What is Spec Work?

Spec work (speculative work) is work done without the guarantee of pay for your efforts. Essentially, the premise is that if the client likes the design you come up with, then they will pay you for it.  Spec work is a topic in the design industry that often evokes passionate responses from both side of the argument.  Opponents of the practice claim it devalues the work of the design community as a whole while proponents say it gives otherwise unknown designers a chance for exposure and a quick springboard into the business.  Let’s take a look at a few of each sides arguments and then hear what six top designers think.

Opponents of Spec Work Claim:

• It devalues the industry as a whole.  Being able to get hundreds of design concepts for free and only having to pay for one creates a negative shift in the supply and demand of creative talent.
• There is no guarantee of compensation.  In what other industry would you expect to receive services from a professional without having to pay for them?  Could you imagine going to the dentist and saying, “Whiten my teeth and if I like the job you did, I’ll pay you for it”?

• The very process of spec work removes many necessary elements of a successful design such as:   Adequate time for research and conceptual development.  Communication beyond the initial brief required to understand the companies goals, target market and competitive landscape.  A focus on specified communication goals instead of  just “eye candy”.

• It leads to sub-par work which serves neither the designer nor the client.

Proponents of Spec Work Claim:

• It’s only fair to get a “preview” of what I will pay for.  What if I agree to pay a designer only to find i don’t like what they create?
• Spec work provides opportunities for exposure to those new or unknown in the design industry as well as the chance to make a quick profit.
• It creates competition which brings out the best in any endeavor.
• Spec work is good practice and a way to build up your portfolio.

I find myself unable to dispute the arguments against spec work and feel that it’s generally a bad idea.  Coming up with a logo, brochure, packaging design, website or any other design element requires a lot of work and creative talent.  It’s not just a matter of creating “pretty graphics” but a deep understanding of visual communication and the skills to deliver a clear message about a company.  Designers have no doubt put a lot of time and effort into honing their craft and should be rewarded for using these skills.  For someone to think the most important part of your craft should be done for free is not only insulting, but shows a real lack of understanding the importance of identity and branding.  A designers portfolio stands as a testament to his work and is the only “preview” a client should need.  The designer/client agreement should outline the goals of the design and provide for a number of concepts and revisions. This, coupled with good communication and the examples of past work in the designers portfolio, should eliminate any concern about not being able to see a finished product before agreeing to payment.

On the issue of getting the chance for exposure, sure there’s a chance, but it’s usually slim at best.  Let’s consider a design contest, also known as “crowd sourcing”, in which a company holds a competition to design their logo.  You could spend many hours on a design only to be one of hundreds who submitted entries.  The company gets a huge amount of man-hours put into concepts and designs and only has to pay for one while, far more often than not, you come out empty handed and sometimes even give up the rights to your design.

I don’t view the issue of spec work through the lens of morality or think that those who participate in it are inherently wrong.  I prefer to consider it from the personal vantage point that my time is valuable and therefore should not be given away for free.  I have done spec work once and still have never received any payment for it.  I consider the lesson learned a valuable payment in itself and certainly will not put myself in that position again.

It’s important to note here that pro-bono work is entirely different.  Providing your services to charities or community groups free of charge is not only rewarding but beneficial to the community and the design industry.

Six Top Designers Sound Off

I asked a few prominent designers what their thoughts were on the subject of spec work.  Here are there answers to a few questions.

Veerle Peters

1. What would you say to the aspiring graphic designer who asks “should I do spec work?”

Don’t!  Spend the time on your personal site. You could volunteer your time for a charity instead since they are non profit, it is a better route than to do work for a business for free.

2. Have you ever done any spec work?  If so, can you tell us a little about your experience?

No I haven’t.  In fact Duoh! is one of the few companies that say upfront that we don’t do spec work on our Web site contact form.

2. What place does spec work have in the graphic design industry and how does it affect it?

Spec work devalues all of our work. Doctors, lawyers and accountants do not do work for free. So why would we? People who want free work for their business do not value your work and they don’t respect you. When the “client” pays they respect your time because it is their dime. While we all love things that are on sale, we tend to question the quality if it is free. A business relationship is something that consists of two partners doing there thing. The playing field has to be equal to make it worthwhile and with spec work it is a one way partnership.

Andrew Houle

1. What would you say to the aspiring graphic designer who asks “should I do spec work?”

I would say don’t do it. I understand how tempting it can be when you’re first starting out, but it’s not worth all the time you’ll invest in the project. More to the point, it undermines the professionals who are trying to make a living in the field. I can see how aspiring designers would want to build up their portfolios, but I’m sure you can do that by
working hard, promoting yourself, and starting with small, inexpensive (but not spec) jobs. In very few professions would you ask someone to do spec work so why is design different. Just imagine spec work for building a house, or worse yet, for surgery.

2. Have you ever done any spec work? If so, can you tell us a little about your experience?

I’ve never done any spec work in my freelance business, and I won’t do that. I did however have to do the occasional spec ad at a newspaper I used to work for. Every now and again, the sales reps would say something like “this customer wants this, this and that, could you just design that real quick so I can show them what their ad will look like”. I absolutely hated that! Why are we spending that much time on ads that might not even run! I suppose a paper is a little different, but I still hated doing that.

3. What place does spec work have in the graphic design industry and how
does it affect it?

I touched on this a little in my answer for the first question. Spec work hurts those who are already professionals in the field. For some reason a lot of people seem to think that design is easy and that they can do it themselves. But you can almost always spot poor design, and when corners are cut. My favorite type of line is when you quote x amount of dollars to a client for some design work and his/her rebuttal is “my nephew can do it for half that price!”.  The bottom line is spec work is bad for everyone in the design community.

Ryan Putnam

1.What would you say to the aspiring graphic designer who asks “should I do spec work?”

I’ll try not to ramble on too much.  Spec work is a huge subject with a lot of variables, so for the most part I would say NO. Here’s why:

Not Getting Paid: Doing spec work trivializes the time spent on creating a project. You are not getting paid unless your design is chosen. You probably wouldn’t do this for many other jobs, so why for designing?

Devalues Design Industry: Not only will doing spec work trivialize your time but it could eventually be a industry standard, trivializing the whole design industry.

Bad Client Relationship: Effectively, the client is saying that you will be lucky to get this job. Are these the type of clients you want to work for? Do you want to work for someone that doesn’t value your time? Probably not. Of course, this isn’t true for every spec work client, but it is a red flag to watch out for.

Some designers think that design contest fall under the spec work category. I think contest sites like CrowdSpring, perpetuate the negatives of doing spec work but, I think some design contest are fine like Threadless. Threadlless is basically an ongoing t-shirt design contest were a user can submit designs that are scored and critiqued with the chance of possibly winning some money. It’s a great place to get feedback for designs, illustrations and ideas. It is more of a community rather than a spec designing contest.

2. Have you ever done any spec work? If so, can you tell us a little about your experience?

I have done a little spec work before and for the most part, the client, has always wanted something extra, questioned prices, and in some cases, made threats of stopping projects. But, I have one continuing client originally acquired through spec work that is a joy to work with. Currently, I don’t do any spec work. It is just to much of a time killer.

3. What place does spec work have in the graphic design industry and how does it affect it?

Whether designers like it or not, spec work has a place in the design industry. There are clients out there that need spec work, and there are going to be designers that do the work for cheap.

I think designer that are against spec work need to adapt and adjust their business model to the design market. We can’t just argue about how spec work  hurts the industry, we need to make compelling changes that make the client want to pay for a premium service. We need to stand out. Easier said than done, but I think it’s crucial.

Jacob Cass

1. What would you say to the aspiring graphic designer who asks “should I do spec work?”

There are positives and negatives for everything and spec work is no exception however in my opinion I feel that the negatives out way the positives in nearly all cases, so in short I would say no you should not do spec work.

2. Have you ever done any spec work? If so, can you tell us a little about your experience?

Yes I have, a few times actually… they were all for state wide competitions (which I won for 3 years in a row) when I was first starting out. It was for a good cause though (it was to promote drug awareness) and I got some recognition and prize money out of it… these are some things you should consider when making your choice on whether to design for spec.

3. What place does spec work have in the graphic design industry and how does it affect it?

I suppose like any cause there are supporters and non-supporters… Spec work does has it’s spot in some cases however generally I believe that it should be avoided as it is having a crippling effect on the design industry.

Jeff Finley

1. What would you say to the aspiring graphic designer who asks “should I do spec work?”

I would say, it depends on the situation. I’m not exactly anti-spec work  because in certain scenarios  it can be beneficial. Take a look at the situation. Do you have a policy in place that requires a deposit? If not, you should. And if the client isn’t willing to pay a deposit, that’s a strike against them. If a client is directly coming to you asking for spec work, I’d say it’s not a good idea. If you are seeking to introduce yourself to a specific client without really having a formal invitation, then sure, a “free pitch” might be necessary.

2. Have you ever done any spec work? If so, can you tell us a little about your experience?

Yes, I have done spec work. In the past clients would pay me with promises. One even told me that he would buy me a new computer when he got the money from selling my design. Hah!  That never happened of course and whenever I asked him about it, it was always “you’ll get it next week,” or “next month,” or whatever. I’ve done contests and have won and lost. Losing usually gets you nothing, but winning can give you cash and exposure. But it depends on the contest. If it’s just a business holding a “contest” to see who can design their logo the best, that’s a sham. Ignore it. I’ve also done some pitch work for a client I wanted to land, and they were impressed by work and how I went above and beyond. They hired me on the spot for another project.

3. What place does spec work have in the graphic design industry and how does it affect it?

Spec work is generally bad. The industry is competitive and it’s only lowering the wages of graphic designers. Even the designers who seem to have “made it” generally aren’t rich. You might be surprised to see someone grace the cover of design magazines and be heralded around the blogosphere yet they struggle to find paying work. I think the only way to improve is to stick to your policies, command respect, and do great work. Do more for your fees besides just design something. Show the client your thinking, planning, etc. It can make you more valuable.

Chris Spooner

1. what would you say to the aspiring graphic designer who asks “should I do spec work?”

Spec work can often lead to losing out on your time and subsequently, money. This is usually from putting a lot of time and effort into a project or pitch for it to either be rejected, or the client decide to say; “Cheerio!” and not pay you a penny. Working this way on a regular basis is highly likely to see you losing out big time.

On the other hand, if there’s a particular project you’re really excited about working on, you might consider working on spec for this occasion. For example, the apparel industry is heavily reliant on spec work, if you’re approached to design a range of t-shirts for a band you’re interested in, it might be worth giving it a go. With aspiring designers in mind, if your designs aren’t accepted, at least you’ve had the experience and have a piece or artwork that could be manipulated into your portfolio.

2. Have you ever done any spec work? If so, can you tell us a little about your experience?

I think every designer will have experienced the negative side of spec work at some point in their life. Since starting my freelance career I’ve taken care to ensure deposits are received on all projects, which helps ensure the clients are committed to the project. However, late last year I did actually take on a project based on spec, the work was something I was particularly interested in and something a little different from the norm, so I concentrated on the designs on the weekend as more of a personal project as opposed to filling up space that could otherwise be used for regular, non-spec work. I’m happy to say this experience was a good one, the designs were accepted, payment received and my design work received some good exposure.

2. What place does spec work have in the graphic design industry and how does it affect it?

Despite the widespread negativity towards spec work, it’s likely to stay. For some large agencies spec work is a part of everyday business, pitching against other agencies is how they land their big jobs. Unfortunately for the solo designer or small company there’s always the bad eggs that use the opportunity to skip payment, which is what gives working on speculation the bad name.

What’s YOUR take on spec work?

Thanks to all who participated!  Now, we would all love to hear what you think about spec work.  Tell us how you feel in the comments bellow.  Also, you may want to check out NO!SPEC for more info as well as AIGA’s postition on spec work.