In this article I outline the so called “pros” and cons of speculative work and then outline other’s opinions on the debate… If you haven’t already guessed it, I am against spec work. Let me explain – it’s worth the read.
What is “spec work”?
Speculative work (or free pitching) is any job for which the client expects to see examples or a finished piece of design before agreeing to pay a fee or compensation.
The term “crowdsourcing” is sometimes used however this is not spec work, however, some do use this term to cover up the fact that what they are actually offering is spec work. Do not let this vernacular term deceive you.
For clarification I will quote AIGA’s description of spec work:
Speculative work—work done without compensation in the hope of being compensated, for the client’s speculation—takes a number of forms in communication design. There are five general situations in which some designers may work, by choice, without compensation:
- Speculative or “spec” work: work done for free, in hopes of getting paid for it
- Competitions: work done in the hopes of winning a prize—in whatever form that might take
- Volunteer work: work done as a favor or for the experience, without the expectation of being paid
- Internships: a form of volunteer work that involves educational gain
- Pro bono work: volunteer work done “for the public good”
For students and professionals, there may be a different line drawn on which of these constitute unacceptable practices. In each case, however, the designer and client make the decision and must accept the relevant risks. Most designers would consider the first two types to be unacceptable.
In certain design disciplines, such as architecture, advertising and broadcast design, business practices differ and professionals have been expected to participate in speculative work. This usually occurs in fields where the initial design is not the final product, but is followed by extended financial engagement to refine or execute a design. In communications design, this is often not the case. The design submitted “on spec” is all that the client is seeking.
Difference between spec work and crowdsourcing:
Crowdsourcing: “Vote for our new logo, we will use the one you all like the most!” This means the logos have already been designed (and hopefully not via spec).
Spec or Free Pitching: “We need a logo, someone design one for us and we will pick the one we like.”
Spec work is a lose, lose situation. Let me explain why.
What is wrong with spec work?
While a client may feel they don’t want to invest money until seeing some work, designers should not have to prove their worth (do spec) to get a job, though this is the least part of the worry. Instead, clients should choose a designer based on their portfolio and experience and commit to building a working relationship with him or her. Only then will both the client and designer see the best results.
On a side note, talking on behalf of all designers, I would like to say that if a client can’t look at a designer’s style and quality of work (let alone the awards, testimonialsor education) and put trust in their services, then they are usually not a client you want to do business with. Developing a working business relationship is all about educating the client and building trust.
An example of spec work: Design Contests
“Design contests” are one of the most common forms of spec and one of the most dangerous. A company will put out a request for a design (eg. a logo design) inviting anyone and everyone to submit work. Often hundreds of designers will submit a design, but only the chosen work, the winner, will be paid… and that is not even guaranteed – even on prepaid contests.
Let me explain the negatives of this situation for both clients and designers.
“Pros” For Clients Using Spec
Before looking at all the negatives of spec work, some claim that there are positive sides to designing on spec. I want to examine the so called “pros” of why consumers (those that need the designs) are attracted to using design contests and suggest reasons why these pros really are not so “pro”.
- “Cheaper” Cost & More Variations
One of the main attractions of using spec work is the so called “cheaper cost” & the fact you get more variations & ideas. The typical scenario goes “Wow, I can get 200 different variations for $500″. On the surface, this may appear cheaper however if you dig deeper you will find that this – in nearly every case – is not so.
Please read on to view the many cons of designing via spec.
Cons For Clients Using Spec
Summarised below are 11 cons for clients designing via spec. These 11 pointers are explained in more depth below this summary.
- Chance Of Plagiarised Work
- Unoriginal Ideas & Designs
- No Protection
- Inferior Quality Designs
- No Research or Development
- Limited or No Revisions
- Unproductive Time Wasting
- The Client is not an Educated Design Professional
- Unethical & Immoral (and possibly Illegal)
- Little Communication & Involvement In The Design Process
- You Build A Negative Relationship Built On Distrust
Client negatives of spec work:
- 1. Chance Of Plagiarised Work
One of the biggest reasons not to use design competitions is the fact that so many of the designs are copied from elsewhere. There have been numerous, numerous reportson theft from elsewhere especially within the logo design industry.
It goes without saying that this can get you into a lot of legal trouble if caught with plagiarised work.
And in some cases, “designers” (evil quotes there) are doing spec work with the intent of suing the company further down the road. I wonder how many people have ever thought about that?
- 2. Unoriginal Ideas & Designs
More often than not, designers who enter these contests are often using template work, which means the work is unoriginal and may have been used for another client. In some cases, it can lead to problems many months down the track such as when a rejected design gets used for another contest. There are also numerous examples of this happening to many unfortunate business owners.
- 3. No Protection
Most professional designers have an agreement or contract that they send to their clients… these contracts protect both the client and the designer while also establishing a trusting, working relationship. In nearly all jobs posted on design contest sites, there is no contract what so ever which leaves the client and designer at much higher risk throughout the whole design process. Who owns the copyright? What are the restrictions for the design? What are the terms and conditions?
- 4. Inferior Quality Designs
Although you can find some great individual talent on design contest sites, the vast majority of the users have little or no knowledge of what “good” design actually is, let alone know how to communicate an intended message for your company. This raises the chance that the final output will be inferior to what could have been achieved by using a professional designer.
This leads me to the next point…
- 5. No Research or Development
Most professional designers will have some form of questionnaire for clients to fill out to ensure that the final design will be reflective of the needs of the business and target market, unlike contest sites.
For an example see either my design brief page or my logo design questionnaire.
Without these vital components, the “designer” is only producing decoration, not solving the problem of what the design should be communicating.
- 6. Limited or No Revisions
Revision rounds are almost non-existent in the context of a contest. Sure, a contest winner could be hired again after being chosen to make a few changes, but in a true client-designer relationship this communication would be constant. The end result would be a collaboration instead of guesswork which also leads me to the next point…
- 7.Unproductive Time Wasting
Designing via contests takes a lot of time… a client will have to spend numerous hours commenting and looking through the submitted designs picking and choosing what the “best” design is which also leads me to the next point.
The number of designers who aren’t making a penny, while entering dozens of contests, is in the tens of thousands, and you just need to look at the astonishing raw numbers for Crowdspring and 99designs to see for yourself. Wasted time, in terms of unpaid designs submitted, is, quite literally, in the hundreds of years. Yes, that’s hundreds. ~ The Naked Truth
- 8.You Are Not an Educated Design Professional
When I say “you”, I mean the client wanting the design. The reason one hires a designer in the first place is due to the fact that they are after a professional looking piece of design – one that they could have not done them self. Alas the person needing the design is more than likely, not a professional.
So, how can a client choose the “best” piece of design if they do not even know the basics of design? The fact of the matter is, clients choose the “best” design based purely on style, nothing more. On top of this fact, do clients even know the technicalities & visual issues of what is being presented?
ie. What is the difference between vector and bitmap generated designs? What is thedifference between RGB, Pantone or CMYK colours? What print, bleed & trim settings are needed? etc.
The bottom line here is that most clients are unversed in what is really needed and they should be leaving this to a trained, experienced professional.
- 9. Unethical & Immoral (and possibly Illegal)
Although not directly a con to the client, the fact of the matter is design contests are unethical & immoral. Period.
The very fact that there is only one winner per contest means that the other (usually in the hundreds) designers will get no return for their hard work. To put this into perspective imagine a $500 contest with 100 entries. Second grade maths tells us that each entry is worth $5… that is below minimum wage and to make matters worse, the ‘losers’ will not even receive that $5.
Essentially, design contests are like a lottery to the extent that some even question the legalities of them.
- 10. Little Communication & Involvement In The Design Process
When working with a professional designer you collaborate together throughout the whole design process to achieve the desired outcome. From creating the first initial design brief, right through to the sketches, brainstorming, development, feedback, revisions and delivery.
When designing on spec, all you provide is a short (often less than a paragraph) design brief and then receive the design. There is no involvement… let alone after sale customer support.
- 11. Negative Relationship Built On Distrust
If potential clients are asking one or several designers to show work, they are immediately establishing a negative relationship. Instead of building a long lasting relationship with a single designer, they are often asking several to submit work with little contact between any of them.
If you are still not convinced, read this article for 16 more reasons why to NOT use design contests or read some of SpecWatch ’s examples of design contests gone wrong.
“Pros” For Designers Doing Spec
The people who are “for” spec work often have these arguments saying why spec work is benefiting the world.
They claim that contest sites provide:
- a world wide access & equal playing field
- a choice of work to choose from
- a chance to gain experience
- a chance to build your portfolio
- a chance to gain a small monetary reward
- a chance to gain more work
- a chance to meet people
But in nearly all cases, you can find this right on your doorstep, without working on spec…
If a designer is wanting to build up their portfolio and do all of the above, all you need to do is approach your local non-profit organisation (or local businesses) and offer them your skills, free of charge.
This will give you experience, allow you to improve your customer relation skills, build up your business network all while giving back to the community and getting exposure for your work. There is also a chance that the organisation will pay you for your work and the work may lead you to more (paid) work too. It’s a win-win for all and certainly not a waste of time – like spec work.
Cons For Designers Doing Spec
Apart from all of the negatives mentioned above, there are numerous more reasons why designers should not participate in spec work.
- It devalues the design industry
- There is a lot of work, with little, to no pay
- There is no copyright or legal protection
- The winning designs are chosen purely by the client’s personal taste
- There is little interaction with the client
- It is very time consuming
Still not convinced? Here are 10 more reasons why not to do spec work .
Grey Area: Volunteering / Pro Bono Work
Volunteering is one area that you could is a ‘grey’ area. Jennifer Bender from AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) answered this question quite well in regards to AIGA using volunteered students for some of their design work. This response can be applied to the topic of volunteering & pro bono work in general.
“AIGA works with designers and firms to create promotional materials including posters, event programs, event web sites, etc. AIGA’s policy is to always provide an honorarium for design projects as compensation . While we realize it is not set at market rates, it recognizes that no design should be expected without compensation. Implementation, such as printing costs, postage and paper, are covered by AIGA and/or an interested sponsor.
The difference between this and speculative work is that our volunteer designers are never required to do work up front for free before a contract or project begins. Each designer knows explicitly beforehand the terms we are able to offer, which is meant as our demonstration that every designer’s work has significant value, knowing that there are both monetary and non-monetary considerations in any project. Designers typically send us a portfolio of their past work, then have the opportunity to review a design brief and accept or decline the project. At that time, a contract is executed with a commitment to an honorarium, after which work on the project begins.”
Official Association’s Views:
AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association) also have a firm “no-spec” stance on the subject.
As quoted in the AGDA Code Of Ethics :
4.1 Predatory pricing (free pitching)
AGDA discourages members from predatory pricing practices such as free pitching, loss leading and other pricing below break-even. Members should be aware that such practices will damage the economic viability of their business.
and then continues on with:
6.2 Free pitching
AGDA is unequivocally opposed to the unfair manipulation of designers with the aim of garnering unpaid work (commonly known as ‘free pitching’). Client practices which do damage to a member’s business are those that award projects or commissions on the basis of the commissioner’s acceptance of unpaid design submissions (eg. unpaid competitive tendering or speculative work)
AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) also has a firm “no-spec” stance:
AIGA believes that doing speculative work—that is, work done without compensation, for the client’s speculation—seriously compromises the quality of work that clients are entitled to and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide. AIGA strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project.
The new AIGA President, Debbie Millman has her say on the spec topic:
“I am personally vigorously, passionately and fundamentally AGAINST designers being asked to do work on spec and neither I nor my firm will ever participate in speculative work. I have said it before and I will say it again: Speculative work denigrates both the agencies and the designers that participate. If we give away our work for free, if we give away our talent and our expertise, we give away more than the work. We give away our souls.”
Other’s opinions against spec work:
Many have spoken about their distaste of spec work before, including myself in the articles Why logo design does not cost $5.00 and How NOT to design a logo… below I quote & link to just a few more designers who have spoken out against spec work.
Andrew Hyde
“It is a major ethical flaw of both parties.”
Update 13.8.09: Check out the site WinWithoutPitching, a website dedicated to growing your firm without spec.
Steve from Logo Factory
{with a sarcastic tone} “Keep in mind that not winning any money after dozens of contests only makes designers try harder. That means, they’ll eventually get better at designing. And they’ll enter more contests that they won’t win. Which will get them even more exposure, helpful stars and comments. So, by not paying designers, you’re [clients] actually helping them be better designers. Strange as it seems, paying designers is bad. Makes them lazy.”
- Why you should crowdsource your next logo design
- Design Contests – The Battle Continues
- Are logo design contests even legal?
Graphic Push
“It insults everything about the real-world graphic design industry and the hard-working professionals that make a living building long-term client relationships, crafting deep and varied portfolios, and routinely putting their blood, sweat and tears into their work.”
David Airey
“You, as the client, should know that your designer values your business. They’re not providing you with a design based purely on aesthetics, and one that took perhaps 30 minutes to create. They’re looking deep into your business plan, your company mission, your background, your way of dealing with people, and many other aspects of working practices.”
Jeff Fisher
“Those conducting such competitive ventures are not always seeking to take advantage of designers not knowing better. Some simply need to be educated about the design profession and all designers need to take it upon themselves to aid in that education process.”
GB Studio
“A potential client shouldn’t need to see free work on their own project to determine if a firm is capable of doing the project at hand. That’s what a portfolio is for.”
Twitter Poll
I also held a poll on Twitter (follow me ) about those who support spec work… at the time of writing over 84% agreed that “No, they didn’t support spec work” and a further 8% were unsure of their decision.
Please cast your vote so we can get a more accurate representation. I wonder how many will change their views after reading this article?
My Own Opinion
If you hadn’t already guessed I am on the “spec work is evil” side of the fence although I am not 100% entirely against it – you could say that I am 99% against it… Spec work isn’t right for all designers (especially due to economies of scale) and all situations and I don’t think anyone would argue that, but the market exists and there clearly is a demand for it – but that is not to say that doing spec work is “right” or ethical…
Design contest sites are not the future of graphic design… nor do I see a time when it ever will be, however, in the long term I believe spec work is going to be detrimental to the design industry… both devaluing design and designers as a whole (while making the world an uglier place). And with that said, it’s sad to say that spec work isdefinitely here to stay. In fact, design contest sites are now now implementing “corporate services” for large studios which obviously are going to be a direct threat to large existing agencies.
Thus, my opinion is to not support spec work and if you’re with me, I encourage you to send this article to whoever you see involving themselves in spec work so they can make an educated decision too.
Summary
I would like to summarise by quoting two views on how to look at spec work one by very “anti-spec” Andrew Hyde and the other by Jeffrey Kalmikoff who holds a neutral view to the subject
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