Graphic designers have poured scorn on the prize for designing a logo identifying Thaba Bosiu as a tourism destination.
This follows a call last week by the Thaba Bosiu Tourism Development Group and Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC), for designers to participate by designing a compelling logo that tells a story about Thaba Bosiu. The two entities are collaborating on this initiative.
The competition prize for the winner is an activity-packed and adventure weekend get-away for two at Mmmelesi Lodge.
However, local designers have spewed vitriol at the competition, describing it ‘disrespectful, undermining, and exploiting us’.
Among others, designers are expected to create a modern-classic logo to identify and differentiate destination Thaba Bosiu. Competition entrants should be experienced graphic designers or graphic design students, have laptops with relevant design Apps /Software. They are to submit a designed logo with a related application manual for proper use; designs should be submitted along with the designers’ profiles by July 31, 2024 and the winner will be announced on August, 15.
In an interview with theReporter, a freelancer who specialises in different graphic designing services and Information Technology, Bokang Moalolo, said this is not the first organisation to hold a contest like this with such ‘ridiculous’ prizes.
Molalolo said this undermines their work as designers, adding that the winner will not get any recognition or fame after winning the prize.
“What comes to most people’s minds is that designing is a cheap and easy work to do whereas it requires skills and creativity. In my view, the adventure weekend get-away as a prize does not give the designing industry any dignity at all.
“It also makes our lives difficult because we are trying by all means to be creative; it’s just that people do not appreciate our work, since they always want us to negotiate prices. Even if we had agreed on a certain amount before starting the work, people will still expect negotiations even after completing the work so it is very difficult on us honestly,” Moalolo observed.
He noted that they do not encounter such problems with individuals only, but with big companies as well, which one would expect to be more open-handed.
A logo alone, especially for Thaba Bosiu destination, requires artistic ability, creativity and technical skill; therefore, rewarding a designer with accommodation is more like an insult, he pointed out.
“It’s true we are desperate for money but let us not allow people to take advantage of us. Let us ensure that they understand the significance of our work,” Moalolo urged.
His sentiments were echoed by fellow designer, Ntheke Motapa, who said a cash prize would have been more reasonable.
Motapa insisted that a cash prize is a better reward offer than accommodation and a weekend get-away.
Approached for comment, LTDC’s acting public relations manager, Molapo Matela, said the initiative is not LTDC’s, but is actually a brainchild of Thaba Bosiu Development Group – a community-based group consisting of micro and small enterprises operating in the Thaba-Bosiu precinct with limited to no financial resources, hence the prize.
“We rally behind and support such initiatives as they foster a private sector led economy, but this is not ours. For instance, some people still believe that Letofe belongs to LTDC because it says Lesotho Tourism Festival whereas such events promote tourism in the country.
“However, people will just look at our logo and think the whole idea is for LTDC. We support such initiatives through giving them guidance and levelling the playing field for tourism to improve people’s lives, but we do not really conceptualise such initiatives,” Matela added.
