally Posted by corporatejay

It's a bleeping license plate, the only design limitations should be "can be read. fits on car".

There are limitations to license place design. Cost is a huge limiting factor. Having a die cut plate is more expensive than the standard rectangle plate. Having stamped/raised lettering, as opposed to the digital print, raises the price as well. Could you imagine the outrage if the new plate design increased the cost our plates by millions a year? They're probably reducing the yearly costs of plate production significantly with the new plates.

[jonesy]

somehow I thought the design guys cool option would make other design guys happy. Seemsl like it just made them mad. Go figure.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

It's a bleeping license plate, the only design limitations should be "can be read. fits on car".

Right, and the only limitation of a restaurant is "food must taste good, not make patrons vomit".

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by KTrain

From my understanding, 3M (the tape company) has the contract for producing the license plates for the province. They offered to design the plates for free. They were given instructions on what needed to be included on the plates and these are the three designs that made it through the committee process.

What jaydorn and I are trying to say, is that these unsolicited designs didn't have to go through the same design process as the three choices we have. They didn't have to meet the physical requirements of the license plate production (the mountain cut out). They ignored the removal of "Wild Rose Country" when 3M was told to remove it. They didn't have to get their designs approved by a committee of people with little to no design sense.

There are limitations to license place design. Cost is a huge limiting factor. Having a die cut plate is more expensive than the standard rectangle plate. Having stamped/raised lettering, as opposed to the digital print, raises the price as well. Could you imagine the outrage if the new plate design increased the cost our plates by millions a year? They're probably reducing the yearly costs of plate production significantly with the new plates.

But then why couldn't they have listed the requirements of the plate, and held a contest or something?

Free designs - publicity for a large number of design firms. Less chance of something looking like garbage like the ones we have now.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Regorium

But then why couldn't they have listed the requirements of the plate, and held a contest or something?

Free designs - publicity for a large number of design firms. Less chance of something looking like garbage like the ones we have now.

What your suggesting is called Spec Work, and it's something our industry is quite vocal about our opposition to because... well we like to get paid for our work.

Oddly enough my bank doesn't accept "publicity" as a form of payment on my mortgage.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by jonesy

somehow I thought the design guys cool option would make other design guys happy. Seemsl like it just made them mad. Go figure.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a much better design than the options we've been given. I'm just saying that most designs would be better if the designer could do whatever they want without the same process or constraints.

Originally Posted by Regorium

But then why couldn't they have listed the requirements of the plate, and held a contest or something?

Free designs - publicity for a large number of design firms. Less chance of something looking like garbage like the ones we have now.

If there's one thing professional designers hate more than crap design it is design contests. Asking dozens or hundreds of people to work for free and then choosing one and discarding the rest is a brutal way to create good work. You wouldn't

There are many amazingly talented designers in Alberta. They already work with a few of them. The final product would be better and it would support Alberta business. Win/Win.

[Regorium]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

What your suggesting is called Spec Work, and it's something our industry is quite vocal about our opposition to because... well we like to get paid for our work.

Oddly enough my bank doesn't accept "publicity" as a form of payment on my mortgage.

Fair enough. I hate garbage like kickstarter and other forms of crowdsourcing/crowdfunding and this is no different.

Should they solicit bids then? I don't like the sole source design. Because then it's possible to end up with abominations like the current choices.

[calumniate]

They should get those guys that designed that circle lamppost

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by calumniate

They should get those guys that designed that circle lamppost

i am torn, if we give the design guys 'specs' and 'requirements' and pay them a wack of dough, we could get another 'blue square' for a provincial logo.

I don't see how that is creative or good in any way.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Regorium

But then why couldn't they have listed the requirements of the plate, and held a contest or something?

Free designs - publicity for a large number of design firms. Less chance of something looking like garbage like the ones we have now.

Originally Posted by jaydorn

What your suggesting is called Spec Work, and it's something our industry is quite vocal about our opposition to because... well we like to get paid for our work.

Oddly enough my bank doesn't accept "publicity" as a form of payment on my mortgage.

The project should have went out to school kids for the upcoming year so that they could design and select a number of options to put forth before a Government panel and the public.

1. The opportunity would give kids a chance to learn about project specs, project execution and delivery.
2. Kids could learn about graphic design and creativity.
3. Kids could learn about the Alberta identity and how to represent the province.
4. Kids are happy to do things for free.
5. The kids are the future of this province and they need to start to feel an attachment with regards to shaping the future of our great province.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by jonesy

we could get another 'blue square' for a provincial logo.

I've never understood what that square at the end of the "a" tail was all about. What the hell is that?

[Madman]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I've never understood what that square at the end of the "a" tail was all about. What the hell is that?

Saskatchewan, riding our coat tails.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I thought we had one at the federal level?

He said "benevolent dictator".

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by KTrain

From my understanding, 3M (the tape company) has the contract for producing the license plates for the province. They offered to design the plates for free. They were given instructions on what needed to be included on the plates and these are the three designs that made it through the committee process.

What jaydorn and I are trying to say, is that these unsolicited designs didn't have to go through the same design process as the three choices we have. They didn't have to meet the physical requirements of the license plate production (the mountain cut out). They ignored the removal of "Wild Rose Country" when 3M was told to remove it. They didn't have to get their designs approved by a committee of people with little to no design sense.



There are limitations to license place design. Cost is a huge limiting factor. Having a die cut plate is more expensive than the standard rectangle plate. Having stamped/raised lettering, as opposed to the digital print, raises the price as well. Could you imagine the outrage if the new plate design increased the cost our plates by millions a year? They're probably reducing the yearly costs of plate production significantly with the new plates.

I get what you are saying and agree, also with the spec work being a bad way to go. I guess the real problem with these designs was the committee involved, they are all clearly dullards and simpletons.