Firstly, I should say that these views are personal, and not a reflection of CIN’s views. Important to say that straight up top, as I am attempting to discuss a topic which is highly divisive in the creative sector.
On a number of occasions we have been asked to submit designs for projects before we’ve been commissioned to do the work. To add to this, we’re not the only company who has been asked. Speculative work (or Free Pitching) is a wide spread practice in the creative sector. A project for one of Derby’s largest institutions saw around 10 design agencies pitch for branding and web design work. For every winner there are nine losers. Whilst talking to one of our compatriots about our decision to decline the invitation to pitch, we were told that to compete with the big boys we needed to think like them.
Think like the big boys?
I recently asked Erik Spiekermann for his advice to any designers considering taking on speculative work. His response, simply; “Do not, ever.”
Speculative work is a stain on our sector. So why do we allow it to happen?
We allow it to happen because we can’t sell. Creative people don’t always make the best business people. We don’t think we’ve got what it takes to convince people on the merits of our record that we are worth hiring. So in a last vain attempt, we give away our most prized assets (our ideas) in the hope that someone might recognise their genius and agree to pay for them. The problem is, when we give our ideas away for free, we give away any ounce of credibility we ever had. I’ve had fellow designers tell me how they’ve been screwed by clients who’ve taken their concepts and given them to another company to reap the benefits. I experienced this myself when I worked for a previous employer; one of my rejected designs for a company later became the layout for their website, without permission or payment of any kind. They’re angry, I’m angry, but can we blame people for taking advantage of us when we ourselves don’t value our most prized assets?
What about charity?
If opinions are split already, I’m going to split them again. Some people think Spec work is bad, but not when it comes to charity. I’m going to disagree again. If a charity approaches you to do some free work, then fair enough, it’s your call. But if a charity approached us, as well as ten other agencies, or gave an open invite on the web, I’d respectfully decline. I think it’s wrong to waste so many companies valuable time and assets. I’d much rather they chose who they want to work with and stick with them, have faith in them, and allow them to see it through.
Pitching process
If we’re asked to pitch for business by presenting previous work, and by discussing our overall approach, that’s absolutely fine. We’re excited talk to people about why we do what we do, why we’re different from others, and how we can help them best achieve their goals. We want to work with good people, who have great ideas and great businesses. People who share our values, value our time, and recognise the power of good design. If they can’t hire us based on our credentials, and they want to see some sort of mock-up, they’ve shown they don’t value or understand our process, and they probably aren’t the clients we are looking to work with.
We recently interviewed a graduate for a position in the studio. When we mentioned that we do not take part in free pitching, the student looked shocked, “That’s a radical stance.” It’s sad that students are not being taught the value that design has and the power they possess as designers. When we participate in these design competitions/lotteries, we make things worse for ourselves and future generations.
Of course, this problem will not go away, it has infected our industry from top to bottom. Some companies have become very good at playing the game and have a vested interest in keeping the system as it is. I do not expect this article to change the status quo, I’m not that naive. I’ve sat with other designers for hours discussing and debating this issue, and whilst people may agree it’s not a great situation, they don’t want to be left out, and are happy to accept things the way they are. The only way the status quo will change is if everyone in our sector says “ENOUGH” and “NO MORE.” The problem is, there will always be someone who’s willing to work for free in an attempt to impress a potential new client. We’ve lost work where we were in a prime position to win because we refused to put forward some free ideas as a goodwill gesture, and someone else was. It costs something to stick by your principles. May the best designer win? Rubbish. The best ideas don’t always get chosen; clients can be subjective rather than objective, an existing relationship can help sway things, and sometimes it comes down to who’s cheapest.
I’m convinced more than ever that refusing to pitch is the right thing for our business. I would rather spend my time working with clients who value and respect our time enough to pay us, than play the design lottery. If a client doesn’t want to pay for your professional time, that client isn’t worth working for, I don’t care who they are!
Thanks for reading.
Andy Cogdon
Cogdon, Clark & Tranter
Twitter @cctcreative
P.S. Ok, so I know I’ve been reasonably provocative in the discussion. As I said, these are my views, not necessarily CIN’s. BUT… What do you think? Do you agree/disagree? Am I an idealist, or do I need to get with the real world? Please comment on this blog to engage with the discussions, or if Twitter is more your persuasion, #nospec will put you in the thick of it.
For further information, visit www.no-spec.com
