I've been looking for an opinion focusing on the grayness of this issue ever since I found out that it was an issue at all. Thank you, Graham, for such a thoughtful acknowledgment of the real complications, pros and cons of spec work. Anyone with a hard, black or white stance on this issue does those that look up to them a serious disservice and it's good to know that there are designers like you out there with the ability/experience to be able to see both sides.

Graham,

It is so refreshing to see a post that really explains both sides of this issue. I suspect your story would resonate with many of the creatives who participate in sites like crowdSPRING.

I have been a creative on crowdSPRING for a year now, and have been verbally smacked down on the world wide web for doing so.

For the past 4 years, I have been an editorial cartoonist for a newspaper – in an industry that is facing serious problems. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I have not seen newspaper writers acting out against the freelance writers of the world in the manor that designers are lashing out against sites like crowdSPRING and 99 Designs. The reality is – the world as we know it is changing.

Thanks for speaking up and sharing your perspective.

Audree

I don't know of any died in the wool creatives who would criticize much of that. Those of us who have been in the industry 20 years or more are mostly frustrated with the non-creatives making money off the hard work of true creatives. I, certainly, would never blame the young or struggling creative who feels they need to use such sites to help establish or re-establish themselves. There are other ways, better ways in my opinion, but that does not make anyone wrong or lazy for doing spec work, just human. I do however hate those that use CS and steal others work. With so many truly creative people submitting to those sites, I don't know why their policy on plagiarism is so very lax. Do you know why?

I do feel it is part of my responsibility as an educated and experienced creative to educate clients, sales people, everyone on what I do and why it is different than what your nephew who just got an educational version of PhotoShop can do. I've run into plenty of creatives who won't even try. They feel it is a lost cause. I have never thought so. All you have to do is speak their language, the language of business, not creative (if they think creativity is easy, there is no changing their minds there).

As for better ways to build a portfolio, get out of your house and pound the pavement. I'm sure you'll see plenty of bad design. Offer to help. Do work for causes, charities and so forth. Do work for local organizations such as children's sports teams, grandmas who teach piano, etc. I know the internet opens up a whole new world of opportunity, but it is also taking us away from our local communities. When times are hard falling back on the local community is the best way to go. During these current hard times, we should be putting more into our communities so they will always be there for us.

If, as you state, the number of years spent in the design profession is an indication of someone "knowing what they're talking about" then I too, must know what I'm talking about, having been a 'professional designer' in one way or another, for 1 year shy of 30. And like you, I've had my ups and downs. If you'll indulge me for a bit, and lest I get branded as a "naive, silver-spoon-fed egotistical creative" let me tell you a little bit about my earlier career days. There was a point in my life, about 15 years ago, when my marriage had broken up, I was three months in mortgage default (three months being the trigger before the bank forecloses). I had worked as a magazine art director for 11 years before being unceremoniously fired, a publication that I had started failed, and numerous freelance and contract gigs had failed to pan out. I didn't make my loved ones "suffer because of idealistic views" (a somewhat offensive notion by the way). I took would I could get, including some very non-design factory jobs, and my situation wasn't because of a lack of trying.

I had $1.94 in the bank (I kept the ATM receipt on the cork bulletin board of my kitchen for years as a reminder of "where I came from"). After the collapse of my marriage, I had 50% physical joint custody of two very young children, I had no clients (I had walked away from being an in-house 'art department' for a marketing company after they racked up an $8,000 bill) no prospects, no business and the economy was struggling its way out of a recession. I was experimenting with alcoholism, brought on, no doubt, because of the stresses of my earlier professional life. I was lucky to have parents with the wherewithal to float me for a few of my darker months, so I didn't have to move back into their house (which would have cost me custody of my children) but I did spend many a sleepless night worrying about where our next meal was coming from. Hell, I even had a nervous breakdown too (now referred to asPTSD) and still suffer from severe bouts of depression.

I understand that "necessity is often the mother of invention" and have often said that if contest sites like 99designs or Crowdspring were around at the time, I might have joined up too. Or I might not have. But they weren't, I didn't, so we'll never know. In those days, few people had the gall to ask others to work for free. And those that did (requesting ad comps as part of an interview for example) were rightfully considered as the charlatans they were. Rather, I fought my way to earn whatever I have now, putting in 7 day weeks of 20 hour days. I gave up whatever meager social life I had and worked my ass off. That led to the creation of a small design studio and over the years I've hired dozens of designers - some fresh out of college - keeping a promise that I had made to myself years ago (when I worked in the shittiest studio environment imaginable) that I would never be responsible for people working in an abusive, repressive soul-destroying environment that I had to put up with, simply because at the time, I had no other choice. Accordingly, when I started The Logo Factory back in 1996, I believed that designers should get paid for their work. ALL of their work. I still believe that now.

I'm also completely opposed to Spec Work for a wide range of reasons, all them of them perfectly valid. I've written often about the subject, starting as far back as 2001. You might think that makes me someone "who lives in the rose tinted palace high atop of the moral high ground" or someone "who believes they are right and everyone else is wrong" because I'm "employed, have a cushy job, or have just not experienced much hardship or life challenges." Sorry, Graham. I've had at least the same level of hardships and life challenges as you. As many of us have.

I don't give a shit about the so-called "ethics" of designers entering spec work and design contests. I never have. My main question has always been does it work for the designer? Is it worth, in the long run, supporting obviously unethical business models - the location of the 'ethics' label being an important distinction. And the answer is almost always no. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. There always are. For several lucky souls who win any particular lottery, lotteries are the greatest thing in the world. For the other 14,999,999 it amounts to nothing more than a tax on the poor. Spec work worked for you. Good on you. But it's an example of a Misleading Vividness fallacy (a small number of events are taken to outweigh a significant amount of statistical evidence). For the vast majority of people participating, it won't. That's not emotion, "venom" or hyperbole. That's the way it is. You don't have to be an expert, a participant or "someone not living in the real world" to realize that. You only need to perform simple mathematics.

Designers starting out would be better served following your excellent advice:

"The one problem every individual designer can control and take into our own hands, our own marketing, branding and our own efforts to educate the clients".

There are very real downsides to the sites you refer to in your article (as well as others not mentioned). Design contests and crowdsourcing sites contain a litany of unpaid contests, overdue contests, refunded contests, copyright problems, stealing of ideas from one-and-other. These are facts, not some hyperbolic rants filled with "venom". There are tons of one-sided 'puff pieces' about these services all over the Internet and the dead-tree media. Trouble is, almost ALL the claims of the positives for designers (save the one about getting a load of practice) are demonstrably untrue.

Are you as "offended" about those one-sided "viewpoints" as you seem to be about designers talking about them? Design contest sites flout labor laws, copyright laws, licensing agreements of stock art sites and so-forth. And while we're speaking about rights, design contests often go beyond what they have the (legal) "right" to do (demanding irrevocable licenses under work-for-hire contracts upon submission is but one example). They're certainly not going to point out these issues in PR releases. That gets left to designers. The same designers you're now criticizing for "spending so much time moaning".

Bottom line, if it weren't for designers moaning, no-one would be aware of any of the downsides to spec work. According to your logic, only by partaking in an activity can one form an educated opinion about that activity. If that were true, then very few people could form very few opinions about very few issues at all. It also means that most people who run design contest sites should cease blathering on about design too, as most (includingCrowdspring ) are operated by people with no background in design whatsoever. According to your barometer of "knowing what they're talking about", they don't know very much at all. Having said that, and for the record, I have participated in a few contests (includingCrowdspring ), so that I could look at the subject from personal experience as well, a blog version of investigative reporting if you will. I may write about those experiences some day, as my admittedly limited time "in the trenches" did nothing to convince me that I am mistaken in my stance.

I don't think pointing these issues out is indicative of living in "glistening ivory tower" or "spewing venom". It is understanding the design industry, where it's' headed, coalescing opinions of same and then using blogs and forums to broadcast those opinions to anyone who cares to listen. Not unlike what you've done here. You have every right to think I'm an asshole for being opposed to spec work and design contests. Just as I have every right to write, bitch and moan about them. I don't think your point-of-view here is a waste of your time (or mine for reading it). Why do you think writing about myPOV is a waste of mine?

In terms of competition, free markets and economic game theory, spec work and design contests are a classic example of "The Tragedy of the Commons" dilemma, a fairly straight-forward premise. While there are numerous websites and papers devoted to the theory, here's what Wiki has to say:

“The Tragedy of the Commons is an influential article written by Garrett Hardin and first published in the journal Science in 1968. The article describes a dilemma in which multiple individuals acting independently in their own self-interest can ultimately destroy a shared resource even where it is clear that it is not inanyone’s long term interest for this to happen."

Doing something out of self-interest is perfectly understandable. We all do it. But that doesn't change its impact on the design profession (The "Commons") or other designers. Everybody has the "right" to do what they want, based on their own set of circumstances. But let me ask you this. According to your order form, it doesn't appear that you do 'spec work' now. Do you? And if not, why not? Because you don't have to? Because you're too good? Above it? Beyond it? It doesn't pay your bills? Seems there is some notch on a career yardstick where spec work is no longer tenable for a 'professional' designer. Does that make you a snobby designer living in some "ivory tower" now? I don't think it does. It's just that I don't believe designers have to go through some "right of passage", giving their work away for free - to get where you and I are now - while others profit from their unpaid work.

While your story is admirable, and quite inspirational, just because one individual does something has no bearing on whether it's good, bad or indifferent for everyone else. I smoked cigarettes for years. At the risk of stretching an analogy to an absurd level, that has no impact on the society-wide issue of smoking whatsoever. Filling my lungs with carcinogen rich chemicals is about the stupidest thing one can do to their own body. Just because I participated in this very unhealthy practice does not make it more healthy, less damaging or something to be embraced. Obviously, I had the "right" to do so individually and (knocking on wood) haven't had any adverse health ramifications. That didn't, and doesn't, diminish the risks for everyone else. According to your position, unless Doctors and other health professionals have smoked themselves, they don't have the right to try and educate anyone about those risks.

I have an outsider and client perspective here.

I admit, I did not finish reading your entire post, Steve. These thoughts came to me while reading and I have to share. Apologies if you eventually addresssed them.

First, as a potential client on CS or the other sites, I have to say that I am not considering these to get designs "cheap." Rather, I see it as way to get many diverse ideas in a short amount of time.

If I talk to individual designers in "pre-sale" mode, I will get a similar indication of what they would do creatively. And it would still be *free* to me. I just won't see as broad a sample doing it this way.

All the same stuff can happen, though, in either model. I could meet with 5 pro designers, like some ideas from one but end up hiring another for a variety of reasons. Only one of them is going to get the business payout for their time.

I don't see the fundamental difference between my using a CS versus sending an RFP out to a number of designers here. Designers have to put in time "on spec" to win my business.

You describe a time of working 24/7 to restart your design life and business.

Well, unless those were all billable hours, how was that different than doing spec work on CS? You invested a lot of time and resources with no immediate return to build your portfolio and to help your future.

CS just applies technology to modify the economics of the sourcing model. Just like it's changing all of marketing (my job) and many other business such as the music, movie and telecom industries.

The other big factor is whether crowdsourcing cannibalizes design business or ultimately incrementaly grows the spend on creative.

I don't know the answer to that, but I suspect that eventually it will grow the pie if it isn't already. People who would use Word Art will start to pay for designs--because they need to compete and look good now to. Just like one needs to have a web site--no matter how small the business.

Maybe we haven't reached that tipping point; but when it does, good designs will be more abundant, not less.

Finally, if one is going to fail as a designer (or any profession), better to fail quickly. With these sourcing sites, a young would-be designer could learn in a fraction of the time that they aren't going to make it. Then they can move on with life before a decade goes by.

I simply don't agree with what you say and I don't particularly want this to end up as another 'raging' commentary.

This post is just my own personal opinion and personal experiences from a rather different viewpoint to many other black or white, right or wrong posts out there. Seen it all before, it's all the same excuses, reasons, thoughts and views.

There are many other aspects to my personal and health situation that I will not even consider talking about on here, but needless to say, a breakdown it just wasn't. And this means I will never be able to work full time, for an employer again, even if I had wanted to.

The point of this post was to highlight it's not black or white, right or wrong, like many advocates of NoSpec will make out.

At least I admit that Spec work can be bad and has its problems. Never said its perfect or it's the way to be. Just that it's an option for some folk when faced with life challenges. Like I said, I can see and relate to both sides. Seems you can't or don't want to. Which makes your ingrained view, all the more annoying.

For someone who is successful and has been in the business for a long time, you have the absolute best attitude. I really admire that in you. I wish more and more people would adopt such an attitude and perspective. You nailed it when you said "As designers, we need to loose this idealistic, ‘we are so special’ attitude and just get over it."

There are so many parallels I can draw between CS and how things work in the real world. It is not for everyone, but then what is? I have come to realize that there is a market for everything. Just because there are $100 designs out there and people willing to pay for them, doesn't mean no one's going to buy a $5000 design. There is a market for that too. Everyone needs to just let everyone else be, the world would be a much nicer place then :)

That's really kind of you to say, and means a lot when people can actually see that. That it's not just one sided, self opinionated hot air.

And you are spot on with the 2nd paragraph. there will always be clients needing both cheap designs and those willing to pay generously. All people are doing right now are focusing on those clients that just don't appreciate the value of design experience, or have the budget.

But I can say from personal and recent experience, I am getting logo requests, where clients are voluntarily putting up £1000+ for a identity and logo design. This is without asking any questions.

When that happens you know there is still hope, that it's not as grim as people make out. So much focus on negativity within the general NoSpec movement. Why poison yourselves to a cause that is just highlighting things that will likely never change.

Focus instead on thanking clients that DO pay well, that DO put up generous budgets.

Thanks for your comment.

Great post, it's nice to see SpecWork from another perspective. I've recently been browsing CS. I've always been a bit on the fence about such sites. However, I find myself with no discernible portfolio of my skills.

Working in an entry-level print production job, for the last 6 years, doesn't allow for a lot of varied work and creativity (nothing against the job, it's stable and has allowed me time to further my education, but in itself is a limited in its breadth of assignments).

Thus I find myself drawn to CS and its derivatives to broaden my portfolio, I feel it will be more beneficial than creating 'personal projects' alone. If nothing else, it will be a learning process.

So, thank you for this post. It's helped me see SpecWork in a different light. I might still be on the fence about it, but it's enlightening to see it from someone else's perspective

Really good post Graham - very personal. SpecWork will be a hot topic of debait, but like you've outlined... it's not really an easy one to judge.

I really don't thing there is a clear right or wrong, as you say, can't really judge this. Ultimately comes down to the practicalities of real world living, and making decisions that are best for you, not others.

Graham. I am an anti-spec person, but I would never dream of telling another creative or another entrepreneur what they can or can't do.

It is, however, my sincerest hope that the devaluation of graphic design will slow, eventually stop, and reverse.

Spec is not the only enemy of this goal. Any system that encourages consumers to view design as a commodity is as well.

Any new freelancer, and many experienced ones for that matter, can easily be drawn in by the prospect of easy money from clients who land in your inbox. After all, the design is the fun part. Finding clients is hard.

I've been self employed for almost my whole career, and the hardest lesson I've learned, and I've had to learn it more than once, is that although finding and retaining good clients is hard, it's worth it.

Also - Every good client I've ever had has understood perfectly well why I've declined to perform spec work when asked...and I can't recall a job I've lost because if it.

Graham, I can tell it takes guts to write this knowing that some super-illustrious-creatives will judge you. I do appreciate that you say it's really about the business, because it is. If practice makes perfect, then certainly creating for sites like CrowdSPRING can fuel us toward a goal of greater excellence. Besides, for good designers, it can put food on the plate. Good perspective!

Yes, you are quite right. Thing is, I am not worried or concerned by alienating myself from others, especially when I know that some of these others have very one sided views.

I know in myself that my views, expressed here and elsewhere are generally pretty rounded, and from both sides. That's what gives me the confidence to speak out.

Appreciate you picking up on that point, some people are to afraid to cause ripples against the majority, but who said the majority are right?

I am 21 years old. Being studying design for about 5 years now, and freelancing for about 2. I have three years in college, but because of some personal circumstances was forced to stop. I have spent countless hours reading, studying, and practicing design in the means to learn it.

When you say that its tough to get started I know, because I'm living that experience. With a small portfolio, almost no experience under my portfolio, and only my talent behind me, I have to bust my butt off to try to make a living out of this.

I understand how some people might be desperate for work, because at times I have been too. And your right to say that sometimes you have to do the right thing for yourself. But I have also learn that by being cheap, or in this case, charging cheap, you end up paying the consequences down the road.

I value my work a lot. I dislike the fact that people want to cheapen my work because "they can get it cheaper elsewhere". But then its "refreshing" when I find out that the cheaper person didn't live up to expectations. SpecWork will always be around, and its pointless to think we can get rid of it. Like you said Graham, the only thing we can do about it is work hard on our own brand. If I can't stand the competition, maybe this is not for me.

Hi Graham,

Really appreciate you sharing your point of view and experience on this subject.

Cheers,
Jason Aiken
99designs.com

Great post.
You provide a very real view into the how spec work can benefit the designer. A point I think often gets lost amidst the sea of anti-spec posts.

This is definitely a very passion-filled topic for some people and there are viable pros and cons to both sides of it yet the anti-spec arguments seem to run a-plenty.

Thanks for this honest post and the reminder to us all to keep our minds open to all points of view.

So easy to get swept up in the negativity of a subject, that ultimately, you (not you personally) know very little about.

Easy to cast views, opinions on things that interest you, but quite another to have a very indepth understanding, especially of both view points.

The best debaters or arguments are from those that have experienced or have knowledge of both sides of the coin. Many NoSpec worshippers don't, they just see it from the glistening ivory tower that is there treasured career.

I am glad you posted this. It's an interesting perspective. I often have found myself on the fence on the no-spec issue. When it comes down to no-work or speck what is one to do especially when your just starting out. No one wants to give you a break.

You hit the nail on the head. I fyou get a break, then you are fortunate. Otherwise, you have to knuckle down and do what's ultimately best for you... not people you don't know or will never know, who have inflated ego's and warped sense of values.

Excellent post, Graham. Even though I have personally taken a break from cS, I cannot possibly overstate it's value to young designers and students who are looking to gain real world experience. This truly is a sensitive issue, but you've done an excellent job of outlining the most controversial aspects of spec work, and I appreciate your view.

Hey. Yeah, as you say, it's only my view from personal experience, but unlike many others, I do have experience from both sides. I get offended when people waffle and preach about one subject and one side, when they have no personal experience of the other. Makes for a very dull experience. :)

"...overstate [its] value..."