Spec Work has always been a controversial subject in the world of design. Why should you work with no guarantee of getting paid? Many designers claim that it signals the end of the industry. To me, however, it’s the future of the industry.
What is Spec Work?
Spec work, or speculative work, to refer to its full name, is the process of doing design work with no contract or any guarantee of getting paid – If the client likes it, he’ll use it and pay you for it. Often, spec work takes place in the form of design contests, such as on 99Designs.
Why it’s not as bad as you think
There are numerous complaints about spec work, many of which I will try to dispel here.
Work without pay?
One of the most common arguments is that it doesn’t happen in any other industry – You wouldn’t go to a hairdresser and not pay him if he didn’t cut your hair the way you wanted. However, there are numerous jobs where spec work does happen. For example, few artists create artwork knowing that it will sell. People starting up a business don’t know that it will succeed. It’s a calculated risk that you must take – If you feel that you can do a good job on a design brief, then take it on and hope that the client will like it. If you don’t feel you can do a good job on it, then don’t do it, and leave it to people who can. The same should apply for any work, whether or not it’s on spec.
Designing for money vs. Designing for passion
In relation to the example of the artist, he doesn’t create art purely to make money, that’s merely a beneficial side-effect. He does it because he’s passionate about art and enjoys what he does. The same should apply to design. If you’re in the design industry purely to make money, well, you’re probably in the wrong place. Design should be enjoyable, and you should take pleasure in doing it. I mean, you didn’t start your design career making money straight away – You must have been doing it for fun in the first place. These days, you can do it for fun, and have the chance of making a little money at the same time.
Sometimes, if you’re guaranteed to be paid at the end of the project, you might not do quite as well as you can. Often, this isn’t a conscious thing, and you may not realize you’re doing it at all. However, if you’re in a contest, you have to do your best in order to make sure you impress the client. In other words, you have a lot more stimulation and motivation to excel, rather than take everything for granted.
To research or not to research?
As part of a paid, contracted design job, the designer will often go and do lots of research on the company and its industry. Whilst this is a useful tool, and can often be very beneficial, in the wrong hands, it can result in an overly-analyzed and watered-down design. With design contests, you usually have a deadline of about 7 days, and therefore no time for research. This means your designs are often instinctive. I’m not by any means that research is bad, and nor is planning your designs, but sometimes, for some designers, going with your instinct produces great results.
More likely to get paid?
Although it doesn’t make much sense, you are actually more likely to get paid with a spec job. Almost all designers have a horror story about how a certain client has refused to pay. In these cases, they often have a contract, but the fee isn’t enough to bring the client to court over – They’d just end up losing money. However, with design contest clients such as 99Designs, the fee is already paid to the site, and although the fees are less than ordinary design work, at least you’re guaranteed of getting it if you win.
Experience is valuable
The final, most obvious reason, is that it’s experience. During the current economic climate, design jobs are becoming more sparse, so chances are that there will be times when you have no work. Why waste your time doing nothing when you could be working on spec, and having some chance of making money. Every time you design anything, you learn at least something, which in turn will make you better placed for winning further design contests, whilst also making you a better designer and more likely to attract “real” clients. If you win a design contest, the client might pass on your name to other potential clients who will come to you directly – Everything has a knock-on effect. Who knows, you could produce something good enough for your portfolio. But whether or not it has any instantly gratifying results, your hard work won’t be entirely futile, win or lose.
Some Examples
I realise that some of my reasons are minor and negligible, but the small things all add up. At the end of the day, the final result is all that really matters. Here are just a few of the wonderful designs that are out there on crowdsourcing websites:
A call for tolerance
To conclude, I am by no means saying that every designer should go and create an account on 99Designs, but at least respect it as a source of income for others. I might prefer an expensive restaurant to McDonalds, but I still accept that fast food is convenient and does the job perfectly for many people. There’s a very evident arrogance in the design world towards many things. I’m guilty of that too – I would much rather use Gotham than Arial, Photoshop than GIMP. But we still need to remember that although it may not comply with our notions of what design “should” be, design is for everyone, and everyone is just as entitled to design as professional designers. Does that reduce the standard of design? No, it merely means that the professionals have to work harder to get jobs. If anything, it is raising the standards. So for that, spec work, I salute you.
What else would you add?
Before leaving, be sure to add your thoughts, concerns, questions, or rebuttals for the rest of us to read.
This post was written exclusively for GDB by Conor ODriscoll .To contribute a guest post to GDB, click here.
I don’t participate in spec work but I don’t begrudge those who do. In my view, it’s just another avenue designers choose to use to get work, experience, money etc. I certainly haven’t noticed the awe inspiring collapse of the entire industry that so many have predicted and I haven’t been hurt financially by those companies offering “design contests”. I still get just as much work as I always have.
That being said, this is a touchy issue and I’ve never seen an article about it where the comments didn’t descend into bitterness and childish attacks. I hope you’re prepared for all the names you’ll be called and all of the attacks on your character. Good luck.
@Eric, it’s definitely not for everyone, and if you can get work without it, then all the better to you.
Well, let’s hope that the standard of GDB readers are above that. And if not, well, so be it
Thanks for the comment
@Eric,
Thanks for your kind comment. You seem to have prophesied the outcome of the comments of this article. I agree with you though, if it works for you, give it a shot. If not, don’t. Good luck in all.
I like your article, thank you. However for me I stay clear of spec work. I love art, I have a passion for design, but I also need to provide and put food on the table. I feel spec work is great for kids in school who need experience, but other than that I am not a fan. My main problem with spec work is that if you do win, you don’t win their loyalty to YOU, they wont refer potential clients to you, and chances are you wont get future business as they will refer them to (99designs, designcontest, etc…)
I have been in the industry now for 10 years, and just recently started my own company. 75 percent of my clients are repeat clients, and over 60 percent of my new clients are referrals. You just don’t get that with spec work.
I am tolerant of spec work because it exists, but i just don’t agree with it. One more thing is with a well written SIMPLE contract, i have never had a problem getting paid!
@Dave, glad you like the article
I understand that it’s not for everyone, and it’s certainly not the best financial option, but there’s no harm in a contest or two if you have a gap between jobs.
Sure, the referral issue isn’t great, but it can happen. Often, if you win a logo contest, the client might need a website, and ask you first, because they know you’re good, before going back to the contest site. Referrals are less likely, but I wouldn’t rule them out completely.
I’ve heard of enough stories of clients who won’t pay to know it’s an issue, no matter how good your contract is. Maybe not everyone will experience it, but there are plenty who will.
Thanks for commenting
@Conor, I agree at some point, i think EVERY designer at some point will experience the thrill of not getting paid for a job. For me it happened when I was first beginning, and not confident with my work, so i didn’t ask for a retainer. I lost every time and soon learned that if i want to make it i need a simple contract, one with a 50% retainer up front and remainder due at the end of project. No work starts till you get the 50%. Some say 50% is too much, I think its fair and have never had a problem. That way you can ensure you always get paid. Thanks for the comment back I enjoy your tweets.
@Dave,
You bring up an excellent point that many designers who are considering spec work do not think of. Even if you are the best designer in the contest and win a lot of money, the chances that you will establish a long-term relationship with this client aren’t very good. While it could happen, the likelihood of it happening isn’t as high.
Thanks for sharing.
@Preston D Lee, glad i could participate. I really enjoy your site.
@Dave, Thanks Dave. I enjoy having you here. Hope to see your comments frequently on upcoming articles! Best of luck in all you do.
Spec work isn’t for me, but I can understand why some people do it. I’d have to agree with your statement that artists design for passion, “For example, few artists create artwork knowing that it will sell…In relation to the example of the artist, he doesn’t create art purely to make money, that’s merely a beneficial side-effect. He does it because he’s passionate about art and enjoys what he does.” I am passionate about my designs, but that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t get paid for them (I know that’s not what you were referring to either). But each design takes time and effort, if you can crank out designs quickly, passionately and efficiently, more power to you, but spec work doesn’t do it for me.
@Bret Juliano, I fully understand that spec work isn’t for everyone – It’s by no means the ideal way of working, and if you can manage without it, then well done.
This article was more aimed at those who condemn it as a means of making a few bob on the side, and say that it’s ruining the industry. I mean, everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I wanted to provide a different angle.
Thanks for the comment, and the kind words on Twitter too
@Bret Juliano,
You bring up a great point, and I think that’s why people dislike spec work so much: it forces designers to “crank out” designs that just aren’t up to par most of the time. If you are relying solely on quantity of entrees, it makes more sense to do mediocre work on 50 contests than excellent work on 5 contests.
I see where you are coming from. At the same time, if you have to make a few bucks, perhaps mediocrity is something you have to live with.
I enjoy seeing both sides of this argument. Thanks for sharing.
I, too, understand why some people do spec work, but like the other commenters here, I do not accept spec work for myself and will never sign up at sites like 99designs. Why? Because I need to earn a living. Designing logos takes time, unless you’re willing to just throw something together without actually thinking it through. Most logo projects pay about 1/10 of what I charge for an identity package, as do the Web projects. I’ve also found that, at least in my experience, clients who want spec work don’t really value the work or respect the designer, and they often are more demanding, require more admin/non-design time and are just overall more difficult to work with than clients I get by referral. I CAN crank out designs quickly passionately and efficiently, but like Bret, it’s not just satisfying work, and it doesn’t pay the bills.
You mention that spec CAN lead to referrals, but in my own experience, they almost never do, and the referrals you do get are for others looking for design on the cheap. My sense is that most people who post projects on 99designs and the like are bargain hunters and will always place price above quality and the development of a good business relationship.
@Matt Meeks, Yeah, I agree with you that the standard of clients on these sites are far from great (in general, there are plenty of nice folk who are simply restricted to these sites by budget), and I’m by no means saying that it’s a good way to make a living, but nor is it the worst thing that happened in the design world since the creation of Papyrus.
If you put in a lot of work and managed to win just 2 site design contests on 99Designs every month, with each of them valued around $2000, a salary of $48,000 a year is certainly acceptable. That said, it’s virtually impossible, but who knows…
Thanks for the comment
@Conor, you said: “If you put in a lot of work and managed to win just 2 site design contests on 99Designs every month, with each of them valued around $2000, a salary of $48,000 a year is certainly acceptable.”
Overwork sir? Sounds like a sweatshop to me. How about value for your services and time? By the above reasoning our time isn’t worth much, and we just grind away until something from out of a sea of possibilities is selected to “win”. You could spend a fraction of that time to go through a full design cycle with a client and make a good living with less unnecessary work, ie: shooting in the dark.
You also fail to grasp the benefits of a full design/development cycle to the client, one of which is that they may come to consider possibilities and realizations they never did before, learning new things about themselves and hence their own brand. You cannot put a dollar value on that.
We, the designers, are responsible–in no small way, be it marketing, advertising, brand identity etc–for a company either raking in millions of dollars every quarter or going bankrupt. In my opinion that’s certainly worth more than having ourselves presented to prospective clients as beggars. No self-respecting designer or artist would or should partake in spec-work: it demeans and underrates what we do and our value to corporations and clients whose profit-margin hinges in large part on the brand-image and identity we help them develop and assert.
And FYI: in the present economic climate $48,000 isn’t much to write home about, especially if you’re raising family.
@gfx, As I said, it’s virtually impossible, and would require a hell of a lot of work, but it’s theoretically possible to live on spec work. I know $48k is by no means great, but it’s not ridiculously low either.
I think clients on spec sites know, or at least should know, that the standard of work you get on spec sites isn’t going to be as perfect as when you approach a designer independently, and those companies worth their salt will go independently. Because of this, I don’t feel it cheapens the industry, it’s merely a different kind of standard, and both are acceptable – Like a Dell Inspiron laptop and a Mac Pro.
I can see why some people do spec work, because they do not get real world projects that pay. They do spec work like you said because of their passion and also the hope of getting paid and feeling confirmation. They like the idea of coming out a winner from the multitude. However they can still get the same rush feeling from finding clients that pay well and appreciate their hard work.
@Behzad, yeah, that’s true, but I think you get it more so with spec work. The simple fact that it’s a contest means there’s more anticipation and therefore a bigger rush if you win. I’m by no means trying to convert anyone, but if work is drying up at any point, it’s certainly something to consider…
Thanks for the comment
@Behzad,
I’m not sure it’s fair to say that people who choose to do spec work “can’t get real-world jobs”. Just because you choose this business model as your way of making money, doesn’t mean you are any less successful financially than any other designer.
While I don’t prefer the spec work method over what I do currently (find clients, work with clients, establish relationships with clients) I can certainly admire people who can make a living at it.
Ahh, it was a pleasure reading about the topic from the other point of view.
I don’t have much to add that isn’t already covered by the article and comments this far, though it seems that the line between what kind of designer will and will not is pretty well defined.
@Ted Goas, Thanks, glad you liked it. That was my intention with the article, to try and look at a subject which is so controversial and yet is only ever covered from one direction.
Haha, yeah, there’s certainly no grey area in the subject, it would seem.
Thanks for the comment
I have to say that despite reading your article, spec work is still as bad as I think. I certainly understand why beginning designers do it because I did it when I started out. But I wouldn’t compare to McDonald’s, it’s more like dumpster diving: occasionally you find something good, but in the mean time you’re knee deep in garbage.
I will never go back to spec work. I would encourage beginning designers to design with non-profits that they care about and get a day job if they have to. They will make more money and still get design experience.
@craig, I agree. I think spec work is harmful to the profession of design as a whole. Not only is it *extremely* hit-or-miss regarding pay and recognition, it encourages those who are looking for design services to simply pull something out of a pool rather than taking the time to tailor a project that will benefit them the most – be it a website, a logo, a business card, or an entire branding system. Not only is it random (at best) for the designer, it may not be the best for potential clients.
@Ryan Burrell, I totally agree with you Ryan. Although there are some very talented designers that delve into spec work as recreation, or for extra cash, the likelihood of the “client” getting a viable logo or other project well suited for their business is slim to none. Only when working directly with a designer that will ask the right questions, do the proper research, clarify the niche market and arrive at a viable solution to combine all of these, can a client come out ahead of the game and be ready to hit the ground running on their new business. Putting a face on a new business should never be taken lightly if the business owner is serious about making money.
@craig, I agree completely with you.
Beginners: if you need to build your portfolio, get a full-time job and work with non-profits on the side. You WILL earn more this way while building a respectable portfolio.
@craig, I can see where you’re coming from, and I’ll admit that quite often, the quality of submission can be sub-par, but nonetheless, you often find some gems.
For a designer starting off in the business, it can be very daunting to try and get a foothold in such a well-established industry, and even approaching non-profit firms can be difficult without some kind of prior experience of working with clients. Admittedly, it’s not great experience, but experience nonetheless.
Thanks for the comment
@craig,
Excellent alternative suggestion. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Craig. I’ve worked for 30 years as a graphic designer. You not only hurt yourself but the industry as well. Just say no to dumpster-diving and spec work. It’s for bottom feeders.
@Jeff Kahn, I see where you’re coming from, and considering your experience in the field, I’m in no place to argue with you, but I fail to see how it hurts the industry – If you’re losing business to crowdsourcing sites, well you’ll have to work harder. Surely that can only be a good thing?
@Conor, When the prize is substantial… like a contest to design a building, it is worth it. Clearly not for the small fees 99 offers and the odds of getting paid. My value and integrity suffers by association when other designers give it away for free. I gain respect by saying no to spec or my clients will walk all over me. A client may say, “hey, you did that for free, why the big fee now?”
@Jeff Kahn, You’re so right Jeff. It’s kin to having a great neighborhood with million dollar homes and the one home adjacent to them looks like a heap and is bearly livable. It’s suitable for the one underemployed worker, but it just doesn’t fit in with the higher standards of the other property owners who worked to make it to that higher level of living. The two just don’t make a good fit.
@Conor, It damages the industry because it changes client’s mentality of what they should expect and how much they should care about design and their own design needs. The next time they or someone they refer might want to hire a designer they will ask for the same. Cheap, fugly and fast.
And seriously, I’ve had some of these clients coming to me and when I present them with great ideas they say they rather something more… shiny… and show me crappy designs that come from these places as examples they would want to have.
They think that since they are paying us we are just tools to execute their ugly ideas or they simply won’t pay us anymore, it damages the industry because it places us next to anyone who will do anything for a few coins. Even if it’s not good. It makes us look as beggars and simple workers.
I didn’t spend 4 years in college or getting a masters to get that treatment. Just like that.
Great article btw.
“You wouldn’t go to a hairdresser and not pay him if he didn’t cut your hair the way you wanted.”
- Huh? Of course you wouldn’t pay if it’s not right!
Spec artwork is how I get most of my work – good way of drumming up business – anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.
@some guy, Well, exactly, that would be my thoughts too, but apparently the design world works differently.
Glad you use spec work, and it has worked for you. I think that once to use it enough, it can be very beneficial.
With regards to drumming up business out of it, one thing I have noticed on occasion is when a contest holder sends you a message asking to participate in their contest. That annoys me. If you like my work, contact me independently.
Thanks for the comment
@some guy,
Thanks for sharing. Sorry you couldn’t divulge your identity since people here would have attacked you for using spec work.
I see spec work as a platform for marketing that some designers can use very successfully. If it gets you more business, it gets you more business. Simple as that.
@some guy, when you have worked for as long as I have, you’ll learn that working smarter is not working longer. You might also pick up the tidbit that calling designers “idiots” doesn’t win you points in the industry. For the record, I have boxes and boxes of print samples of my work…and I don’t work on spec. I earned my portfolio the old fashioned way, through respectable accounts and by building a career in real jobs for agencies, which by the way, looks pretty nice on a resume. Is “more business” actually “business”? Or is it merely “activity”? I need some clarification in numbers as to how well spec work has garnered actual earnings for you in order to believe it’e effectiveness.
Thank you for your post Conor. I agree with your call for “tolerance”. I don’t engage in spec work, but will use design contests for certain clients (as I don’t design logos). It’s affordable and whilst it may have lost the average designer a fraction of clientèle, it probably created new clientèle through the price-drops, ease of use and accessibility. Not to mention, you may get less price-sensitive & need it now clients.
I agree with Craig though on working with non-profits, that’s what I do and it’s not as lucrative as spec work, but it ain’t far
Cheers
Noel
@Noel, it’s by no means for everyone, and your idea of using it for clients sounds pretty good.
Non-profits can also be good, but I suppose there’s nothing stopping you doing a mixture of the two.
Thanks for the comment
@Noel, I would worry about the originality of the logo.
@Behzad, part of the compromise I guess. When you go shopping for black dress shoes, if you choose prada or dockers, neither will be reinventing the wheel. Same for a small business looking for a logo, just want something “nice” and “functional” to appeal to the local target groups. I don’t go on a contest site to buy “art” for my clients, but to buy something that visually represents their company.
@Noel,
I’m glad someone understood the point of Conor’s article. It’s a call for tolerance. Design, as much as we love it as an art form or a matter of expression, is still a profession. If people want to use crowdsourcing to make money, more power to them. But let’s stop giving them a hard time for it!
All you uppity designers who complain about spec work, you wouldn’t want the clients that go to crowdsourcing sites anyway, so relax. Am I right?
This is ridiculous. Are you invested in 99designs or something?
Artists create work for a variety of reasons. Many pieces of art are created for the artist’s own benefit. This is not akin to spec work. If I as a designer wish to express myself, I’m not going to do it by creating a logo for another person’s company. Artists don’t base their independent work on someone else’s brand guidelines, nor do they accept criticism from a third party. They create art, and if it sells, great. The only reason for an artist to create work according to another’s vision is if they are commissioned to create the piece, in which case, they are working in the exact same way as a designer with a contract.
Research is a key part of any design job. Imagine spending a week working on a website for a Real Estate office. You sketch out ideas, work on wireframes, lay out a mockup, and build out the site. Your finished product looks phenomenal, and you bring it to the client confident that they will love it. But when you show them the finished product, they show you their closest competitor’s website, which happens to feature the same color scheme and layout as the site you laboriously created. Or, you created a site designed for high-end clientele, only to find out at the meeting that the client works exclusively with industrial manufacturers. Not only is this unprofessional, but it costs you money in the end when you have to rework the product because you didn’t do the legwork.
And as for “More likely to get paid,” that is the most insane thing I have ever heard. In all my time working as a designer, I’ve never been stiffed by a client. I always work with a contract, and haven’t had any problems. Sure, maybe someone will someday, so let’s say I don’t get paid 5% of the time. On a contest site, I won’t get paid 99% of the time, and when I do, what do I get? $100? How is that a fair price for the hours of research, sketching, creating and refining? What sounds better to you? Getting paid $50 to mow a lawn? Or having a 1% chance of winning $10 for mowing the same lawn?
I agree that every designer needs experience, but there are far better ways to gain it. Find a local non-profit that needs some help. Build them a website, create a logo, whatever they need. At the end, you have a nice portfolio piece, you feel good about yourself, and if you get an invoice for the donation of your time, you can even take it off on your taxes.
Spec work is bad for this industry. For those of us who rely on steady clients for our paychecks, planting the idea that a logo “only costs $100″ or a website “can’t cost more than $500″ can be disastrous for our livelihoods.
A professional product demands a fair wage.
@Erik, Well said. 99designs should be 99cents.. because that is what you end up being worth. Not me brother. I have and always will say no to spec.
@Erik, Cosign 110%
@Erik,
That’s like saying Wal-mart takes customers away from Nordstroms. Not necessarily true. While I don’t necessarily support spec work or prefer it as a designer, I certainly have no problem with other designers who prefer to use it. They keep annoying, low-paying clients out of my hair.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
@Preston D Lee, Good point Preston!
While I can see where you are making some of your points, I think you are missing a lot of the damage this stuff does in expectations and client perception.
First, if you are a professional designer, you do it for a living. So working without the security of being paid is actually very demoralizing. I do all of my best work, when I am being paid. It doesn’t have to be tons of money, but without guaranteed payment it forces stress over other things like rent, food, insurance, bills.
In terms of money vs.passion: Just because you enjoy something doesn’t mean that it isn’t time consuming, intensive and difficult. My major problem with spec work is that it devalues the hard work that goes into design. I could love doing construction work, but that wouldn’t make it any less of a valuable or tough job. The point is good design is not always fun, its still a stressful and full-time job.
For research, I agree that designer can over analyze a project but a forced deadline is not a replacement for understanding what you are doing. Design is about solving problems, not just making cool looking pictures.
I don’t know about it being more likely. Honestly, I bet you are just as likely to get paid then with a regular client.
Honestly, I do not completely hate spec work in general. The major problem with spec work is when clients expect speculative work as if designers aren’t real professionals.
If a designer decides to do the work and send it to a client with the potential to get work, that’s one thing. But, it really becomes hard to charge a client how much it costs to produce something when they think that there is no value in what they want.
The other problem is that it makes clients think its cheap to be a professional. My overhead is more than most freelance designers, because I run a firm. However, a good computer, legally bought design software, file back-up, phones, internet,etc cost a lot of money.
Spec work encourage people that are probable leveraging clip art, illegal software, etc. It really makes it harder for clients to understand that that what we do is valuable and requires tangible amounts of money, time, and skill to do it.
I also must agree with many of the other voices here in that I don’t do spec work. I did some very low cost work in the beginning of my career and I still do pro-bono work for non-profits, but I don’t crank up my creative engine for free. I don’t think crowd sourcing spells the end of quality graphic design, but I do think it sets client expectations to the wrong ideas of cheap work without serious design consideration. I think it weakens the industry, even if it not mortally. I think spec work cheapens what we do. Not trying to be elitist, but we have skill, and talent, and qualities as professional practitioners that get ignored and belittled by an over abundance of spec work and crowd sourcing.
What about the home builder who builds 200-300K spec homes?
I think people need to simmer down. If spec work doesn’t work for you, don’t do it. If it does, go for it.
@Tyler,
Ahh. The best comment left here today! I totally agree. If you like it, do it. If not, stop raining on everyone else’s parade. Do what works for you. Thanks, Tyler.
@Preston D Lee, I mean really? We go through this as a community every time there is a major crowdsourcing event (see @GuyKawasaki).
The only question that is valid is, “does it hurt the industry?” and I don’t think anyone really knows the answer to this yet. To date, I haven’t heard of a design agency citing crowdsourcing as a reason for going out of business. Who knows, crowdsourcing could just be a trend.
But, arguing about this topic is as pointless as arguing whether Mac or PC is better. Do what works for you. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t do it. It’s pretty simple.
@Tyler, I would like to second what Preston said. That was the whole point of my post – I’m not trying to force it on anyone, and nor should anyone try to force people not to use it.
Thanks for the comment
@Tyler, That statement alone makes me doubt that you’re a designer. While you can compare home-building to say the act of ‘developing’ a website (coding HTML, CSS) or the using the pen tool in Illustrator to draw a bezier-line, there is something to be said for INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, the creative and conceptual process. It isn’t just a mechanical one. There’s a reason why when a creative CREATES a design or artwork, he/she automatically is given copyright over said creation/design in just about every international copyright law, from the Berne Convention to US Copyright Law. A bricklayer/homebuilder doesn’t have such, nor should they. That’s the same reason a good architect earns way more comparatively than a good bricklayer/homebuilder does.
Bad comparison.
Second, if you cared about the industry and took pride in what you do then you would care about the false (and negative) perception spec-work gives prospective clients of the design-industry as a whole. The only thing is for you to decide which side of the fence you’re on.
@gfx,
That’s some great advice coming from a “designer” who’s web domain has expired. Stop bashing people and fix your web site.
Moron.
@Peter Themand,
Hey now, Let’s remember to keep our comments constructive. We all have unique opinions about this subject, but “gfx” is entitled to his as much as anyone else.
@Peter Themand, First off, I haven’t resorted to ‘bashing’ anyone here and will not stoop to your level. Now, not that I have to explain it to you, but my domain isn’t expired: I PULLED my website because a big relocation (international) interrupted my rebranding: as you can clearly see from my twitter status. A simple WHOIS check will show it’s still registered. You do know what WHOIS is right Priyatham? How about making a more intelligent contribution than mere name-calling.
Thanks for moderating @Preston.
@gfx,
Not a problem. Okay, you’ve both had a cut at each other. Let’s keep it constructive here. Thanks, guys.
@gfx, First of all, just to clarify, I am employed full-time as an interactive designer for a large PR firm. I am very passionate about design and the design community, else I wouldn’t be participating here.
Secondly, comparing a designer doing spec work to a home builder building a spec home is a perfectly legitimate comparison, if nothing else, from strictly a business perspective.
But, let’s be honest for a second. No one on here is complaining about intellectual property, they are complaining about money. Assume you are doing non-spec work. When the project is over, you forfeit the rights to whatever it was that you created, maybe with the exception of using it in your portfolio. None of the companies I work with each day would allow it to be any other way. They’re paying you to create content for them that ultimately they own. Why should it be any different with spec work?
Furthermore, with the most popular crowdsourcing websites, creatives own all rights to their intellectual property unless it wins. Consider the policy of the site in the debate at hand: http://www.crowdspring.com/help/faq/who-owns-the-intellectual-property-for-the-work-su/ or 99designs: http://99designs.com/help/how-is-copyright-handled. So, the intellectual property argument carries no weight. A good architect gets paid more than a good brick layer because there are fewer architects in society than there are bricklayers, not because of the value of what he creates. On the other hand, a good bricklayer gets paid better than a bad brick layer because of the value of what he creates.
What people are really upset about is the idea that they may not get paid for their design. If that’s the case, then you should not be doing spec work. There is assumed risk in spec work in any industry and it’s your job to be aware of that risk, just like the home builder who builds a spec home. He’s probably done some research about the location and what home buyers are looking for. He thinks he has a pretty good idea of what to build, but he can never be 100% certain that someone will come along to buy it. If they do, home builder FTW. If not, he should have been aware of the risks before building it, or not built it at all.
I’ll always be on the designer’s “side of the fence”, but I can’t defend behavior that defies logic. It’s really cut and dry: If you believe your time to be more valuable than the possibility of getting paid, don’t do spec work. You know (or you should know) the risks. -OR- If you’re really passionate about design, approach spec work as it being strictly for fun or knowledge or portfolio building, and if you happen to win some money on the side, pat yourself on the back.
@Tyler, I see you point and concur on one thing: to each his own. However I think you are mistaken as to what designer’s beef is with regard to spec work: it has less to do with money and more to do with the perception it gives of our profession and industry to those who aren’t. I’ve taken on projects pro-bono. Lots of designer’s have, so it isn’t just about money. That it cheapens our value, the value of the the design process to the client’s brand and hence profit margin is beyond dispute. Personally, I’ve had some responses to my quotes like “but I can get it for $100″ or more recently “That’s ridiculous, I’ll just look for it on the internet”. That’s the overall impact of subjects such as spec-work: our worth, our value is diminished. That’s what the designer’s beef is. Can you imagine anyone getting a bill from a dentist and responding “No, I’ll give you $200, that’s what it seems to be worth”? And yet that’s what some designers hear every now and then.
With regard to passion, we design and doodle, we even get in on contests on sites like DeviantArt. We post to Behance, Flickr or CGChannel for critique from peers…and we do it for free most of the time. And there’s are dozens more examples I could give. There’s nothing wrong with entering contests at all, or even making some money of it. But engaging in it within a venture that hurts the perception of the industry, a venture founded by people that may or may not be designers themselves but instead just looking to make an easy buck off your sweat–now that to me is just wrong. But as you said, to each his own.
Uh, no. I don’t work for free and articles like this are part of the reason clients and contests expect you to.
@Designer,
Not sure that’s necessarily true. I think clients understand that if they hire a professional designer, they will get professional work and if they use spec work sites, they will have mediocre work. Thoughts?
“For example, few artists create artwork knowing that it will sell.”
You’re conflating two completely different disciplines (most are familiar with the somewhat stereotypical image of an artist painting away in some drafty loft). The spec work you’re discussing here is commercial graphic design. used to brand companies, sell products and advertise services. On a personal level, it’s comparing the doodles and sketches from a sketchbook that I do for my own benefit and expression, to a logo design requested by a commercial entity, to brand and promote their company. Apples and oranges.
“If you’re in the design industry purely to make money, well, you’re probably in the wrong place.”
Using the word ‘industry’ actually does refer to the business of manufacturing and selling of goods. Just because it’s the design ‘industry’ doesn’t change that basic principle. Lots of people enjoy their work, originally trained for and entered their ‘industry’ due to a love for the field (think vets, doctors, landscapers, etc, etc). That doesn’t mean that by billing for their now-professional services they love their field any less. Nor does it mean they shouldn’t be paid for their time.
“Sometimes, if you’re guaranteed to be paid at the end of the project, you might not do quite as well as you can.”
This statement doesn’t make any sense, nor, I would suggest, is it even close to being true. The amount of plagiarism, stock art and improperly licensed artwork that gets entered into spec contests (particularly logo design contests) is extraordinary. The only possible reason for this is that people entering try to shave the amount of time spent to as little as possible, while maximizing the number of contests entered.
“Although it doesn’t make much sense, you are actually more likely to get paid with a spec job…However, with design contest clients such as 99Designs, the fee is already paid to the site, and although the fees are less than ordinary design work, at least you’re guaranteed of getting it if you win.”
Not true. There are several civil actions a designer can take for non-paying clients (collection agencies, etc) but the spec designer is completely at the whim of contest holders. The number of refunded and abandoned contests (regardless of whether they’re guaranteed or not) is as high as 50% on some sites. Others pay a token ‘kill fee’ that’s a fraction of the originally promised ‘prize’ or ‘award’ (while BTW, their listing fee is non-refundable). To suggest that working on spec somehow makes payment more ‘guaranteed’ than working with a client one-on-one is ludicrous.
“There’s a very evident arrogance in the design world towards many things.”
Expecting designers to get paid for their work is not arrogant, elitist or ‘snooty’. Commercial design is like any other professional business. Most professional designers want to treated like professionals. That certainly doesn’t happen in the dog-and-pony spec work free for alls. In a series of tips that tells contest holders how to get the most from their spec design contests, here’s what a leading ‘How to Crowdsource’ website has to say:
“Take advantage of designers riffing off each other. The best entries will emerge from general comments you offer and specific feedback on each entry, allowing designers to see clearly what you are looking for. These suggestions and ideas to designers are followed by other designers. Designers might not like this, but it is great for a client who can see multiple designers.”
I’m going to let you read that and let it sink in. ‘Riffing’ refers to copying. And while the writer realizes designers ‘might not like’ others copying their work (a major issue with crowdsourcing sites right across the board) he still suggests that contest holders take advantage of it. That’s what these cats think of designers. And that, is the kind of attitude you foster each and every time you ‘tolerate spec work’.
@Steve Douglas, Nuff said….anything I can/would say is summed up here.
Couldn’t agree more, Steve.
@Steve Douglas, thank you for your words, I totally agree with everything.
I could only add that designing with passion, for me, do not represent simply the design part. I love to drown myself into the companies need, research their competitors, work closely with the client to only after, design knowing that I will use my time for something that I’m sure it will work. Being paid is actually not only good to pay the bills, but to know that the client valorize my work, and me in return, embrace the client’s project, and with all my heart want him to succeed with the work I delivered.
If I know my work is good, I’m sure I will not need to resort to this kind of business, to “passionatly” do a design, for someone who is not passionate enough to pay for a serious and well thought work..
I agree with @shena that maybe it would be good for students, although I still think it will only improve color and taste skills rather than brand design itself.
@Steve Douglas, Very well thought out and stated. Thanks Steve!
I’ll consider giving my work free to a charitable cause, but for nothing else. Let’s face it, it diminishes our business and the entire field of expertise. When was the last time your dentist, doctor or even your plumber gave you free “spec” work? I like to think my extensive education and 30 years of experience is worth paying for. For those who disagree, fine, have fun working for people who don’t respect your talent and skill enough to pay for it.
hhmmmm the subject of spec work…well as a designer trying to make a living out of this industry and as a member of 99designs my personal take and experience is that last year i won about 13 contests over at 99designs in a 6-7 months period and obviously happy as hell, there was nothing comming any other way and the fact of the matter is that i was able to take care of some major bills at home thanks to -literally- a couple of hours a day doing logos (sometimes 10-15 per week). However, since the beginning of this year, none, zip, not a damn thing, so, my whole perspective on it has change somewhat, now i feel like Im just throwing things at a wall & see if it sticks, while the “client ” goes for something my 2 year old could’ve done, while I wasted hours and quite frankly from what i’ve seen, there’s even the chance of a “fellow” designer might end up just flat out copying your concept, not to mention what the whole process will do your anxienty levels. Bottom line to be honest, it has giving me the chance to build a decent portfolio over the last year and change, and a what was a financial lifesaver at the time, but I guess I’ll be slowly pulling out little by little, I know there’s money to be made and might get sucked in when i see a contest “theme” that i think is cool or i simply like because it has potential for me to come up with something really cool to add up to my portfolio -besides it’s practice and exercise for the brain- but not like i used to, honestly, i just wish i had the clientele to bring steady work and not to have to rely in that type of sweat shop enviroment. But sometimes money is king.
@fabio, Think about all the time and effort you spent for little money. That time would have been better spent if used to create marketing for yourself and for networking to find more appropriate clients. Some times it’s better to look ahead to the bigger picture. This is not withstanding if you were about to be thrown out of your home for lack of funds.
All of the comments are great… especially Steve from the Logo Factory… well said!
One other thing I’d add as an observation…
If I have the solution to your pressing pain problem in this box on my desk here… that has a value to you. We can discuss what that value is, and if we come to some agreement then I’ll give you the contents of the box.
Now, if I give you the contents of the box first and you prod them and discuss them and reverse engineer them and who knows what… and THEN we discuss the price… has there been a shift in the bargaining power? Am I still able to get the same price or do I have to take whatever you offer?
After all, I can’t go back and “undesign” it, can I?
I’m looking at the Preston D Lee logo at the bottom of this site at the moment. It’s a clean san-serif presentation of the name with a yellow box next to it.
That might have taking days, and many iterations, to complete. It probably did.
If it was done on spec then I can almost hear the “client” saying “but it’s just a simple yellow box… surely that can’t cost much”.
=) best wishes
Marc
NEVEERRR, well maybe for beginners
I have to say as a designer I don’t like the idea of spec work, but that’s not to say it’s not right for some people e.g. students looking to build a portfolio, designers who have spare time to compete and earn extra cash etc.
It’s a great way for companies to receive multiple designs for very low costs, and my only worry is that in times of recession like we are experiencing now where every is looking for the most competitive price, we are going to see more sites like 99designs popping up all over the place – offering companies design solutions for ‘next to nothing’ prices. I am worried that this will gradually take over and become the norm and the need for designers and design studios will slowly decline!
Then we’ll all be out of a job
@shena, So true, the trend has gone that way, what makes it worse is overseas companies setting up shops here in the west and selling for next to nothing. An average person does not know a good design from bad, nor can they tell a conterfited design from an original concept, but that is for the next article
@Behzad, I completely agree with you there! These designers and ‘factory’ like companies in the east are really hurting my business and opportunities. I mean how can I compete for a project when the client can get a logo design for $30 elsewhere?? And you’re right about a lot of people really know knowing the difference between a good and bad design and a template/copy from an original…
I suppose all we can do is try to keep up to date with the latest technologies and trends, find new niches to branch out into and hope for the best!
@sheena, cater your work to high end companies. High end companies will not buy cheap design. But you have got to have the goods (portfolio) to prove that.
Some heated discussions going on here. However it brought back life into this site. I always like subjects that raise interest and bring about clash of opinions. Although i am against this kind of practice yet it is good to know where people come from. Keep up the controversial topics going.
Thank you so much for this article! It is reaffirmation for me as I have just completed spec work for a non-profit client that was referred to me by a friend. The impetus for me to provide work for this organization’s website was that I am a problem-solver, and I felt I had a good solution for the client’s needs. I did wrestle with the idea that I would not be getting paid, but I thought, who knows? It is quite possible that my work will be sought-after by other people who will see and like what I’ve done and need a solution to a problem of their own.
I just wrote a whole bunch but then realized Steve from Logo Factory pretty much said it all. lol. So, I’ll just say this…
There’s only one instance I’d ever consider spec work:
When the reward would greatly, greatly justify the risk. Like if I’m going after a big banger of a client, and I know I can top whatever they’ve currently got. But that’s it.
And I’d do it knowing full well it might not get accepted. But by going after such a big client, and really putting my heart into it, I’d grow in my abilities, expertise, and mindset for the effort. And if I got the gig? Even better. So I’d only do spec work for the same reason that artist paints the picture without knowing / caring if it gets sold:
for myself.
The dark ally of spec work is basically the ‘Red Light District’ of our industry. I’d rather do work Pro Bono then Hoe myself out with the hopes of getting paid.
Reality is Graphic Design in general is a prostitution industry. Prostitution of our creative ideas. Some of us are prettier than other. Some of us work for upscale escort agencies while others become 2 dollar crack hoes.
Lets not fool ourselves, we all got into this industry to make money. Else we’d be starving Illustrators/Painters making art on our own terms, not catering to a client (john/Jill)
I think doing spec work highly depends on the back stability of one’s income. If one’s income solely doesn’t depend on it then I guess it’s okay as another additional source of revenue. Whether design for money or passion, there is no right answer. Ultimately it’s up to the designer if he/she feels comfortable with the process.
I’m not a designer, but if I were there is no way in hell I would ever do spec work. Plenty of potential customers already have zero respect for you guys or what you do and by giving them what they want for nothing you are essentially telling them that they’re right. By your own actions you are telling them your work has no value. They don’t have to respect you while you give your work away for nothing.
And for heaven’s sake surely you realize there are plenty of dishonest people who will take your spec work and never pay for it, not even the paltry fees mentioned above?
Oh yeah, and the argument that you’re all designing out of passion is absurd, unless you think passion will cover the rent, be accepted as legal tender at the grocery store and pay your car insurance. There’s nothing shameful about expecting to be paid for your work, and accepting payment does nothing to diminish the strength of your passion.