How Generalizations Don't Work: CAVEAT EMPTOR!!! (Score 2)

Well, I don't have any intimate knowledge of RazorFish's business practices, but as a member of a design firm I'm going to contest a few things that I feel need to be challenged.

1) COST. ...

Granted. They probably did pay a lot. There are plenty of firms that would've done it for less, but I'd imagine they wanted a firm with a strong reputation. RF can charge high dollar prices because they feel their real-world expertise in dealing with other high profile clients (RazorFish doesn't even try for anything but high-profile well-funded companies) is worth more than UnknownFirm. This makes them feel "safe" even if UnknownFirm could've done better work/lower price/etc.

2) DELIVERABLES. USWeb, according to reputation, bids high and gets the work done more or less within budget; RazorFish, and many others, tend to bid low to get the contract and then pile on additional costs as "unforseen" events arize. Usually this stuff is retainer work anyway...

Huh? What does this have to do with deliverables? Anyway, my firm does none of these things. Our contracts cover finite projects and we do nothing "unforseen" (sic) as we prefer to remain honest. Design firms that don't will soon find that an easy buck now could cost them future projects. Don't condemn the entire industry on your (limited?) experience.

3) WHAT THEY COMPLAINING ABOUT??? The site is, really, pretty typical and average for what web design companies produce: nothing that 20 bright college kids couldn't do by looking at any firms' clients' pages and replicating... they asked for what a web design firm produces, they got what a web design firm produces. Caveat Emptor.

OK, first, the article makes "what they are complaining about" clear. You're basically saying absolutely nothing aside from implying that "20 bright college kids" could design on the same level as RazorFish. I challenge you to prove this. And...Caveat Emptor? Always. As with any product, you should do some comparison shopping.

4) THE WEB DESIGN INDUSTRY IS LUDICROUS. OK, I know USWeb the best, and they run an incredibly tight shop that... well, works (slowly but surely) by strict adherance to formulas, guidelines and regulations. (Don't even mention perl if you want to be hired by them!). But billing at $300/hr and up for this crap? The work because Marketing is Big, CKS is a Real Ad Firm, and their clients Don't Know A Fuck about what is going on.

For such a strong subject and equally strong itemized list, you sure have nothing to say. Are you rehashing the price thing again? Big marketing always brings big prices. Honestly, companies that want huge returns understand that they don't come cheaply. It's fun to say they don't know what's going on though, isn't it?

I agree that there is certainly room for anyone (in any industry) to be paid too much for sub par work. Assuming the allegations are true, RazorFish won't get away without a tarnished reputation. There are other Fish in the sea. And they're even different colors and sizes. Maybe you should have a look for yourself before claiming to know "How Web Design Firms Work".

And seriously, aside from the pricing practices of one firm (and unproven conjecture about a competing firm) you don't really explain how anything works. Defending sweeping generalizations is a bitch, isn't it?

*gel