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

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.

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.

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