Kieran Atkinson went looking for logo designers for his new business when the website Print Aura, an online print shop, suggested Fiverr.
The website hosts employers and freelancers doing creative jobs such as logo design or music composition.
Atkinson needed work done for Threads for Paws, a clothing line aimed at pet owners with proceeds going back to a charity for animals.
He found Rose, an artist in Pakistan offering to design a logo for $35.
He loved her work and sent her a message describing what he was looking for. With only one revision, the logo was finished in four days.
The price was crucial for Atkinson.
That’s a problem for Michael Thomas. There is a downside to the cheap prices offered by online freelancers, said the learning manager in the graphic design program at Holland College.
P.E.I. offers a wide range of possibilities for graphic designers, without the added cost competition of online freelance.
With so many opportunities on P.E.I., designers shouldn’t have to lower their rates to match an online service.
“It almost feels like clients go there to bargain hunt, to get stuff cheaply.”
Thomas has friends who depend on online freelance work and are finding success in it.
Between print shops and advertising firms, artists have plenty of opportunity to sell their work for what it’s worth.
“There’s a lot of untapped markets on P.E.I.”
Still, Atkinson likes that he’s giving his business to someone who might not find work otherwise.
He has used the website to find other artists to produce two shirts with slogans and is considering sticking with online freelancers to print the rest of his products.
“I can do the stuff myself, but it takes a lot of time and it’s not as professional as someone who is trained and has the experience already.”
Communicating with someone across the world can be difficult, but the product ends up well made for a cheap price, he said.
“If they’ve got the knowledge and experience, why not?”
Communicating with someone across the world can be difficult, but the product ends up well made for a cheap price, he said.
“If they’ve got the knowledge and experience, why not?”
Beth Atkinson 