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The NO!SPEC campaign: Serves as a vehicle to unite those who support the notion that spec work devalues the potential of design and ultimately does a disservice to the client.
Our mission: To educate the public about speculative, or 'spec' work.
Our target: Those who use creative services, as well as creative professionals (designers, photographers, illustrators, typographers, writers and those in marketing, branding and advertising).
What you can do: Read NO!SPEC's Protocols. Place a "NO!SPEC" logo on your site. Sign the NO!SPEC petition. Distribute the "NO!SPEC" posters. Contact us with your thoughts, comments, articles and insights.
Requirements: The only requirement for participation is putting the appropriate value on your profession.
From Kevin: I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Carmen von Richthofen, the Executive Director of Association of Registered Graphic Designers and John Furneaux, the President of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers and Managing Director of Karacters Design Group in Toronto about the issue of spec work and the damage that can be wrought by such practices.
Redesign Competitions: looking for a commitment or just a roll in the hay?
When looking for someone to spend the rest of your life with, a hot bod and a willingness to put out are not exactly the appropriate exclusive criteria for selection. They might be part of the package, but they’re largely irrelevant to the fundamental and foundational issues involved with healthy relationships. Those issues are far more complex and far more meaningful.
It’s no different for a company’s site redesign effort. Mere “eye-catching design” from designers willing to produce work without hope of compensation is not exactly the sort of thing that meets a company’s vital and complex online presence needs. Nor is this willingness a good indication of the quality of the solution or the professionalism of the individuals involved. In fact, this behavior indicates quite the opposite for both the company and the participants.
To read the rest of the article, go to Andy Rutledge’s Redesign Competitions: looking for a commitment or just a roll in the hay?
Wikipedia and Bowing to the Brand
Wikipedia are having a design competition.
Whilst it doesn’t come as a complete shock that a site which offers free content is after free work, I’m still reeling from the opportunity that this presents to some designers, and recoiling from the effect this type of project has on the industry.
A while ago, I did some work for a Music TeleVision network. I’ve also done some work for some other pretty big brands in my time as a designer. The one thing that is pretty much constant with all of these big brands is an element of brand worship. You are expected to, as a supplier, bend over backwards in order to pander to their needs (because they’re big, right? And you need them much more than they need you). Now, a lot of you would say that’s the way we should all be for our clients right? Well, yes and no. For me, it comes down to respect.
To read further, go to Wikipedia and Bowing to the Brand
Media Release from the New Zealand Writers Guild
12 May 2006
The New Zealand Writers Guild have asked Minister of Broadcasting Steve Maharey to amend the terms of an in-house competition being run by TVNZ.
The Life’s a Pitch contest invites TVNZ staff to pitch programme ideas to the content department. TVNZ takes the copyright to all entries it chooses to use but provides no payment to the creators. In the real world, when TVNZ commissions a show any creator could potentially expect to receive thousands of dollars.
Said Guild Executive Director Dominic Sheehan “We requested that the Minister require that TVNZ allow all entrants to retain the copyright to their entries. TVNZ will be free to contract for the rights, but at least then any creator will be able to negotiate for fair rates and conditions for their work.”
TVNZ’s own Charter requires them to ‘support and promote the talents and creative resources of New Zealanders and of the independent New Zealand film industry’. Sheehan points out “How is not paying people for their work supportive? TVNZ are wilfully breaching their own Charter. It is the government’s job to ensure that the terms of this Charter are adhered to which is why we’ve asked the Minister to intervene.”
“TVNZ keep calling this contest ‘a bit of fun’ but in fact their actions amount to a rights grab. It’s akin to copyright theft and that’s no fun at all.“
For further comment contact: Dominic Sheehan 021 707 344.
Answers Against Contests and Spec Work
From Robert Wurth: On this blog, in online forums, and on the NO!SPEC web site, I’ve been rather vocal about my opinion, and opposition to, speculative work and design contests. I know that I’m not alone in my opinion, but even so, these practices persist and have plenty of supporters.
Two common questions asked in response to speaking out against spec work and contests are, “why do you care?” and “who is it harming?”
I thought it would be worthwhile to answer those questions here …
To read more, go to Robert’s article Answers Against Contests and Spec Work
Say NO to Speculative Work
By Art Javid and NO!SPEC
“Speculative Work” is the unfortunate practice in today’s society by certain companies or organizations that put on a “contest”, asking hundreds of graphic designers to participate by designing, and sharing their ideas or work specific to the project, and promising the “winner” a meager payoff if their work is selected or used by the company.
Often, hundreds of younger, inexperienced designers put in countless hours of work and creativity designing logos, web sites, or marketing collateral for these types of contests, without knowing if they will ever be compensated fairly for their time and efforts; 99% of these contestants never will.
To read the rest, go to the American Design Awards Newsletter.
Thanks Art!
Oregon designer Jeff Andrews, of Jeff Andrews Design, has donated 5 new posters to NO!SPEC.
A strong supporter of the NO!SPEC cause, Jeff devotes much of his spare time to furthering education in his own community regarding speculative work.
Jeff is an award-winning designer located in Roseburg, Oregon. He is also the mastermind behind the “Design” Inspiration site and Sugar Frosted Goodness!
Fame and fortune await thee! BBC would like someone to help reboot the site design and focus. For your efforts, you would receive an Apple laptop. Slashdot is wanting a new look as well. If you win that redesign contest, a new laptop is your prize. Possibly the instigator of this design contest fever, The Big Noob is holding a t-shirt design contest, offering $150 to designers that get chosen.
Is something in the water? Are there some cosmic rays or sunspots appearing that make websites do design contests in late April?
The Con
I think these contests are a total joke …
To continue reading what Brian Warren of Watchtan has to say on the subject, go to Finding the Con in Contests.
FIDIUS – fighting for fair design competitions
The objective of the association FIDIUS - fair design competitions, which is now in the process of being founded, is to ensure that in the future there will be fair conditions and that competitions strictly and consistently adhered to them. To resolve disputes outside the court and to pledge secrecy on the matter is simply not enough. Numerous victims do not even summon up the courage to claim their rights at all; and many do so for fear of a financial disaster.
FIDIUS will start its activities in 2006. Until July 30, 2006, designers are invited to submit to the association examples of an unfair and/or particularly fair design competition and are asked to make sure that they enclose the corresponding invitation documents of the competition. Invitations that feature an award of contract, claiming they are looking for the right designer to carry out a given task, will also be considered. Eligible for nomination for the upcoming first FIDIUS award are design competitions from the period 2000 to 2005.
For further information, please contact Sabine Zentek at: sabine.zentek @.gif t-online.de
I understand your apprehension. I really do. Hiring an independent writer - or programmer, or graphic designer, or anyone else - can at first seem to be a scary enterprise. There’s a bunch of us out there, and no one wants to make a bad decision. Both time and money are at stake. It’s totally understandable that you want to guard against every contingency of being burned …
For the rest of this informative post, go to The Stapler - Dear Prospective Client
