When should I seek alternative suppliers?

[jproops]

Hi there, 

I am curious to see people's views on when a contract could be cancelled and a new supplier be sought for successful fulfilment. 

I have engaged a freelancer for a logo job (I know this is very subjective and can be based on a like vs dislike view). 

But - I have provided one set of feedback for revisions and it seems my guidance was ignored or not acted on. 

How many revisions should I accept before either paying the freelancer / not paying the freelancer and cancelling the contract??

thanks,

Joe

[prestonhunter]

A logo job?

Joe, this is a simple easily commoditized project. You should have hired multiple people for this from the start. Either five low-cost logo specialists or two high-cost ones.

Give them each a limited amount of time to submit their best efforts and then pick what you like best. This saves a lot of time and money. And it saves you from having to talk to them or go back and forth with anybody who isn't cutting it.

[jadt65]

When done properly, logo creation is a part of creating a brand and involves a bit more than drawing up some sketches. That being said, as with all the creative disciplines, if the logo designer does not seem to create an image that reflects your vision for your brand after a couple of revision cycles, then it is time to move on to another graphic artist who specializes in logo design. 

[prestonhunter]

re: "When done properly, logo creation is a part of creating a brand and involves a bit more than drawing up some sketches."

Good point, and I totally agree.

Just knowing you're looking to have a logo designed doesn't tell us everything. Most often, this is would be a pretty important thing for your company. But I have also hired people on Upwork to create logos for very minor, almost throw-away websites... in which case I just want SOMETHING and it really isn't worth more than an hour or two of somebody's work.

[jsutherland]

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@Preston H wrote:
A logo job?

You should have hired multiple people for this from the start. Either five low-cost logo specialists or two high-cost ones.

---

Why would I pay twice what I expect to pay just to have something done correctly? I'm also looking at having something designed at the moment and the last contractor I hired still has not delievered anything and I'm back at the drawing board starting to interview all over again. 

[prestonhunter]

re: "Why would I pay twice what I expect to pay just to have something done correctly?"

For creative-type jobs, that's what I do.

I have hired 4 to 6 people to do the same job, and I pick what I like the best from everything they submit.

I do it to save time and expense.

As a contractor I assume that often other contractors are being hired to do the same job, and that the client is continuing to work with the contractor or contractors he likes the best, while thanking the others for their early work and sending them on their way.

I recently worked as a go-between senior programmer with a client who had me set up the same test job for 6 different junior programmers. We didn't need the job done 6 different ways. We wanted to find out who was worth working with further, without spending a lot of time or money getting too far on a project with any of them.

re: "I'm back at the drawing board starting to interview all over again."

When you hire multiple people to do the same job, it makes it easier to skip the interview process altogether. I really don't like wasting time doing interviews. I have hired single individuals to do important jobs without interviewing anybody, because I knew if they weren't working out I could just end the contract. And I have hired multiple contractors to do a job without interviewing anybody, and I have been very pleased with the results. Sometimes contractors didn't turn in anything by the time I asked for it. Not a problem. I already had the work I needed, done by other contractors. After the deadline I just closed all the contracts and thanked them for their time and effort. If they had not done any work, they didn't lose any time and I didn't lose any money.

This might seem odd to you, but most people I have worked with have seemed to appreciate getting hired without having to be be interviewed. I hire based on their cover letter and profile.

[jadt65]

"This might seem odd to you, but most people I have worked with have seemed to appreciate getting hired without having to be be interviewed. I hire based on their cover letter and profile." 

I never accept an offer without having an interview. As much as a prospective client is assessing me during the interview, I am doing the same to determine if the client is a good fit. In fact, a client who goes straight to making an offer without an interview is actually a red flag for me. 

[prestonhunter]

re: "In fact, a client who goes straight to making an offer without an interview is actually a red flag for me."

Interesting perspective.

These have all been short-term jobs that I hired people for, in case that makes any difference.

[dzadza]

Main problem with logo design (and other graphic design, for that matter) is the fact that generic logos, brochure and flyer templates can be found all over the Internet. Some people with no graphic design experience downloaded those and are now simply re-selling them. That's why we hear that freelancers don't listen to feedback from the client. They don't know how to change them. On the other hand, those designs are extremely cheap, so the client thinks it's a good bargain....