You walk into a restaurant and say, “I’m not sure if I like your food but I want to give it a try, so give me a free meal and if I enjoy it I will pay the bill”. Or even better, “I promise to recommend your restaurant to all my friends if you give me a free meal. Did I mention my friends are all rich and well connected?”.
Sounds completely insane, doesn’t it? Yet everyday designers all around the world are asked exactly the same question and there is almost always an over-inflated promise of riches and new business if they go-along with the scheme. It’s called spec work and the vast majority of the design world is fiercely against it.
This below video really puts it into perspective. Stay tuned for a full article on the ins and outs (and evils) of spec work in the coming weeks.
What do you think about spec work – have you ever done it before and what happened?
