update 2/12
The creator of Pixish, Derek Powazek, has responded to the spec-work criticisms.

more update
I can only ask myself, was Mr. Powazek expecting some other response from creative professionals? Do a search for pixish spec and you can see the design community hating on this idea big time.

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Any artist, illustrator or photographer that takes part in Pixish is either a rank amateur or an idiot.

From the site:

1. Create an Assignment. Ask for what you want.
2. Get Submissions. People create and submit their work.
3. Peer Review. Community voting helps find the best.
4. Pick Winners. Select your favorites and download.
5. Rewards! Winners get prizes and rewards.

Golly gee willikers — PRIZES!

I love #2 — “people create […] work” — they forget to mention, for absolutely FREE! This is called working on spec. It’s nothing new. Most professional artists, graphic designers, illustrators and photographers won’t work on spec because it devalues their work.

Now, I’m all for free culture, creative commons and sharing ones creative work if one chooses. In fact, MTAA chooses to liberally license lots of our work and we’ve been involved in the creative commons and free culture movements.

I see this Pixish site as something completely different however. If someone is doing their own work for whatever agenda they might have, then decides to share it or license it liberally, that’s one thing. But to set-up an entire operation on-line whose sole purpose is to entice newbies and amateurs into working on spec — perhaps it will be helpful for the creator, perhaps it won’t — and then gussying it with web 2.0 buzzwords, it just doesn’t sit right with me. permanent link to this post