No Specs Here!

Spec work (short for speculative) is any job for which the client expects to see examples or a finished product before agreeing to pay a fee.

In the beginning of my design career, before I knew any better I did spec work, until I realized time is money. Don’t get me wrong, I will design before getting paid, but only for my clients I have done years of work for; where we have established a strong business relationship.  I am not that person any more who can spend time working on a project in hopes of getting paid. I do understand some people and businesses have gotten burned by designers in the past. But I cannot be the one to use, to get your trust back in a designer. Like people say I don’t know you from Adam, you may be the one trying to get something for nothing. I do my best to show people my history, my talent, client review and references. I don’t get the same references or reviews saying this potential client is trustworthy. The deposit is my way.

About.com says it well…

Why to Avoid Spec

This type of work is widely considered undesirable and immoral by the graphic design community, as it requires the designer to commit time and resources to a project with the chance of getting nothing in return. While a client may feel they don’t want to invest money until seeing some work, designers should not have to prove their worth to get a job. Instead, clients should choose a designer based on their portfolio and experience and commit to building a working relationship with him or her. Only then will both the client and designer see the best results.

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