FAQs
FAQs General
1.1 How is the winning idea determined?
By rating the submitted ideas, the community members themselves determine the winners.
1.2 What is Karma and what does it reflect?
Your karma reflects your activity and your performance on the jovoto platform. Read more about it here and here.
1.3 How can I be informed about or follow other users’ new submissions, comments etc.?
In order to follow a user, and thus keep track of his/her new ideas, comments etc., just move the cursor over a user icon and click the “+” sign. You’ll be then following this user, and you’ll be kept updated on his/her activities.
1.4 Am I supposed to communicate in English within the platform?
With jovoto being an international community, not every one of its members speaks your language. Therefore English would be strongly recommended.
1.5 Who makes sure that no one cheats on jovoto and that rules are being followed?
The jovoto team constantly checks if all contest rules and terms and conditions are being adhered to.
FAQs The course of the contest
2.1 What are Public Contests and what are Private Contests?
Read all about it in this blog post.
2.2 Can I participate in Public and Private Contests?
You can perticipate in all Public Contests. You can only participate in Private Contests if you are a longterm community member or convince us with your work. Read more about it here.
2.3 Is it possible for me to rate other users’ ideas?
Yes, If you have verified your account via SMS verification or are a longterm community member.
2.4 What is the Professional Jury?
Read all about it in this blog post.
2.5 Can I change an already uploaded idea?
You are free to update a submitted idea and to upload more attachments at any time. You can also move and delete attachments. If you wish to withdraw your whole idea, please contact the contest guide for further assistance.
2.6 Which file formats can be uploaded?
The following formats can be uploaded: jpg, png, gif., mp3, swf, mpg, mov. Please upload compressed files only!
2.7 What happens to the copyright for my idea after submission?
You keep the copyright for your idea, unless a client buys it off you at an agreed-upon price.
2.8 Can I upload sketches and drafts, or do I have to submit fully-realized concepts?
Since jovoto is all about ideas, “unfinished” sketches etc. are very welcome. However, jovoto reserves its right to remove ideas that feature inappropriate content and/or are intentionally provocative.
2.9 Do I have to stick 100% to the briefing?
One of the things that make jovoto so special is the fact that, unlike when working in an agency, you have more freedom in developing your idea. With jovoto you can try things out, toy around with ideas, and let your creativity run wild. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the briefing is completely insignificant. But the given specifications don’t have to be met 100%.
Here you can find out more about the jovoto workflow.
FAQs Voting System
3.1 How transparent is the voting system?
The voting system is neither completely opaque nor is it completely transparent. On jovoto, it makes sense that you can see in a user’s profile, which ideas he/she “loves” (=has given a rating of 9 or 10 stars), and which ideas he/she has “bashed” (=1 or 2 stars). See 3.2.
3.2 Why are my “loved ideas” and my “bashed ideas” disclosed in my profile?
This feature provides for transparency and allows the community members for a certain degree of control. Users who only “bash” ideas can be approached by other users, who can persuade them to vote more objectively. The “loved ideas” remain permanently in the user profile as a kind of “Personal Best of” and as a commendation of these ideas.
3.3 How can/should the current leaders rate each other?
Generally speaking, voting behavior should be as fair and objective as possible. Every user should decide regardless of the current ranking if he believes an idea to be good, mediocre, or even bad.
3.4 Why doesn’t the rating of an idea change immediately after I cast my vote?
The ratings are updated automatically every four hours, not after every single vote. The objective is to keep the votes anonymous, just like in every fair voting process. In order to prevent manipulations, we have also developed an automatic algorithm, which registers and checks every cast vote; this is another reason why ratings are updated only every four hours. However, an update can sometimes cause sudden shifts in the ranking.
3.5 What should be rated: the idea alone, or also how much time and effort were invest in its development?
The criteria that may be taken into consideration include quality of the design, consistency with the briefing, technique, realization, novelty, wit, originality, and message. However, jovoto is basically all about ideas, not about fully-realized, perfectly working concepts. jovoto is a place, where ideas can thrive. The idea is the basis and a starting point. The fine-tuning of an idea is commendable, but the community members basically must decide for themselves how much time and effort they want to invest in an idea.
3.6 Is it better to rate frequently or seldom?
The more community members who vote for ideas, the better. A multitude of votes makes the “wisdom of the crowd” work. This way, subjective preferences are evened out and it becomes apparent which idea is preferred by the majority of users.
3.7 Should I cast votes in a contest I don’t take part in?
Definitely! jovoto is based on a lively exchange of opinions between the creatives and ultimately on the “wisdom of the crowd.” Therefore, it’s important that the creatives assess the quality of an idea by rating it, no matter if they take an active part in the contest or not. The rating provides feedback for the creator of an idea and helps with the creative process.
3.8 Is it okay to give an idea a rating of 1 or 2 stars?
Of course, every community member is entitled to give an idea only 1 or 2 stars. But you should consider very thoroughly if such a low rating is really justified. 1 or 2 stars mean that you believe the idea to have no potential at all and suggest the creator should discard it. Therefore, 1 or 2 stars should be given only if you can say in good conscience and as objectively as possible that an idea deserves such a negative evaluation. 1 or 2 stars should NOT be given just because you prefer another idea to win, because an idea doesn’t suit your personal taste, or because you favor or disfavor someone on a personal level. And of course ideas shouldn’t be given 1 or 2 stars with the intention of helping a competing user win!
3.9 Why are creatives, who take part in a contest, allowed to rate other ideas in the same contest? Doesn’t this automatically lead to “bashing”?
Fortunately, it doesn’t. jovoto trusts its members to evaluate each other’s ideas as fairly and objectively as possible. Also, the disclosure of the “Bashed ideas” in the user profiles is intended to restrict unfair behavior.
3.10 Does my vote have an effect on the client’s purchase decision?
The client decides regardless of the community rating. But of course the final result is a decision-making aid – so many professionals can’t be wrong!
3.11 Does the contest initiator get to see my ratings?
No. The contest initiator does not have access to the individual ratings; he just gets to see the final results.
3.12 Do I have to leave a comment when I rate an idea?
No, you don’t need to comment, you can just cast your vote. But of course it would be only fair to leave some constructive feedback in the case of a negative rating.
3.13 Is it okay for friends to give each other good ratings?
Well…If a group of people keep giving each other only high ratings, jovoto must intervene. This is what we call a “micro community”, i.e. a group of community members helping each other to push their ideas up in the ranking – regardless of their actual quality. Of course, this isn’t allowed. After all, it’s the best idea that’s supposed win, not the user with the most buddies.
3.14 What about the votes of the jovoto staff members?
The votes of the jovoto staff members are not included in the final results. They don’t affect the rank of an idea.
Here you can find for more information on the jovoto Voting System.