Devaluing the design industry is one thing, but for many startups design just isn't core business and outsourcing (crowdsourcing, whatever) is a viable tactic to reduce costs. Sure, it's not bolstering the UK economy and is accordingly embarrassing to a government backed website, but the rest of the article seems to be saying it's a useless site for startups.
I'd content that outsourcing in startups is absolutely appropriate, and by extension offshoring is also okay. (Apologies to UK based design firms producing excellent, cost-effective work)
I agree - in a day and age where financial stability is akin to walking a tight rope, companies are not going to spend money unnecessarily - especially in the early days.
Yes, this money sometimes goes off shore - but if you compare it to the prices/quality that you may receive in cities such as London, sometimes the price does not fit the convenience. With a little creativity and perseverance, a startup can implement the building blocks (design/deployment/admin/software/etc) of a company for next to nothing, leaving them to focus on one thing - generating further business, which will help their country of residence (even if some is out sourced).
Devaluing the design industry is one thing, but for many startups design just isn't core business and outsourcing (crowdsourcing, whatever) is a viable tactic to reduce costs. Sure, it's not bolstering the UK economy and is accordingly embarrassing to a government backed website, but the rest of the article seems to be saying it's a useless site for startups.
I'd content that outsourcing in startups is absolutely appropriate, and by extension offshoring is also okay. (Apologies to UK based design firms producing excellent, cost-effective work)