Here’s a great video that showcases the problems with spec work in a more humorous way:



The creative industry has become increasingly important to economic well-being, and being part of the creative industry, Bergey Creative Group has a deep interest in keeping this industry healthy and growing.

However, there is a threat to all individuals working in the creative industry (and we aren’t just talking about recent economic troubles). Spec work and spec-based design contests are devaluing our industry and our professionals.

What is spec work?
Spec work is any work done on a speculative basis with no agreed upon contract, and therefore no guarantee of payment. Many clients think of it as a “try before you buy” approach, and it usually ends with a designer not being paid for the work they’ve done. An example of a big spec work offender would be design contests. Someone posts what they are looking to have done on a website, a bunch of designers put time and effort into creating a solution, but only one designer walks away with any compensation for their time.

Some businesses use spec work as a method of hiring, which is unethical and unfair to the creative industry professionals looking for a job. The hiring business will ask the potential hires to create and submit a project as a sort of “test” before choosing their new employee. The result is a lot of designers not getting paid for services that took a lot of time, effort, and knowledge, and there is no guarantee that any of them will be hired.

So how can a business go about hiring a creative professional without knowing what they are getting beforehand?
That is what a portfolio and an interview are for. Any designer or creative individual worth your time will have a portfolio of their work put together so you can see their abilities before investing your time in them. The end result? You get a creative professional that fits the bill, and the other interviewees walk away without losing anything but perhaps an hour of their time.

Just think, you wouldn’t ask a carpenter to start building a house for you, but if you decide you don’t like it, you don’t pay for the work they’ve done. You wouldn’t go to a restaurant and ask to sample a few entrees and only pay for it if you liked something. So why would you ask a designer to take the time and expertise that they possess to create a solution to your problem, and then not pay them for the work because you’ve decided you don’t like it? Looking at their portfolio beforehand let’s you know what they are capable of, agreeing on a contract guarantees that both you and the designer will fulfill your end of the deal, and you develop a client/designer relationship that can benefit you again in the future.