Go Spec Yourself
Everyone’s been bitching and complaining about “spec work” these last few weeks; but I am here to rock the boat and write-up a quick little statement in support of spec. Yesterday on nclud, I wrote up a more non-personal professional response to the spec work question on “why we can’t do spec work” (it’s a good read, I promise). However, that is not to say that spec work is evil or should not exist. While I’d never participate in spec work, I strongly support it.
I am at a point in my career where I can comfortably consider myself a “professional designer” (comments below for those wanting to make a wise-ass remark). As a professional, I place a lot of value on what it is I do, so as I evolve as a designer the more and more participating in spec work devalues what it is I do, “I” in the personal sense. While spec work is no longer appropriate for me, we must not forget that at one time it was very much ideal.
Those that proclaim spec work to be evil are of the same type that spread the ignorant arguments that often arise between print and web designers. There will always been a need for low-end low-cost design solutions, the Kinkos of the world must always exist. Kinkos will not put a good printer out of business; spec work will not put me out of business. To the designer who is afraid of untrained or unprofessional designers, you must evaluate yourself! Once we remove the fear of spec work from the design ecosystem, it now becomes a debate of ethics and morals.
But I say you forget what it is to be a young self-trained aspiring “designer” (with your fancy design degree, you might not even know what I am talking about). The designer who has no formal training, is not certified and has no real grasp of typography or color-theory, that is the designer for whom spec work works. Those among us that started life as a Business, English or Journalism major who at some point feel in love with design, that is the designer for whom spec work often works. The best way to learn other than picking up a book and sharing a conversation with other designers is to practice, practice practice – a lot of non-traditional designers become professional designers through much trial-and-error. Most of whom were so excited to work on any project that the possibility of payment was only a nice-to-have.
I’d even go one further than spec work, I’d recommend to the aspiring designers in the room, go out and create non-commissioned work. Go redesign Target.com and pitch it to them – they may never respond back, they may laugh, but if they do respond, it will be one hell of a learning experience. Put that Target.com redesign in your portfolio and label it as appropriate; then use it as a conversation piece for how you tackled the project and articulate why you made the decisions you made. Getting that first job or even that first project can seem so overwhelmingly difficult, and I fear many of the seasoned designers in the room forgot that.
Spec work isn’t intended to be the final work, it is intended to be the starting point of a conversation that is the basis for a strategy for the design to begin. It is when spec work is used as final work that spec work typically gets a bad rap. But that is a bad use of spec work, not a reason to hate it. A car can be used to kill someone, that doesn’t mean we should abolish the use of cars. It is how the car was intended to be used and the use of the car that gives it its value.
Great designers should never do spec work, and great clients should never ask for it. After two years of running my own design agency, I can confidently say that there is enough great clients out there that you never have to do spec work. But spec work has a place and has an audience – and we should respect that.
For the young and ambitious, just go design; design your little heart out till you can’t design anymore! Take money, do it for free, do it for a friend or family but just do it as often as you can, always learning from the previous design; always evolving as a designer.
- March 25th, 2009
- 8comments
- I am a proud member of the 9rules network
Didn’t sound like a bitchfest to me Martin. You make very good points and a very reasonable point about identifying for yourself (or ourselves) whether or not spec work is appropriate. But as a non-beginner / student example of “spec-work” look at The 37 Better studies from 37 signals. They gained a lot of recognition for these non-commissioned studies. I am certainly in the camp of not doing work for free, i do think there can be some value in it in the right circumstances…
I completely agree Sean!
Spec work (or non-commissioned work) can often open doors of opportunity that are otherwise shut. Look the woman who designed the Nike logo; she is now a world renowned designer for something she sold to Nike for something in the range of $35. Nike would never have paid her $50,000 for that symbol at the time of conception an she would never be as famous of a designer as she is now.
Look at the Barrack Obama website, none of us ever really had the chance to design that site. But had it been open to the opportunity of spec work initially, your life as the designer of such a site would never be the same.
It is all about opportunity cost in the end. It is a little bit of an investment and a little bit of a gamble — it is for each designer to determine if it is “worth it” on a case-by-case scenario.
I think we’re more or less on the same page here, Martin.
I think the argument about spec work is largely moot. Designers that are experienced and successful enough would never touch it. And they probably charge too much to ever come in contact with the typical client who expects designers to work on spec.
Similarly, an inexperienced designer might benefit from being able to compete for a job by creating spec designs — especially if they lack the portfolio strength to prove their skills on past performance. A client with a low budget and no previous experience hiring-out design might never go to an agency, but they might find a match in our pool of young designers willing to take a chance on spec.
I think there are two worlds here, and in the end I doubt that the two often cross. I don’t even buy the arguments that it degrades the industry — today’s small business hiring on spec could be tomorrow’s big business hiring an agency. As their business grows, so do their needs and expectations. LIke anything else, they’re going to get what they pay for.
I think I sort of fall into the category of aspiring designer (and I do have a B.A. in English). And I’m sort of back and forth on the spec work. I personally don’t like the idea of some of those logo contest sites we often hear about, or companies deliberately trying to lowball designers that are trying to get on their feet and make a living.
However, I agree with you that it’s up to each designer to decide what they need to do. What I hate even more than cheapskate companies are super design snobs who, instead of welcoming and encouraging fresh new talent to the industry, think it’s appropriate to dismiss the newbies and complain about lack of professionalism.
And yeah, I’m going to include a conceptual redesign of an organization’s site in my portfolio, then I’m going to go home and eat ramen and see if I can pay for a six-pack of Miller Lite with pennies. Don’t judge me!
(In short, I agree with everything you say.)
Honestly, the business side of me strongly believes in supply and demand over all else. If a designer is willing to create a logo for $150 and a client is willing to pay $150, then the logo is worth $150.
I can’t honestly justify charging a client over $5,000.00 for a logo design concept. But many much more talented than me brand logo designers couldn’t ever see charging anything less — there are just a variety of levels for a variety of designers with a variety of skills/interest.
Some people pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a brand logo, I wouldn’t ever argue that it wasn’t worth it (unless your Pepsi).
Let me change the point of view a little bit, lets look at it from a clients view.
For the past few months I’ve been searching for a logo designer for a new PureEdit logo. The thing is, I can’t hire an established designer due to my budget; and any designer I can afford doesn’t have previous work to show.
I’ve often thought about resulting to crowd sourcing because I can afford anyone willing to do spec work.
Now, translate that to a general idea and you have the reason why clients ask for spec work in the first place.
I thought you worked for a bad ass design agency that also does logo work?
@Michael I see and understand your point, but I think it comes down to who should accept risk.
I have plenty of projects I’d have started and launched by now if I were willing to ask for spec work or crowd source. I haven’t, and for that reason a lot of personal projects sit on the shelf.
From a business perspective my idealistic approach is nonsensical and hurts my goals rather than help it. But then again, my projects aren’t business minded so maybe that allows me to take the “higher” road.
But also from a business point of view, could it not be handled from a cost to benefit angle with out taking advantage of aspiring industry talent. What happened to, you hire who you can afford? The risk should also be taken by the hirer or client, NOT the employee or freelancer.
If that trend was to spread, good designers would continue to be seen as a company’s expendable accessory rather a valued commodity and resource.
2 rather disjointed unsolicited cents.