Design Organisations
Code of Ethics: working on spec, design competitions, free pitching
If you would like your organisation included in the below list, or if you have information to add, please email us.
Note: the links below take you out of the NO!SPEC site.
Design Organisations
- AGDA: The Australian Graphic Design Association
Focus: Designers
Country: Australia
Web site: www.agda.com.au
4.1 Predatory pricing (free pitching)
AGDA discourages members from predatory pricing practices such as free pitching, loss leading and other pricing below break-even. Members should be aware that such practices will damage the economic viability of their business.
6.2 Free pitching
AGDA is unequivocally opposed to the unfair manipulation of designers with the aim of garnering unpaid work (commonly known as ‘free pitching’). Client practices which do damage to a member’s business are those that award projects or commissions on the basis of the commissioner’s acceptance of unpaid design submissions (eg. unpaid competitive tendering or speculative work)
6.3 Fee reductions and non-paying commissions
A Member may provide a fee reduction for, or a donation of service to, a charitable or non-profit organisation.
AGDA Anti-Free Pitching Register
The Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) has, since it inception, been opposed to the practice of free pitching as a means of acquiring new business in graphic design. Down load the AGDA ‘Free Pitching and Designer Selection’ pdf. The Free Pitching download is a useful stand-alone document suitable for distribution to anyone who has an interest in the subject.
Collectively, our members believe it to be detrimental to the value of our core capabilities as a creative profession, short sighted as a means of evaluating designers and their companies for commercial projects, and counter to the efforts of many individuals in raising the perceived value of graphic design as a economic resource.
Pitch’n'cut: The free pitching bogey returns is an article and discussion on the subject.
| AIGA: American Institute of Graphic Arts
Focus: Designers
Country: USA
Web site: www.aiga.org
Fees
A designer shall not undertake any work for a client without adequate compensation, except with respect to work for charitable or nonprot organizations. A designer shall not undertake any speculative projects, either alone or in competition with other designers, for which compensation will only be received if a design is accepted or used. This applies not only to entire projects but also to preliminary schematic proposals. A designer shall work only for a fee, royalty, salary or other agreed-upon form of compensation. A designer shall not retain any kickbacks, hidden discounts, commission, allowances or payment in kind from contractors or suppliers.
To Spec or Not to Spec
AIGA shares responses written by various AIGA chapter presidents regarding spec work and design contests.
AIGA: Standard letter on speculative work download pdf
AIGA sample letter protesting speculative work, outlining the AIGA’s stance on speculative presentations and why they harm both designers and potential clients. Easy to alter based on situation, it is not specific to AIGA members, but does give specific information related to the AIGA Standards for Professional Practice.
Design competitions and speculative work
Part of the AIGA Client’s Guide to Design, this article gives a real world example of how a large company can choose a design firm by requesting work from a number of agencies while offering appropraite compensation, instead of asking for speculative work.
AIGA: Scenario One
A survey of AIGA Design Forum members by Judy Kirpich, Sam Shelton, and Ann Willoughby on whether a specific situation involving an RFP including spec work is worth your time and effort. Scenarios developed for the 2002 AIGA National Design Conference “VOICE.”
Design Business and Ethics series
AIGA has released a series of brochures outlining the critical ethical and professional issues encountered by designers and their clients. The series, entitled “Design Business and Ethics,” examines the key concerns a designer faces in maintaining a successful practice and speaks directly to the protection of individual rights.
CSD: Chartered Society of Designers
Focus: Designers
Country: UK
Web site: www.csd.org.uk
3.7 Members shall only enter or be a judge of competitions which comply with the design competition guidelines of the Society, or which obey rules approved by its International Relations Committee and when in any doubt shall consult the Director.
(need to find what it is)
APDF: Association of Professional design firms
Focus: Design companies
Country: US
Web site: www.apdf.org
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
BDI: British Design Innovation
Focus: Designers
Country: UK
Web site: www.britishdesign.co.uk
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
CDF: Corporate Design Foundation
Focus: Clients and educators
Country: USA
Web site: www.cdf.org
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
CSD: Chartered Society of Designers
Focus: Designers
Country: UK
Web site: www.csd.org.uk
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
DBA: Design Business Association
Focus: Design companies
Country: UK
Web site: www.dba.org.uk
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
DC: The Design Council
Focus: Campaigning for design
Country: UK
Web site: www.design-council.org.uk
Working on spec, design competitions and free pitching information is unavailable at this time.
DIA: Design Institute of Australia
Focus: Designers
Country: AU
Web site: www.dia.org.au
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
DINZ: Designers Institute of New Zealand
Focus: Designers
Country: New Zealand
Web site: www.dinz.org.nz
7. REMUNERATION:
7.1. Fees and remuneration which members charge to clients shall reflect the time effort and urgency of the assignment to which they relate.
7.2. Members may work for a fee, royalty or salary.
7.3. Members shall not accept any payments or benefits which may impair or be seen to impair their ability to remain fair and impartial in all their dealings and shall take particular care in the case of contingency fees to adequately define the arrangement and ensure that they recover sufficient extra remuneration over carrying out the work at an hourly rate to reflect the risk assumed by the designer in taking on the work on a contingency basis.
7.4. Members shall not undertake work for a client without payment of the appropriate fees excepting cases of work for charitable or non profit making organisations when payment may be waived or at a reduced rate.
DMI: The Design Management Institute
Focus: Design Managers
Country: US and International
Web site: www.dmi.org
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
DSA: Design South Africa
Focus: Designers
Country: South Africa
Web site: www.dsa.org.za
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
GAG: Graphic Artists Guild
Focus: Designers
Country: USA
Web site: www.gag.org/
Article 29 Work on speculation; Contests: Artists and designers who accept speculative assignments (whether directly from a client or be entering a contest or competition) risk losing anticipated fees, expenses, and the potential opportunity to pursue other, rewarding assignments. Each artist shall decide individually whether to enter art contests or design competitions, provide free services, work on speculation, or work on a contingency basis.
| GDC: The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
Focus: Designers
Country: Canada
Web site: www.gdc.net
Competitions & Fees
36. A Member, when consulted, shall encourage procedures that support fair and open competition based upon professional merit, and thereby promote and achieve the protection of the public.
37. A Member shall not take part in or conduct, either as a judge or an entrant, open competitions for commercial purposes on speculation.
38. A Member may take part in a limited design competition where each participant in the competition is provided equal compensation in accordance with the work involved.
39. A Member shall not work for a client or employer without compensation, with the exception of occasional pro bono work for charitable purposes and objects or for work performed for family members.
40. A Member shall not undertake any speculative project or schematic proposals for a project either alone or in competition with others for which compensation will only be received if a design is accepted or used.
HKDA: Hong Kong Designers Association
Focus: Designers
Country: Hong Kong
Web site: www.hongkongda.com
Spec, competition and pitching information is unavailable at this time.
ICSID: International Council of Societies of Industrial Design
Focus: Professional associations, promotional societies, educational institutions, government bodies, corporations and institutions
Country: International
Web site: www.icsid.org
Same as Icograda
Icograda: International Council of Graphic Design Associations
Focus: Design associations
Country: International
Web site: www.icograda.org
4. Designer’s Remuneration.
a. A designer shall not undertake nay work at the invitation of a client without payment of an appropriate fee. A designer may however, undertake work without fee or at a reduced rate for charitable or non-profit organisations.
5. Competitions.
a. A designer shall not take part in any open or limited international competition the terms of which are not in accordance with the regulations established by ICOGRADA, ICSID and IFI.
Note: The regulations established by ICOGRADA, ICSID and IFI are unavailable.
ICSID: International Council of Societies of Industrial Design
Focus: Professional associations, promotional societies, educational institutions, government bodies, corporations and institutions
Country: International
Web site: www.icsid.org
Same as Icongrada
- IDI: Institute of Designers in Ireland
Focus: Designers
Country: Ireland
Web site: www.idi-design.ie
4. Remuneration
(a)* A member shall not undertake any work at the invitation of a client without payment of an appropriate fee. Whether members work for a fee, salary, royalty or honorarium must ultimately depend upon the circumstances, providing always that members shall not use the offer of reduced charges to gain an advantage over their fellow members to obtain work or some other professional benefit.
Notes for members on clauses marked*
4(a) In certain circumstances a member may make no charge to a charitable or non-profit making organisation, provided that by so doing he gains no advantage over a fellow member.
IBSA: the voice of British advertisers
Focus: Advertisers, marketing
Country: UK
Web site: www.isba.org.uk
Best Practices
The agency marketplace is highly competitive and inevitably some agencies respond by accepting low cost/low margin jobs rather than emphasizing the quality, value and effectiveness of their work. If the “business at any price” attitude takes over there are concerns it could create a downward spiral of costs, margins, quality and creativity which would ultimately impoverish advertisers and agencies alike.
IXDA: Interaction Design Group
Focus: Interaction Designers
Country: International
Web site: www.ixda.org
Working on spec, design competitions and free pitching information is unavailable at this time.
| RGD: Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario
Focus: Design practitioners, educators and managers
Country: Canada
Web site: www.rgdontario.com
Competitions and Fees
36. A Member, when consulted, shall encourage procedures that support fair and open competition based upon professional merit and thereby promote and achieve the protection of the public.
37. Except as otherwise provided for herein, a Member shall not take part in or conduct open competitions for commercial purposes on speculation.
38. A Member may compete in any design competition for projects of general, community or public interest if they are of a non-profit nature and if the rules of competition have been approved by the Board or conform to general competition rules approved by the Board. Furthermore, a Member may take part in any open or limited competition for work whose terms are specifically approved by the Board.
39. Except as otherwise provided for herein, a Member shall not take part in a limited competition for work unless each participant in the competition is paid an equivalent compensation in accordance with the work involved, and in which the names of all those invited to participate are made known to all participants upon invitation.
40. A Member shall not work for a client or employer without compensation, with the exception of the occasional pro bono work for charitable purposes and objects or for work performed for family members.
41. Except as otherwise provided for herein, a Member shall not undertake any speculative project or schematic proposals for a project either alone or in competition with others for which compensation will only be received if the design is accepted or used.
42. The provisions of paragraphs 37, 39 and 41 shall not apply to a Member where:
a. it is the convention of the trade primarily responsible for the project to obtain contracts for work through participation in competitions on speculation; and
b. the graphic design work only forms part of the project involved in such competition.
Policy on General Project Competition Rules
The following are the competition rules for project work as recommended by the Board of Directors. These rules refer to competitions for project work. Please do not confuse them with rules for contests (competitions by design-related organizations which give awards to recognize excellence in design).
RGD: To Whom It May Concern
RGD discourages clients from selecting designers through spec work, free work as a pitch for new business. We encourage designers to contact us when clients ask them to engage in spec work or to send a copy of our standard letter on the detriments of spec work. “To Whom It May Concern;” A letter from the Executive Director of RGD Ontario outlining some reasons why using speculative guidelines are damaging for graphic design communicators and potential business clients alike (download available).
Why Speculative Work is Unethical
Letter on Creative Latitude, by Habib Bajrami. A letter that was sent by the executive director of The Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario (RGD Ontario) to the editor of Marketing magazine, regarding spec work.
| SEGD: Society for Environmental Graphic Design
Focus: Environmental graphic designers and fabricators
Country: USA (International)
Web site: www.segd.org
Fees
5.1. A designer shall not undertake any work for a client without adequate fees compensation, except with respect to work for charitable or non-profit organizations.
5.2. A designer shall not undertake any speculative projects wither alone or in competition with other designers for which compensation will only be received if a design is accepted or used. This applies not only to entire projects but also to preliminary schematic proposals.
SND: Society for News Design
Focus: News Designers
Country: USA (International)
Web site: www.snd.org
Working on spec, design competitions and free pitching information is unavailable at this time.
