Why
we don't make speculative presentations
CMYKreative receives
its fair share of Request For Proposal/Pricing (RFP) or Request
For Quote (RFQ) which we are more than happy to provide. The main
product of our business is ideas; creative design solutions to
address the communication problems or opportunities that face
our numerous clients and good ideas can be difficult to define
or agree upon. Remember – one man's meat is another man's
poison
"A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or
a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a joke or worried to
death by a frown on the right person's brow."
Charles Brower
Often potential clients ask us to take on a project on speculation – to
try out our creative product (by asking us to supply layouts or
visuals for their project for free) in the same way they may try
out other types of products or services before purchasing. Unfortunately,
we must decline such projects and working on spec. There are a
number of reasons why we take this position and the following will
help to explain why doing so actually makes us a better, more stable
and more reliable supplier for you to do business with.
We want to give you our best and ensure the client always
receives the most appropriate solution for their individual needs.
Successful
design work comes from a close collaboration between the client
and the designer. The designer needs to develop a clear sense
of the client’s goals, needs and their competitive
situation before even starting on a design for the client. Design
is only partially decoration; mostly it is problem-solving.
Most times a client will give you the bare bones of a brief in
the early stages and you really cannot create an award-winning
and successful design on merely this, it takes a lot more time,
effort and information on both the designer’s part and the
clients. If a design is created using only this minimal information,
then the resulting design will be superficial at best and perhaps
simply a worked over version of something that has been done previously.
At worst, our best effort may well end up being misdirected; a
great shot that hits the wrong target.
A good design creates value for the client and is a result of
the approach a good designer will take in addressing the problems
or needs of that particular client. Only at the end of this process
is a design created. Speculative design work, whether done by us
or by another firm, usually requires cutting every creative corner
and will never result in the best design solution for a client.
"The secret of all effective advertising is not the creation
of new and tricky words and pictures, but one of putting familiar
words and pictures into new relationships."
Leo Burnett
Professional designers do not work for free.
Whilst there will always be designers out there that are more
than happy to create designs on spec without any assurance that
they will be compensated for the time and effort that they will
put in, by asking for spec work the client is immediately relegating
their choice to those designers that are least likely to be experienced
and capable. Experienced designers work according to the high standards
of their profession and are highly qualified with many years of
experience and production knowledge under their belts. They will
produce the excellent work that you expect, but they also expect
to be paid for their time and creativity.
Using an inexperienced designer on the cheap however will usually
end up costing you more in the long run . . . both in terms of
mistakes that will almost certainly be made during the production
process and also in terms of the value that is lacking in the designs
that are produced. The old adage is true; you do get what you pay
for.
Spec work shows a lack of understanding and respect
Asking for spec work shows a lack of understanding and respect
for the value of effective design as well as the time of the professionals
who are asked to provide it and therefore reflects on your personal
practices and standards and may be harmful to the professional
reputation of both you and your business.
There are very few professions where potential candidates are
asked to do the work first and subsequently allowing the buyer
to choose which one of them to pay. Consider what would happen
if you were to ask a dozen lawyers to write a brief for you, and
you would then choose which one to use and which to pay. Or go
into any shop in any Mall and ask to take a bottle of perfume away
with you, and that if you like it you will return and pay for it.
Of course there are some creative professions which work to a
different set of standards, such as Architecture, where billings
can be substantial and continuous once a prestigious firm is selected.
In these cases you are not receiving the final solution for free
(the completed building for example) as you would be if you received
a communication design solution from a Graphic Design Agency.
There is an better way to explore the work of a Design Agency
A more effective and ethical way to request work from a designer
is to ask them to submit examples of their work from previous
projects as well as a design proposal showing how they would approach
your project. You should then be able to judge the quality of their
previous work and their way of thinking about your project.
If you would like us to work with you in developing a creative
solution for your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
We will provide you with creative solutions that will far exceed
your expectations with respect to an appropriate budget and schedule.
This approach will ensure a more profitable, effective and professional
process for everyone involved.
"The designer does not, as a rule, begin with a preconceived
idea. His idea is the result of subjective and objective thought,
and the design a product of the idea. In order, therefore,
to achieve an honest and effective solution he necessarily passes
thought some sort of mental process ... Consciously or not,
he analyzes, interprets, translates ... He improvises, invents
new techniques and combinations. He coordinates and integrates
his material so that he may restate his problem in terms of ideas,
pictures, forms, and shapes. He unifies, simplifies, eliminates
superfluities. He symbolizes ... abstract from his material
by association and analogy. He intensifies and reinforces his
symbol with appropriate accessories to achieve clarity and interest.
He draws upon instinct and intuition. He considers the spectator,
his feelings and predilections."
Paul Rand
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