Introducing Meritocracy

We are changing the way things work

We’re reaching out to outstanding designers wherever they may be. Creativity isn’t confined to a city or an office space. An agency’s function is not defined through its physical space, but through its justified mediation between talented creative thinkers and patrons with masterful design needs.

Freelance designers have always been a part of the creative ecosystem. But there has never been a workflow specifically designed to accommodate this free relationship. Dreamogram wants to make its workflow accessible to designers beyond its walls while at the same time offering a scalable payment system based on qualitative data evaluation. We designed Meritocracy, a constantly evolving algorithm, so that no-one needs to worry about matching the performance with a price tag. You only do what you do best… Design.

That’s why we are reaching out to you. We know your work and admire its quality. This is your invitation to join a league of talented designers who are willing to change the way things work.

How does it work?

Dreamogram earns the job and develops a sufficient understanding of what’s required through its account executives. Pre-production ingests all the assets and processes them with keywords, tags and masks. Our creative directors develop a debrief and define a series of genres that would inspire the exploration. We match you with projects based on your previous work and our understanding of your mastery. Each project has its unique requirements. Your approach and the genres you master may be more suitable for one project and not for another. If you accept the invitation to join a project, you receive a digital package containing all the assets and the debrief documentation.

You do your magic and submit the working files anytime before the deadline. You receive a link to an online survey containing all the work submitted by everyone else. You’re asked to rate each design based on your understanding of the project. Once the voting is over, you’ll be able to see the average peer opinion. This data, along with the votes of the creative director, the account executive and the responses of the client is used to calculate your contribution to the project. So it’s not just about how many pieces you submit, but also how much they’re appreciated by everyone else involved.

How much do I get paid?

Everyone invited is entitled to an equal honorary amount determined at the time of invitation. The rest depends of how much you contribute to the exploration. If you feel like making more, you can, if not, you don’t. There’s no need to stress about matching expectations or being underpaid. You can just focus on your work, knowing that your achievements will be awarded.

When do I get paid?

The honoraries are paid at the end of the first round. The remainder is paid off at the end of the project. We relay all payments as soon as the project is finished without waiting for the client’s payment. Please also note that your contribution may end before the end of the project. There may still be designers working on additional rounds. In this case, you simply need to wait for the project closure.

What am I committing to?

Nothing. You don’t even need to tell us if you don’t want to continue working. You will be asked to sign a contract designed to protect everyone’s rights including the intellectual property of the clients, but that will only be effective for the projects you accept to work on. If you accept an invitation, we would naturally expect to see your usual performance. If you’re too busy or don’t want to work for whatever reason, you can simply reject the invitation.

Can I publish the work in my portfolio?

Only if your specific design is already made public by the client or the agency. This will probably mean that most of your exploration may not see the light of day. We dislike it as much as you do, but also understand the legal sensitivities associated with high-profile jobs.

What about leaks?

The assets we are entrusted with are highly sensitive and confidential. We extend that trust to the people we choose to work with, but also acknowledge that we don’t need to rely on it. Each asset we send you is tagged with an imperceptible watermark that persists even through heavy image manipulation. So in case there is a leak, you won’t remain under suspicion.

What if my work is voted down deliberately?

Each designer has a credibility ranking. This rank effects the weight of their vote. Recognizable deviations from the agency vote norm trigger an audit. A repetitive downvoting behavior decreases the rank and therefore the effect of their vote. In short, cheaters will gradually lose their voice in the system.

Will the client see everything?

Depending on the results delivered, we may choose to introduce a threshold. The pieces that are voted below it would not be included in the presentation. We hate killing designs but sometimes it’s necessary. Rest assured that it’ll never be an individual’s decision to do so. It’ll be a collective evaluation.

Am I done after the first presentation?

Depends on what you want. The second presentation can be an additional exploration or a collection of revisions. In either case you can continue working if you respond quickly enough. If you don’t want to bother, your designs can be revised by our in-house designers because you will have submitted all the working files before the deadline.

Will my designs be bastardized?

It’s possible that the client demands two designs to be combined. And in some cases, they may be originating from separate designers. In these cases, our inhouse creative directors assign which designer continues the work. If stylistic variation is needed, both designers are given the chance to create alternatives.

How do I submit my work?

At the moment, we work using Google tools so you will need to have an account. You will receive and send files through Google Drive. The voting data is also collected through Google Forms. Presentations and revisions are also submitted through Google Slides. You will be required to upload fully-layered PSD files associated with all your designs before the deadline. Any stock imagery used will need to be cleared and identified in the layer name. Failure to comply with these requirements can disqualify your work.

How do I receive payment?

Through wire transfer directly to your bank account.

I have more questions!

Send Erdem an e-mail at erdem@dreamogram.com