NO!SPEC would like to take this opportunity to thank Icograda’s Director, Brenda Sanderson for including the NO!SPEC launch in the Icograda Email News that went out to their members spread over the globe.

Icograda, the International Council of Graphic Design Associations is a heavy supporter of the fight against spec in the design industry, and one we are grateful to have on our side.

On a daily basis, we come across spec events. It is now apparent that what we imagined to be a hard task is, in all actuality, more difficult than we first thought. Truly, it is disconcerting to realize the depth of the situation facing us within our own industry. To combat this problem, it is our mission to gather together organisations and supporters from the Communication Design industry to make a difference in the campaign against spec.

Please contact us if you’d like to help in any way.

Jeff Fisher, Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, commends the The Caravan Project from his blog, bLog-oMotives.

I want to compliment Frederick Ost for engaging in a positive dialogue with Cat Wentworth, Project Manager of NO!SPEC, in regards to how their original call for participation constituted “spec” work. The Caravan Project members worked with NO!SPEC to revise their request into a much more ethical design project procedure. I applaud their willingness to take another look out how their project was being conducted and make alterations. I urge other designers to support The Caravan Project and their promotion of NO!SPEC. When you visit the TCP web site you will see their support in the form of a graphic.

Advocacy Update – RGD Working Against Spec Work

RGD Ontario (Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario) has recently acted on an alarming number of spec work competitions. The RGD Rules of Professional Conduct prevent members from doing free work as part of a pitch for new business.

Organizations that removed the spec requirement when contacted by RGD Ontario include:

2010 Legacies Now: Thanks for your reply and concerns. I agree with your points. I have just fired an email off to our Director of Marketing with a few suggestions on how to rectify this.

United Way of Greater Toronto: I will communicate our discussion and the information you have provided to the United Way of Canada and United Ways in the Ontario Area.

Wired Woman: After careful consideration, Wired Woman is cancelling our logo contest immediately. We at no time intended to disrespect the design community. We apologize for allowing our enthusiasm ‘for the cause’ to impair our judgement.

DX/Heritage Canada: Oops! We made a mistake!

Commonwealth Games Canada: I will be amending the RFP and re-circulating it. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

One spec work organizer is studying the information – Fur Free Alliance, and others have not responded – Oakville Fire Department, City of Kingston, Greater Toronto Airport Authority, Durham Region Transit .

We have a new ally in the fight against spec work:
NO!SPEC at www.no-spec.com – a unifying support network and resource on the harmful effects of spec work and a useful third party authority to impress upon those offering spec work that they are being unethical and unprofessional.

If you are asked to do work on spec, download and send RGD’s pdf info and/or contact us by phone at 1.888.274.3668 x 50 or email us.

Samual John Klein shouts out with The Zehnkatzen Times: [design] Professional Designers Cry NO!SPEC.

One of the most egregious ideas of recent time is the “logo design competition”. While there may indeed be times and places for such a thing, a trend has been emerging toward larger operations who should know better opening a logo competition as part of, say, a corporate redesign. Replete with the promises of “getting your work ‘out there’” and “practical portfolio pieces”, and the possiblity of a payday, such competitions gather work from hard working and hopeful designers the world over.

Jeff Andrews jumps in two fisted with Adventures in Blogging and blog.myspace.com. Good for you in using myspace Jeff, as it’s the young population we need to reach.

I’d encourage everyone to visit the site and read the articles there, download the posters provided by my buddy Von Glitschka. Get involved!

Athyrius talks about ‘Getting Paid’.

I remember very clearly the day a fellow professional looked me in the eye and told me, “I don’t open a program without getting paid.” That day I went home, heated my Ramen and thought about it for a while before deciding he was absolutely right.

NO!SPEC has just received the acclaimed Three Thumbs Up Award.

The Three Thumbs Up Award is a distinguished and honorable achievement only given to those who possess the utmost creative diligence and consistently pursue a level of craft and creativity that rises above the mundane, beyond the norm and inspires the masses.

The Three Thumbs Up Award is the brainchild of Von Glitschka, principle of Glitschka Studios™.

I’ve had this concept in the back of my mind for a few years now and finally got motivated enough to get it done. I hope many of you talented folks choose to participate and please share it with others by posting a link on your own web site or blog.

For more information on how you can pursue your artistic excellence visit:
www.ThreeThumbsUpAward.com

Mister Alexander writing about ‘The dangers of Spec work’ for the Communication Design Studies at Virginia Western Community College.

… in the end, my inexperience and eagerness caused the loss of my own creative control and product, and my only payment was the 150 or so hot dogs that my sympathetic friend slid across the counter every time I stopped in to look at the stolen work (Thanks Christian!) While some of the dangers of Spec work are a bit hard to visualize, this one is easy to see. Creating Spec work can render your work completely worthless, and give a dishonest businessperson a free ride.

Dear NO!SPEC,

I’m hoping you can let visitors to the NO!SPEC site know that graphic designers are not the only ones being plagued by requests for work on spec. On spec or as it’s come to be known in the photography industry “Custom Stock” is a growing trend.

Companies are trying to legitimize a model which is based on asking multiple photographers to bid on a chance to provide what is in effect a custom assignment but at stock photography rates and royalties. Photographers who are chosen must also finance the shoot out of their own pockets with no guarantee that their images will even be chosen.

These “Custom Stock” shoots are presented to stock photographers as an enhanced “stock” opportunity. At the same time, these are presented to clients that this is an sensible business practice that will allow them to acquire professional quality assignment images, shot to their specifications at no risk to themselves and for stock photography prices.

What “Custom Stock” actually is though is “competitive spec”. Multiple photographers are asked to “bid” on a chance to provide the requested images. Out of those that provide bids, maybe up to five are chosen. From the images provided the client may then choose the image or images they want to license at the previously agreed upon fee. However, the client is under absolutely no obligation to license any of the images. If an images is licensed, the agreed upon fee for the service is then split between the company providing the service and the photographer with the commissions varying by company.

This trend was actually started by OnRequest Images who in fact, coined the term “Custom Stock” but others, including more traditional stock agencies are beginning to follow suit. Index Stock Imagery has also jumped into the pool with its Index Custom Stock service which closely follows the OnRequest model. Other are sure to follow.

The Stock Artists Alliance (SAA), an industry association which represents photographers who produce images for rights-protected license has more information on its web site concerning OnRequest Images and the “Custom Stock” model.

The SAA web site can be found at:
www.stockartistsalliance.org

More information about OnRequest Images can be found at:
www.stockartistsalliance.org/info/news
www.stockartistsalliance.org/info/news/reports

Index Custom Stock service from Index Stock Imagery can be found at:
www.indexstock.com

regards,
Jim Hunter
Assignment – Stock – Fine Art
www.jimhunter.com
jimhunterphotography.blogspot.com

Susan Kirkland: SPECulative at Graphic Design Forum Blogs

If you are invited by a big client to do work on spec, react with enthusiasm for the project, then politely suggest current projects prevent you from participating in that way. Suggest an alternative method of vying for the job; a portfolio showing of similar jobs you have completed for other clients. It shouldn’t be necessary to clarify that you will dedicate your creative energy to their project with the same verve; just not for free.