Design thread .... v.2

I tend to agree. I've borrowed from other designers before. And your rule is correct: make sure it's at least a different state, if not a different time zone.

 

I could care less where the two papers are located. What I have a problem with is stealing an idea and then claiming that you did it yourself. Is it really that hard to say "I saw a page similar to this online and I tried to do it myself, how did I do?"

I have three rules when it comes to coping someone's page:
1. Don't post it on newspagedesigner, visualeditors, here or any other place where other designers can see it.
2. If you're going to post it, give the person who inspired you credit.
3. If you're not going to give them credit, don't make the steal so obvious.

I've copied ideas when I was at smaller papers, it's a great way to learn. And I've had a lot of people steal my designs. I'm not saying don't do it, just give credit.

 

OK, I would agree with that. But your first post had the tone of, "HA! I caught you, thieving motherfucker!" We were just disagreeing with that aspect.

 

Wow, I definitely didn't mean to offend anyone. Sheesh.

All I did was post the page ... I never did or didn't claim that I did it myself.

I did see Luke Knox's page on NPD and really liked the idea, so I "tried it myself." I'm sorry I didn't come out and say it to begin with, probably should have, but didn't think about it. I really enjoy Knox's work and his creativity is oustanding. I look at the Arizona Republic whenever I can.

As far as the consistency issue, Write-Brained, I completely agree. The main problem I had with this thing was I had about three days to do it. Time constraints were a killer because no one thought about a special section until right before the tournament started.

 

Except for when you said ...

I'm not saying you shouldn't look at other designers' work or even try to copy some elements here and there to become a better designer yourself, but you had to know someone on here would catch this sooner or later. I'm sure Luke Knox is flattered and all, but I'm with brian griffin on this one.

 

Sorry Pressbox, didn't mean for this to be a personal attack on you.

 

It's cool man. I understand where you guys are coming from.

To Bob, I didn't mean to say that I didn't design the page. I was trying to say that I did or didn't say that I saw the page elsewhere.

I appreciate the critiques and evaluations. Thanks guys.

 

Free advice. If you'll just type a line in your NPD comments that says something like, "I saw a concept I liked from Luke Knox, so I borrowed away ..." you'll diffuse comments/discussions like those above before they begin and you'll find that designers or editors actually APPRECIATE the honesty and 99 percent of the time won't hold anything against you. I think you do more for your credibility in the grand scheme of things if you add that sentence in there.

I also realize you don't HAVE to acknowledge borrowing if you don't wish to do so. But with the way career paths can come full circle in our industry, you may one day find yourself wanting Luke Knox to hire you ... OR, you may one day find yourself wanting to hire Luke Knox. That's just the way things go, and you'll find that making such a gesture now will pay off in a big way 2-3 years down the road or more.

 

Bingo. That's pretty much what I was trying to say, only in a more cogent manner.

 

I see the update on NPD, and I think it's the right thing to do.

I'm willing to be wrong about it, but my NPD portfolio to this day is peppered with some comments like that, one as recently as January. I just think you come across sincere and doing that will pay off for you.

 

If it's going to necessitate a disclaimer ... I do believe I'd rather give up on borrowing good ideas from others.

Of course, then, what's to prevent somebody from seeing their work in another's idea, even if that isn't the case? The answer is, there IS no way to prevent that. And then the designer is still in the same predicament.

 

Shotty, so if you see an idea that would work perfectly for a CP you're doing, you won't use it just because you have to give credit? Seems a little self-centered to me. You still tell jokes that you heard from a friend?

A sports editor at a major metro paper told me once to steal, steal, steal, but always put your own little stamp on it. And always give credit when you post online. It's sort of like an unwritten rule, a common sense rule, if you will.

I do think the time zone rule is crap. Some time zones are pretty big. I'd say as long as you're in a different state, it's cool.