25 March 2009
New Competition: Design the FOWD 2009 Holding Slide
UPDATE: The winner now gets a free pass to FOWD (or if they are already attending a free conference pass to another Carsonified event in 2009)
The 2009 Future of Web Design (FOWD) is now only a few weeks away and we would like to give you the opportunity to get in on the act. At everyone of our conferences we design what we call a “holding slide”. It’s the static graphic we display between sessions whilst the MC is introducing the next speaker and we are swapping out laptops. Here’s the one Mike designed for our recent FOWA event in Dublin.
This year we would like to give you the opportunity to design the holding slide for the show. The winning slide will be used throughout the day and will be seen by over 800 attendees and featured in our videos. Here’s what it will look like and the number of bums on seats who will get to see it:
Here are the rules:
* The image must be provided as a .jpg or .png and be 1024 x 768
* It must include the “Future of Web Design” logo (available here as .png and the Carsonified logo (available here as .png)
Other than that it’s really up to you. You can go as mad as you like. Once you have completed your design please add it to our new Flickr group http://www.flickr.com/groups/fowdholdingslidecomp/. The closing date for submissions is Wednesday 15th April 4pm.
NB: If you don’t have a Flickr account feel free to email your submission to keir at carsonified dot com and I will post it to the group.
We will then sit round and pick out our favourites and put them up for you, the community, to vote on. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Incidentally if anyone knows of a tool to enable voting on images please let me know in the comments.
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Paul Boag
# March 25, 2009 - 11:12 am
hmm… this feels a lot like speculative design to me! ;-)
Sulcalibur
# March 25, 2009 - 11:17 am
Any chance of free tickets for the event for the winner? *nudge nudge wink wink*
Liam
# March 25, 2009 - 11:17 am
Hmmm, feels like Mike Kus has spent too long on the Twiggy designs and you’ve had to outsource this to ‘the internet’.
:)
Johns Beharry
# March 25, 2009 - 11:18 am
Oh awesome stuff guys nice move. I’m excited about the conference can’t wait. Maybe I will try this out who knows!
Rob Morris
# March 25, 2009 - 11:20 am
Live the dream, Paul. I’m excited.
Matt Carey
# March 25, 2009 - 11:24 am
This smells of speculative design to me. Don’t submit people. Don’t give your designs away for free.
Nazim Jamil
# March 25, 2009 - 11:29 am
@matt It’s not free, your work will appear in front of everyone at FOWD London…How much would that exposure normally cost you?
Judson Collier
# March 25, 2009 - 11:31 am
Do you happen to have a large version of the FOWD logo (or a vector), like the one on the top left corner of Mike’s design?
Paul Groves
# March 25, 2009 - 11:32 am
I hear what you saying about speculative design work and personally do not do it. This is however not speculative design, this is not free work for potential future gain, this is work in direct return for a proportionally good deal in terms of advertising.
The ‘payment terms’ are clearly stated in the brief above, i.e. you design a single image for no monetary payment, but get to advertise it in front of lots of industry pros and get your name and URL bandied about on this site/Flickr group. Sounds like a good deal to me, especially for a freelancer looking to get some exposure. A few hours ’shop for a decently profile ad, cheaper than trying to get in on the deck I would imagine.
I think that’s fair enough myself, another good example of the Carsonfied bunch continuing to progress both their business and community (including inciting another traffic generating debate :) )
Gary Thomas
# March 25, 2009 - 11:37 am
Ahh, nothing like the smell of spec work in the morning!
Gary Thomas
# March 25, 2009 - 11:42 am
Paul, I think you’re missing the point of spec work. You’re only considering the work of the person chosen, not those who didn’t.
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/position-spec-work
Mike Butcher
# March 25, 2009 - 11:43 am
Carsonified should give the winner free tickets and put the designer’s URL/Twitter name on the holding slide. *Then* it would be considered advertising for them. Just being mentioned on the Carsonified site in relation to the slide is not enough IMHO. Just doing the slide but not having your name on it, in return for no tickets or money is not acceptable and definitely be classed as the dreaded ’spec work’.
Rob
# March 25, 2009 - 11:44 am
If there was an additional layer of information, for example ‘Dublin’ or ‘Miami’ then I’d understand the purpose of this but there isn’t, so wouldn’t it make sense to just use the existing branding for FOWD?
anon
# March 25, 2009 - 11:46 am
What happens if none of the entries are ‘good’? Will the winner still be used?
Amy Mahon
# March 25, 2009 - 11:46 am
@Paul Groves – I think most freelance designers will not only appreciate the possible exposure involved, but also the open-endedness of the project.
When I was freelancing, I often found my creativity was stifled by clients. It was therapeutic to design something fun and creative after a long day of whatever work I could get at the time.
Like Smashing Magazine’s calendar wallpapers, I predict this contest will catch on well.
David Baker
# March 25, 2009 - 11:54 am
FOWD Logo?
Sawnia
# March 25, 2009 - 11:55 am
Ummm… I was all into this contest until I looked for the “reward/prize” – there is none. You basically work for free. Movin on!
Ok, so you get exposure. But honestly, when ur at a convention, how many people say “hmmm I want to hire the guy who did the screen banner.” Smells of scam.
Matt Carey
# March 25, 2009 - 12:01 pm
@Nazim but what Carsonified are asking for is design work via a competition. This is something the design industry is firmly against. I don’t think a week goes by and Design Week don’t mention it.
Carsonified can do whatever they like, and my view won’t change what they do. But dressing it up as a PR opportunity for the designer is wrong IMHO. Getting a shed load of free designs and then using one is wrong, and goes against the ethics of spec work.
Instead, why not pick 3 or 4 really up and coming designers (especially ones not on your list of designers to watch!) and give them each a brief to do something. Get one to do the holding slide, one to do something else. Become a champion of upcoming designers.
Paul Groves
# March 25, 2009 - 12:01 pm
@Gary Thomas et al…
FWIW _Personally_ I think this is a cool and harmless little competition and pulling the ’spec work’ card here is crying wolf.
Gary Thomas
# March 25, 2009 - 12:02 pm
Can’t wait for the “Spec work – we were wrong” post, where everyone applauds Carsonified’s honesty, forgetting what they’d done wrong in the first place.
Judson Collier
# March 25, 2009 - 12:03 pm
@Paul agreed.
Your trying to write off a simple contest as manipulating designers into giving away their work. Have some light hearted fun, sheesh.
Lee Simpson
# March 25, 2009 - 12:12 pm
I think having your work in front of all those people could be pretty cool but a ticket to the event for the winner wouldn’t go a miss.
Adam Kemeny
# March 25, 2009 - 12:23 pm
The way this competition stands, as I see it, is as follows:
- If it works out well Carsonified could get entries from 100 designers.
- If each of those designers spend, as a generous average, 2 hours on the slide, that totals 200 hours of design time.
- If Carsonified is getting the calibre of designers to work on this that it needs those designers could be charging ~£35ph for their time
- Total time spent x hourly rate = £7,000
Is Carsonified right in thinking that the “Huge PR opportunity” this slide will generate is worth costing designers who won’t benefit from this competition £6,930? I really don’t think so.
Matt Carey has suggested a much more positive way that a competition like this could work.
Keir Whitaker
# March 25, 2009 - 12:24 pm
Regarding outsourcing and speculative design I have to disagree. Mike has already designed the slide so we are certainly not “outsourcing” it.
The motivation for the competition stems from wanting to give designers the opportunity to display their work at a large industry event. All entries will be featured on the blog and most likely shown at the event so it’s a great opportunity to get your work seen by a lot of people.
@Mike Buthcher – We have no problem with entries including any amount of personal branding. As I said in the post the only two rules are the size and the that it should include the words FOWA 2009 and our logo. If designers want to include personal branding they are free to do so. I would actually expect them to and would think they are missing a trick if they didn’t.
@sawnia – The guy who we are working with on our animations (http://chriskelley.tv/) received a bunch of work offers after attendees saw his work in Miami and Dublin. I think scam is a bit strong in this instance don’t you?
@Matt Carey – I like that idea but on this occasion we wanted to keep it open.
@Gary Thomas – It’s a bit of fun. I don’t think we are condoning “spec work” in any way.
Put simply it’s a competition. All entries will get showcased and one will be chosen.
We believe it’s a great opportunity and as explained are not asking anyone to work for free. We are not approaching people to enter so if it’s not for you then that’s totally cool by us. If nobody enters then we will use the slide we have.
Lastly, let’s throw in a free conference pass to the winner as well. If they are already attending we will let them pick another Carsonified event in 2009.
Gene Crawford
# March 25, 2009 - 12:24 pm
At first sight it looks like spec work, but you guys are offering a pretty cool opportunity. Having gone to FOWA once, I can see what kind of exposure this would bring you.
Plus, your not getting anything you couldn’t really do yourselves, you’re just trying to have some fun with it.
I say lighten up a little on the spec work argument on this one. Not to mention just watching you live you said you’d give them a ticket, and a hug… :)
Keir Whitaker
# March 25, 2009 - 12:28 pm
@Gene Crawford – Ryan gives the hugs round here :)
Jake
# March 25, 2009 - 12:41 pm
I guess you guys can say this is spec work sort of, but it’s not like Carsonified is asking us to make a full blown web app or website. It’s a simple design for a slide. Plus the prize is a ticket to FOWD (via @ryancarson on twitter) and to have your design in front of all those people at one of the biggest web conferences in existence. Come one guys, this could be fun and exciting.
Ben Darlow
# March 25, 2009 - 12:49 pm
I’m curious, if the prize doesn’t include a ticket to the event, how is the winner supposed to benefit from this ‘huge PR opportunity’? I mean, if they’re not actually at the event themselves, what use is being selected as the winner? I agree with the sentiment that this is spec work, but it seems that even the winner wouldn’t get much for their effort unless they also paid to attend the event themselves.
Ryan
# March 25, 2009 - 12:55 pm
Wow, stirred up the nest on this one.
OK, here’s the deal: We already have a slide designed and ready to go. We’re not ‘outsourcing’ here whatsoever. We simply thought it was a good chance for someone to get a ton of exposure, in return for a few hours fun design work.
The whole idea is that you’re supposed to put your URL, Twitter username, whatever, on the slide, so everyone is staring at your work during each break – sponsors have to pay for this opportunity, so it’s a great chance to get your name out there.
Anyone who is calling this ’spec work’ doesn’t understand how self-promotion works. You *always* have to give your time away for free if you want to raise awareness about yourself or your company. No one gets paid to do this.
Keir Whitaker
# March 25, 2009 - 1:06 pm
For those asking I have uploaded higher quality .png versions of the FOWD and Carsonified logos. Links in the main post.
Ben Darlow
# March 25, 2009 - 1:12 pm
Ryan, it is spec work. It’s a relatively harmless competition, and I can tell you were only trying to have a little fun, but you didn’t think it through, and now you’re being called out on it.
In response to your final paragraph I present a corollary:
Anyone who justifies spec work as self-promotion doesn’t understand how businesses work. You have to get paid in order to keep running your business. Doing work for free undermines the relationship between your business and your client and gives the impression that it has no intrinsic value. This is why there are so many campaigns by designers against spec work (such as NO!SPEC).
This is a well-trod subject, so I suggest you go do a bit of reading. I appreciate this is supposed to be a bit of fun, but designers are well in their rights to be upset at this sort of competition, especially when it comes from a company with ‘integrity’ in their slogan.
Dan Glegg (@angryamoeba)
# March 25, 2009 - 1:19 pm
“Spec work” and “PR opportunity” are not mutually exclusive. This competition is, in fact, both these things, and saying that it isn’t would in my view be a bad misrepresentation.
The fact that it’s spec work doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, but there’s no point wasting a bunch of effort and good will by pretending that this work is a non-speculative opportunity.
Just my two cents.
Dan Glegg (@angryamoeba)
# March 25, 2009 - 1:26 pm
Also, bug report – your blog comments don’t have a style applied to blockquotes.
Ryan
# March 25, 2009 - 1:38 pm
Hey Ben, thanks for chipping in.
I’d like to respond to your statement: “Anyone who justifies spec work as self-promotion doesn’t understand how businesses work. You have to get paid in order to keep running your business.”
It’s strange that your lumping ’self promotion / marketing’ into the same category as ‘paid work’. I’d say *no one* expects to get paid for self promotion and marketing. Paid work is paid work, and is completely separate from deliberate marketing and self promotion.
BTW, I *have* done my reading on Spec Work. In addition, I’ve worked in design agencies as a developer for over four years, and ran ‘By Designers for Designers’ for over five years (bd4d.com is now defunct) – so I know what I’m talking about.
Pete Shaw
# March 25, 2009 - 1:41 pm
@boagworld – you’re such a hater. This just sounds like passive-aggressive jealousy, after having admitted to not being a real designer.
Well done Keir & Ryan for running such a great competition, I’m sure real designers will jump at the chance.
Love you long time,
Pete
Sulcalibur
# March 25, 2009 - 1:42 pm
Ahhh quit bitching. If your in, your in, if not then wait outside and keep the noise down. Pfffft. Folks these days aye, don’t know they are born.
Also on a more serious note. My work has dried up to a prune. I relied on a few good clients who now have closed up shop or not outsourcing work o something like this IS important. I mean, what else am I doing apart from remaking my own damn site for the millionth time?
Melissa Leon
# March 25, 2009 - 1:44 pm
I think this is a cool idea. If some designers feel they are wasting their time and this is spec work then they don’t have to participate.
But for starting out designers and those who want to get their work out in front of people this is a great opportunity. I’m looking forward to seeing all the ideas that people come up with!
Jason Holland
# March 25, 2009 - 1:46 pm
It’s only a single slide design… I think everyone should calm the hell down and keep this in perspective. This will the perfect small project for just a creative outlet, especially those bogged down with more mundane work or are having a slow period. It’s also, as intended, exposure for the winner.
I see it as Carsonified trying to be nice, help out someone, and share a little!
Aaron Irizarry
# March 25, 2009 - 1:49 pm
Am I missing something here… it is just a slide!
It is not like they are asking someone to design the event site or something.
I am not a fan of spec work… but seriously a holding slide and people are ready for a revolt…
This sounds like a cool contest to me, if you have the time and resources enter… if not… don’t.
On a more positive note… I am stoked to see what the winning design is.
~ Aaron I
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 1:49 pm
I’m sure I speak for my designers in saying that ethically this isn’t very sound and undermines an industry rife in speculative work requests.
You say that you don’t expect anyone to get paid for self-promotion/marketing. Fine. But you expect people to get paid for work, right? Sounds good so far.
You’re asking designers to work in exchange for PR. What you’re asking for is for designers to work for the *promise* of something other than money. This is exactly what spec-work is. The promise of the contract, of more work, of the next big job. For the designer, this would be a speculative exercise, not a PR one. The PR is the promise, not the payment.
Graham Morley
# March 25, 2009 - 1:49 pm
How is this spec work?! I see it in the same way as when a company makes a poster for themselves, its more free advertising than spec work!
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 1:50 pm
Opps, I of course meant ‘many designers’, not just ‘mine’ :)
James Stone
# March 25, 2009 - 1:51 pm
It is a competition, for one image, which you could have knocked up instead of whining about it. If you’re not interested, then don’t enter.
Ben Darlow
# March 25, 2009 - 1:51 pm
I’d have assumed you knew more about the subject, but you continue to defend the view that this isn’t speculative work, which seems at odd with understanding it — particularly when you insinuate that spec work is a necessary part of self-promotion.
The problem with classifying spec work as marketing or promotion is not the simple material/time cost involved in the work (which you’d have to do regardless of how you chose to promote your business), but the more important way that it defines your value of your work.
Designers and developers like to bitch about clients and their (to us) backwards ways, but they tend to behave in a relatively predictable way based on what they assume to be the status quo. If you do spec work for a client, they will tend to interpret this as you yourself saying that your work is of little value, and therefore their stance towards you and your work will shift. All those anecdotal stories we hear about clients who want “just a minor alteration”? Or other creeping scope projects? These are directly caused by the mindset that spec work propagates.
Keir Whitaker
# March 25, 2009 - 1:53 pm
@Ben Darlow – It’s funny that you see this as a business/client relationship. We are not actually asking anyone to do any work on the basis that they may receive payment in the future. As such I have a hard time understanding the whole “spec work” argument.
It is a fun competition and a great opportunity to get your work in front of potential clients. It’s up to you if you choose to take it or not. You will be no better or worse off financially, at least initially, should you choose to take part.
@Paul Boag – Your FOWD rider will now be lacking chocolate biscuits and I am definitely not taking out the blue smarties as requested ;)
Shall we move on, how about discussing the merits of validating other peoples sites!
kat neville
# March 25, 2009 - 1:53 pm
Designers can be so prissy! I understand that people may have ripped you off before but that is DEFINITELY not what’s happening here. I think it is a great contest idea, and a chance to have a bit of fun designing WHATEVER you want. When do you EVER get to do that for boring corporate websites! Great publicity aside, I would hope that people in design still did personal projects for themselves (and if they don’t, why the hell are you in design? for the money? Oh, well.)
jhoysi
# March 25, 2009 - 1:53 pm
In ANY instance, where is the line between “competition” and “spec work?” It’s all very blurred.
As with any rule, there are exceptions. If you feel this is a good opportunity for you, then take it! If you feel it is simply “spec work” and beneath you, then you probably wouldn’t benefit from the exposure anyway.
There’s an audience for every competition, just like there’s an audience for every project. Competitions are aimed at people looking to get their foot in the door. If you’re comfortable with yourself and feel its not worth your time, kudos to you.
Jay Greasley
# March 25, 2009 - 1:53 pm
How can this be spec work when there is no paid work at the end of it?
Surely it is an opportunity to add some kudos to your portfolio??
And to repeat a few others, if you don’t like the idea you don’t have to go in for it.
Matthew Pennell
# March 25, 2009 - 1:55 pm
@Ryan:
The difference between self-promotion/marketing and spec work is that with the former you get out of it what you put in. If you work really hard at self-promotion, networking, and marketing yourself, eventually (hopefully) that pays off and you make money off the back of it. It is effort expended for eventual reward.
With spec work, on the other hand, there can only ever be one winner. Everyone else, no matter how hard they work, will be losers.
Jay Greasley
# March 25, 2009 - 1:57 pm
I can see Mark Boultons point but I do think it makes all competitons spec-work.
Damn you Blue Peter…
David
# March 25, 2009 - 1:58 pm
Most of you guys are taking spec work at face value, in a way. Sure, creating competitions for normally paid work is speculative work, and should be avoided by any self-respecting designer. This, however, is not normally paid work. You need to assess every situation individually, and not just scream ‘SPEC’ everytime you see a competition.
What they are doing, is giving away an advertising spot – and all you have to do is create an advert to enter. Your advert, will be awarded the spot if they like it most. They could put anything up on screen as a ‘holding slide,’ but they are giving away the opportunity to another designer. It holds no relative value to them other than filling the blank space on the wall.
I must say that it’s good to see the design community standing up for itself, but remember that a lot of situations must be judged on an individual basis. Give it a little thought and analysis before jumping to conclusions.
Judson Collier
# March 25, 2009 - 1:58 pm
Oh please, jump off your high horses.
This is a bit silly isn’t it? It’s a competition to make a SLIDE. A SLIDE. And you all are out to start a global crisis.
They have absolutely no requirements. It was a simple fun project, and your looking to get pissed because it’s an easy target. These are the types of projects that designers take for creative refuge, not for money. If your in this to make a quick buck and bolt down your work in a gallery with watermarks, then you probably need to change industries. Someone told me this field was about passion, and the love of design, maybe I’ve been told wrong.
Aaron Irizarry
# March 25, 2009 - 1:58 pm
Curious at how much billable time is being spent on this discussion…
Doug Aitken
# March 25, 2009 - 2:01 pm
I agree with Mark, sure you’ve had people in the past who have done work at the conferences and then had offers of work but who’s to say that the person design you choose for the slide will actually be liked by anyone else apart from yourselves? If you have Mikes design ready then why “waste” (for lack of a better term) your time sitting about and choosing a winner when you have one ready.
Mark hits the nail on the head when he said:
“What you’re asking for is for designers to work for the *promise* of something other than money”
I might go so far as saying it’s not a promise. Its a chance of more work. Promise, to me, implies something will happen. I promise to do this, means I WILL do it, not I might do it.
Just my thoughts.
Jim Moran
# March 25, 2009 - 2:01 pm
Perhaps leaving a comment on here about the big debate on spec work is as good for self promotion as actually entering the competition?
Why not use all the entries?
Simon Hamp
# March 25, 2009 - 2:01 pm
just wanted to add my two cents: if you think you’re a good designer and would like a chance to promote your work for free in front of a crowd of designer/developer types in one of the most popular events of the design calendar, then do this gig!
it seems clear to me that all those people talking about on-spec work are just being obstreperous. why? because they like some attention and to kick up a fuss. I don’t always agree with Carsonified, but this is a good idea, and they’re helping designers work together.
get over yourselves people
Ben Darlow
# March 25, 2009 - 2:02 pm
Keir, you don’t have to be offering money or a contract in order to be soliciting speculative work. See the FAQ at NO!SPEC for more details regarding contests.
Ben Darlow
# March 25, 2009 - 2:05 pm
It occurs to me that if the intention is to promote people then it would make far more sense to promote everyone who enters. There will, presumably, be lots of occasions when this slide would get shown? How about everyone who enters gets shown at least once?
Jack Donaghy
# March 25, 2009 - 2:06 pm
Why hold a contest? Don’t you guys offshore most/all your work to India? You could have had this work done for crackers and a pickle.
Tom
# March 25, 2009 - 2:06 pm
Whatever happened to designing for fun?
Rob Morris (@digitalmash)
# March 25, 2009 - 2:10 pm
To be honest, I’m not a fan of design competitions in general.
I have a hard enough time bearing my soul to my paying clients.
Perhaps rather than calling it a ‘competition’, (which implies there should be some sort of prize), you should have just said – if you think you can do something better than our slide, send us something…if you want…but whatever…
I think selling it as this amazing opportunity is what has people all worked up (whether rightly or wrongly).
jetgirl
# March 25, 2009 - 2:10 pm
Geez ppl, if your “too good” to enter a contest then don’t, no need to bash it on his site.
Kristoff Bertram
# March 25, 2009 - 2:12 pm
I think you should all cut Ryan some slack. He is offering a great opportunity for the right person. Surely “designing a slide” is just a little photoshop. A skilled photoshop user will take what, five minutes at most? Put on the kettle, design a killer slide and find yourself in Dublin. In fact, if you think this is too much. Then just perhaps you’re not really a designer.
Lea
# March 25, 2009 - 2:13 pm
Here’s my thought: How many here own a Threadless shirt or is part of its street team? Is Threadless spec work? The nature of this slide competition reminds me of Threadless. Basically: design what you want, illustrate what you want, no direction/restrictions etc. People view the images, then vote on the ones they like. At the end of the day, the Carsonified logo is there.
… isn’t that what Threadless does? Gets hundreds of submissions a day of designs people did for fun anyway, in exchange for the possibility of getting a t-shirt printed with Threadless’s logo in the inside back. People get to vote, but the ones with the highest votes not always wins b/c the Threadless crew gets last say. IF a person wins, they get a one-time prize, not the recurring revenue Threadless makes per t-shirt sale with their design.
In this case, Carsonified is not making any recurring revenue from your artwork, which is UNLIKE Threadless. They’re not making anything off of you except PR exposure. They are providing someone an advertising opportunity at a giant event, and others some promo opportunity through their flickr gallery.
My question is, is ANY design competition spec work? I don’t know. I specifically contacted no-spec.com about their thoughts about threadless.com out of curiousity, and they specifically e-mailed me saying there ARE gray lines and that NO, they don’t think Threadless is spec: and Threadless is making MONEY off people’s designs! So… why is THIS competition spec?
In THIS case, I don’t think it’s spec because they’re not going to make money off you, only exposure which may or may not translate to money. They ALREADY have a slide designed. They just opened up an ad opportunity for someone willing for another slide.
That’s my two cents. I respect others believing it’s purely spec, I see where you’re coming from, but I respectfully disagree in this case. :)
Paul Downey
# March 25, 2009 - 2:15 pm
I think it’s a great opportunity, and potentially a lot of fun, and I’m interested to see what people come up with. I’ve no patience for the whole “never work for free” thing some, usually lame, designer-types, seem to be pushing.
Niki Brown | The Design O'Blog
# March 25, 2009 - 2:16 pm
ohhhhh controversy!!! :) love seeing designers get all in a tizzy. It will be interesting to see the results of this!
awesomerobot
# March 25, 2009 - 2:17 pm
Oh, get the fuck over the spec work issue. If you think it’s worth it – do it, if not – then don’t. Don’t try to fit everything you come across in to “spec” or “non-spec” you douchebags.
Lachy G
# March 25, 2009 - 2:18 pm
@Tom, The global financial crisis did ;)
Tom Woolway
# March 25, 2009 - 2:19 pm
Just out of interest, can someone explain the difference between this and the Betavine widget design competition? Both are competitions, all the entries sound like they’ll get displayed somewhere, and whilst the prizes may be different, coding a widget is a fair amount more work than designing a slide.
Not saying which community is right or wrong, but it’s interesting that the same reaction wasn’t raised for the Betavine comp.
Tom
Pete
# March 25, 2009 - 2:19 pm
I don’t think the issue here is whether or not this is spec work, but rather the general perception that Carsonified has garnered for itself in many people’s eyes.
I’d agree with the Threadless analogy above, there’s no money being made by Carsonified from this single slide. However, what does seem to be causing the problem is the way the competition was presented…and maybe mr.Boag’s initial comment :p
Joshua
# March 25, 2009 - 2:19 pm
SO true everyone…. spec work.
Its exactly like the damn local post office…. coercing my 5 year old to submit his ’slaved over’ coloring all in the name of a ‘coloring competition’…. He spends hours on it and might not even win. Then they get all the benefit. (They get to frame it and put it on the wall of the office) Those scammers… how dare they use him so.
C’mon people…. really? Competitions are not a new concept. Ask my 5 year old… don’t think your up to the competition… don’t submit. But please quit the whining!!!
Ryan
# March 25, 2009 - 2:19 pm
I think you have to look at the odds – you have a chance to have your work shown, but you will probably be up against lots designers who are also pitching. Is it worth the time? Probably not. Its like when clients send out a proposal and invite 12 agencies to tender. Not good odds, move on.
Brian Warren
# March 25, 2009 - 2:20 pm
If you really want to put some effort in with your only reward being featured on this blog along with the many other submissions, and you really think that’s a good use of your “self promotion” hours, then sure, go ahead and submit. I can imagine better uses for your time, but that’s just me.
The problem, and what makes it spec work, is the carrot they’ve dangled out there. One lucky submission will get to be the holding slide, and the designer will get to go to the conference for free. That’s what makes it spec work.
Don’t delude yourselves people. It’s spec work, and not everybody hates it, so we’ll keep arguing this for years to come I’m sure. All you will likely get out of it will be getting listed among the other entrants.
If you want to volunteer a couple of your hours for something to get some self promotion, find someone (a non profit, perhaps) who needs your work, and then you know it will get used. In the long run, that’s much better self promotion.
Melissa Leon
# March 25, 2009 - 2:22 pm
The Carsonified team is not in need of a SLIDE for FOWD. Have you all seen the past four days and the incredible design Mike Kus has put out? His design is impeccable and last time I checked he doesn’t live in India.
@Jack your comment is almost stupid enough to ignore, but I can’t resist. Lets think this through…
Truvay – being built by Elliott Kember
Twiggy – designed by Mike Kus built by Elliott Kember.
Mattinator – design by Mike Kus and built by Elliott Kember.
Maybe I’m wrong but these guys live in the UK, right? Or maybe they commute from India to eat their daily pickle and crackers.
So why have this contest?
Get your work in front of a ton of people at FOWD and for everyone else you get to have a bunch of eyeballs on your work when the voting starts.
AJ Leon
# March 25, 2009 - 2:22 pm
@Ben Darlow I gotta tell you, buddy, your predictability is getting a bit weary. SURPRISE!!!! There you go again, lurking in the Carsonified community, waiting for a hint of commotion so you can go right after Ryan like he’s killing baby hamsters. Seriously, guy, I don’t think I have ever seen you make even a platonic comment on this blog. And for some reason you just have to go for the low blows:
“This is a well-trod subject, so I suggest you go do a bit of reading. I appreciate this is supposed to be a bit of fun, but designers are well in their rights to be upset at this sort of competition, especially when it comes from a company with ‘integrity’ in their slogan.”
It’s getting dated, Ben, this is at least the third time I have seen you use that exact line about “integrity” in their slogan. Do you realize what a dick you come off like? Do you exude this level of self righteousness in real life, or do you reserve the pious indignation for the blogoshere alone?
On the topic of this competition, ANY and EVERY person with even an ounce of entrepreneurial penchant in them understands that there are opportunities that you invest in (time, money, etc) for the possibility of getting “buzz” or “your name” out there. In this case, your work as a designer will be showcased at an event with the ideal target market for either a) design jobs or b) business development opportunities.
Ryan and Keir are absolutely right, this contest is about SELF PROMOTION not compensation. They don’t a designer, they have Mike for God’s sake, who I think we can all agree is a Design All Star. Carsonified is giving the opportunity for you to get your work in front of a target market that if you have any freaking sense at all, you are trying to get in front of everyday. This is not a business transaction, it’s a competition. However, the ROI that could result from winning this comp would far outweigh the investment of a few hours fun work.
Bill Bergmann
# March 25, 2009 - 2:23 pm
Does anybody remember laughter? LOL
This is a great chance for a young designer, college student, or someone that needs the work.
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 2:25 pm
@Lea That’s an interesting point. I’d suggest that the Threadless model is Pro Bono rather than speculative. It’s more of a donation by the creative industry by people who believe in, and want to be a part of, the Threadless brand. The same would go for many magazines who ask for small written pieces on a pro bono basis. Or charities who survive on pro bono contribution. The same could be said about open source software. It’s about believing and wanting to be a part of something. That’s very different to what’s happening here.
Mubashar Iqbal
# March 25, 2009 - 2:25 pm
As with most Spec work, people always assume they are going to win, “for 2 hours work I’ll get great PR from the event”.
The truth is that only 1 person will get the great PR, the other 99 people will get nothing, hence the Spec.
That being said Carsonified is cool, maybe we let them slide on this :)
awesomerobot
# March 25, 2009 - 2:25 pm
I love that designers feel obligated to tell what other designers to do.
Here’s a tip: think for yourself, do what you want.
Sulcalibur
# March 25, 2009 - 2:26 pm
*YAWN*
All this moaning is crippling my mojo man. I’ll never get any decent creative work done :(
Kean
# March 25, 2009 - 2:27 pm
Personally I can’t see the issue. As far as I see the slide is a competition not spec work where your prize is some good self promotion and conference pass. Not sure how beneficial promotion of design in a room of designers is but that’s another point entirely.
I can’t say design competitions are much better than spec work, as it’s all potentially giving something away for free, however it’s up to the designer whether or not they want to enter into such a competition. Personally it’s not for me, but i’m not about to kick up a fuss about those that do want to have a go.
I look forward to actually seeing the final slide at the conference.
Tom
# March 25, 2009 - 2:28 pm
Wow, what a massive overreaction.
It’s one slide, has potential, if not just for future contacts/work, but just to be freakin’ cool to have your slide up at FOWD.
Calm down peeps.
Ben Darlow
# March 25, 2009 - 2:31 pm
AJ, are you going to give everybody else who criticised this competition a similarly personal response? Just curious!
Ade St. John-Bee
# March 25, 2009 - 2:32 pm
Possibly the most out of proportion reaction to a fun idea ever?
Kevin Lloyd
# March 25, 2009 - 2:33 pm
Ok, I may be missing the point here, but if this is “spec work”, what exactly are Carsonified getting out of it? A slide that they don’t need? And they’re not even getting it for free, they have to run this competition and put everyone’s entries up on the site so you people can vote for them? That doesn’t sound very evil to me.
The way I see it, the deal is:
Carsonified get a single slide that they don’t really need (as they already have one).
Every designer that enters gets exposure on the Carsonified site, which presumably is read by a lot of webby people (even if most of them do seem a bit angry).
One designer (voted for by everyone who reads the Carsonified site) gets his/her work put up at FOWD, in front of a whole ton of industry folk, plus more exposure on the FOWD/Carsonified sites.
Akbar was right. IT’S A TRAAAAP!
Richard S Davies
# March 25, 2009 - 2:34 pm
@MarkBoulton Threadless has the possiblity of $$$ though. This is just a competition for a bit of exposure. Like other people have said, its a 5 minute job for most designers, and the idea of a competition is hardly a new concept.
A site like Crowdspring, where people are all fighting it out for money, is very different to a light hearted competition that could result in some good exposure.
I am usually very anti spec work, but for me, this just seems sooo trivial.
Well done on Carsonified on another post that has angered a few people though, part of a PR stategy??
Micheil Smith
# March 25, 2009 - 2:36 pm
I think it should be fair to say that this is one of those.. “Oh look guys, We’ve done something, we want to see what you can come up with as a creative community, and if we like what you create, we’ll feature it at FOWD.”
That said, the way people are acting here, would they be against.. say, SmashingMagazine’s monthly wallpaper challenge / contest thingo?
In essence, I think what carsonified are wanting to do is instead of just showcasing their own work, they’re opening it up to everyone and saying “Here’s some free advertisement for you if your design is picked as our favourite for this creative challenge.”
mikek
# March 25, 2009 - 2:36 pm
@Ade good bit of traffic for the carsonified site though innit.
Matt Henderson
# March 25, 2009 - 2:38 pm
Ben said, “Anyone who justifies spec work as self-promotion doesn’t understand how businesses work.”
Our lead designer participated in some spec work, and won a high-profile competition. As a result, we went from a company struggling in the trenches of the local market, to a company regularly landing highly-profile projects with organizations like Google, O’Reilly, and the United States Navy.
In fact, as a direct result of that spec work (as in, “Hi, we’re contacting you because we saw you won that competition!”) we were selected to design and build CatalogChoice.org, and are now one of the few companies on the planet that can claim to have built a site achieving a million users.
Our experience has demonstrated that spec work can lead to tremendous business benefits.
Ben also said, “…but the more important way that it defines your value of your work.”
Ben, I think you need to stop trying to proclaim, for anyone other than yourself, the relationship between one’s actions, and how one values one’s work. These are personal matters that are no more subject to absolute answers than questions of religion and politics.
Keir Whitaker
# March 25, 2009 - 2:39 pm
Wow – I should do this more often. Normally my posts average about 0.8 comments. Putting those touch typing skills to good use today :) In other news the weather is a bit miserable in Bath today.
Lea
# March 25, 2009 - 2:40 pm
@Mark I agree for pro bono for charities and open source software — everyone wins by being “a part of something.” Everyone benefits from contributions to the above.
Don’t agree with magazine entries or that Threadless fits in that. Magazines have a direct correlation over who writes and what is written and their advertising revenue. That means, if you contribute pro-bono, you’re contributing to their bottom line. They are directly making money off of you in exchange for the possible exposure you get. That’s spec.
When Threadless started out, they did NOT have the massive community they have now. There was no “movement” — this thinking has only been an evolution of the brand that was nurtured by the smart guys at Threadless who understood the power of community. They also make recurring revenue over every design that is chosen from their COMPETITION. Again, Carsonified: not making money off your design. Threadless: yes $. I believe neither is necessarily hard-line spec work.
Andrew Ingram
# March 25, 2009 - 2:44 pm
I think a lot of people here are underestimating how long this would take a designer. I don’t care how good you are, this will take a lot longer than 5 minutes
There’s a lot of stuff to take into account:
- Presumably you need to mention FOWD London
- You might need to mention Carsonified
- You need to include any stuff you need to promote yourself
- You need to come up with a layout that does all of this but isn’t too overwhelming
- Knowing Carsonified a design that is playful but clean will probably win, this means time will need to be put into illustrative touches.
- Font and Colour choices
I wouldn’t put less than a couple of hours into this if I was seriously considering entering.
Paul
# March 25, 2009 - 2:48 pm
@AJ Leon – well said.
Matthew Pennell
# March 25, 2009 - 2:49 pm
I wonder what it is about design work (ooh, “designing”) that gets people worked up about spec work. Nobody ever criticises A List Apart for encouraging the submission of spec articles.
Dikz
# March 25, 2009 - 2:49 pm
Speak about chance, is there any chance if.. let’s say the winner is come from a country in South East Asia.. the pass to the conference won’t be valuable if he/she doesn’t has ticket.. so.. the condition should really be clear.. otherwise, yes, peoples aint wrong if they think this is a spec work..
Dennis Eusebio
# March 25, 2009 - 3:00 pm
People are going to participate in this regardless of our arguments. If you don’t believe in spec then don’t participate in the contest, it’s as simple as that.
Andy
# March 25, 2009 - 3:00 pm
What a hilarious bunch of whining mugs.
Either design it, or don’t. How embarrassing for most of you that you’re so opinionated about it. Most of your work is sh*t anyway, the exposure would have done you some good.
Micah
# March 25, 2009 - 3:00 pm
I have to admit (at risk of being chastised) that I’m also of the opinion that this is not a big deal. Contests have been used for ages to find new talent, and yes, even to save money on labor costs.
Yes, this would take a few hours to design well. I don’t have time to do it, but there are thousands of talented young designers out there who have the time and would see it as an enjoyable exercise either way.
Kev Adamson
# March 25, 2009 - 3:03 pm
This is the 93rd-ish comment on this post.
93+ comments. Mental.
I tell you what you should do, offer the competition to students only or something. I did loads of un-paid stuff then and it was all minus the politics and whining and bollocks written in comments above.
Pete Shaw
# March 25, 2009 - 3:07 pm
@Mark Boulton, @boagworld – so you think that all competitions should be multiple-choice questions about the colour of grass?
GET OVER IT!
Rich Adams
# March 25, 2009 - 3:07 pm
Wow, what a reaction! Spec work/not spec work, why does it matter? No one is being forced to do anything here. If you feel like spending some time making a slide, go ahead and do it, otherwise don’t. It’s been made very clear what the deal is. If your slide is picked, you get some exposure and a free pass. If not, then no loss…you spent a bit of time doing something which you found to be fun. I really don’t see what the big deal is here.
If it feels like you’re doing work, then you’re looking at it the wrong way, it’s just a bit of fun. Maybe you’ll get some free exposure and some work coming from it, maybe you won’t. The point is, it shouldn’t matter, it should just be something fun and creative you want to do. If you don’t like it, don’t join in. Simple.
Adam Kemeny
# March 25, 2009 - 3:07 pm
Lea, Threadless awards its successful designers a prize of $2,500 ($2,000 cash) plus $500 for every reprint they do as well as up to $22,500 more if the design wins a “Bestee” in the Threadless Awards.
That is rather more than the original offer made by Carsonified, ie. The chance to have your work seen by 800 people (who may or may not be potential employers of a designer) paying to attend a conference.
Dan
# March 25, 2009 - 3:08 pm
WTF guys!?
It’s a design contest! The prize for which is having your design and (I’d assume) site URL displayed to hundreds at FOWD.
Ryan has already said that they have a slide they could use and as such didn’t need to run the contest.
It’s a bit of fun that gets good traffic to this site and offers the chance of some nice promotion for the winner.
Carsonified have demonstrated some pretty epic fails on this blog lately but this is not one of them!
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 3:08 pm
@Kev Adamson It’s an indication of a contentious issue that has a big global movement of design organisations working very hard to eradicate it. Just as we think we’re getting somewhere, another high profile spec work request hits the headlines.
This may be just a wee competition to design a single slide for non-profit making means, but it represents a much wider issue that is a very sore subject for a lot of designers who have dedicated many, many hours of work for the chance of something that didn’t happen.
I’m not surprised there have been so many comments. It’s a red rag to a bull.
Donna
# March 25, 2009 - 3:12 pm
How is this exposure for anyone? The holding slide is in front of OTHER DESIGNERS, not potential clients. Now if the holding screen was in front of potential clients WITH MY COMPANY NAME and URL on it, then that would be of value. But no.
oooooo a ticket to the conference. ooooooo “suchadeal”. no hotel, no flight, no food, no lost time from business. ooooooo and my design that I do for free, that does not get chosen, that time is gone. Wasted.
Spec work is just WRONG. And having a noted mucky muck ask for spec work is downright “AIG” ish. Ryan, you should be ashamed.
James McDonald
# March 25, 2009 - 3:13 pm
I’ve already started working on mine :D – And guys c’mon Ryan is right. Carsonified are giving someone a really, really lucky break here! This would also look amazing on your CV if your design was chosen.
All the best and i’m sure you’ll get some amazing entries Ryan :)
Kevin
# March 25, 2009 - 3:18 pm
Okay, everyone gets it.. spec work = evil.
If you think this is spec work, don’t do it. Go live your life, frolic in the meadow, sing happy songs and design for paying customers. On the other hand, if you think this is a cool opportunity, knock yourself out.
It’s a simple choice folks.
Jack Donaghy
# March 25, 2009 - 3:21 pm
> This would also look amazing on your CV if your design was chosen.
Not likely. “I designed a slide that was seen for a few minutes” isn’t strong CV material.
Ryan
# March 25, 2009 - 3:25 pm
I think Lea, Matt and Kevin are spot on.
Here are the facts:
1. We have the power to put someone on a pedestal so they receive a large amount of attention.
2. We’re using that power to benefit one person who deserves it – most likely someone who is not widely known, thus raising their profile.
3. We normally charge people (aka ’sponsors’) to get this kind of exposure.
… and Mark Boulton calls us *unethical*? The mind reels at the bizarreness of it all.
We didn’t pay Mark to write his article for ThinkVitamin (and we never promised we’d publish it – therefore it was ’spec work’) and yet he doesn’t seem to mind about that. Maybe because the article is promoting his new book, which means he’ll benefit financially from the article?
There are already people entering the comp and they’re great.
Doug Aitken
# March 25, 2009 - 3:26 pm
@Kev Adamson I think thats a great idea. Offer it to students only. But then why students? They might not have the time to commit to it.
With regard to the Betavine Widget comp – you make a widget, if you dont win the comp then you can still make the widget available to all. If you don’t win this comp. Your design is relegated to your portfolio/flickr account as a “I designed this” rather than something that has been in use.
Lea
# March 25, 2009 - 3:29 pm
@Adam Kemeny – Yes, Threadless _is_ generous to those that win. For those that win. What about the rest of the un-chosen entries? :) So Carsonified and Threadless prize points are different. Does it matter, considering they’re both asking people to send design work in for free? It isn’t about what the prize is at the end, it’s about whether or not you believe in sending in your work for free with only the _possibility_ of compensation so that someone else may profit. Again: Carsonified, not making money from your slide. Threadless: yes, making money from your tshirt. It would heinous for Threadless NOT to be so generous since they ARE profiting off of you!
Beerzie
# March 25, 2009 - 3:32 pm
Why don’t you just outsource this to Russians?
Jason Holland
# March 25, 2009 - 3:36 pm
Can we have more than one used? i.e. a different design for each break?
Matt Henderson
# March 25, 2009 - 3:38 pm
@Mark Boulton:
What is wrong with people spending many, many hours of work for the chance of something that didn’t happen? That’s what freedom and free markets are all about — the right of every individual to pursue their self-interests, deciding the risk they’re willing to take to achieve a reward for which they, and they alone, consider compensatory.
Who is the “we” that is working very hard to eradicate design competitions like the one offered here? A group of people that have gotten together and declared themselves the moral and ethical arbitrators of an industry?
I say encourage people to act freely, and let the invisible hand of the market decide what works and what doesn’t.
Bill Bergmann
# March 25, 2009 - 3:40 pm
Back at the FOWD in NYC I won a book after suggesting some advise that would be published on Think Vitamin.
I never complained about it, I thought it would be a good way to get my name out and give some good advise. Though I never saw it published, I still got a free book. Carsonified is cool in my book.
Twitter – @billbdesign
Adam Kemeny
# March 25, 2009 - 3:42 pm
Lea, I don’t support Threadless’s modus operandi but wanted to highlight the incentives that they offer as you brought them up.
Carsonified’s rewards for this are a little bit like jam tomorrow but then every designer will inevitably be offered work at least once in their career for no tangible recompense, with the promise of someone else rewarding them for it as a rather curious incentive. It’s up to each designer to decide how they respond to these offers…
Jon Lackey @zuno
# March 25, 2009 - 3:54 pm
First off, I’m completely against spec-work.
This isn’t spec work though, it’s a design competition for a chance to win tickets to FOWD. It’s not a bunch of designers doing work in hopes of getting paid.
To the comments about Threadless: Again, they are doing more of a competition type of process. You enter a design, if people like your design it gets printed and the designer gets paid (and very nicely paid)
Spec-work is a huge problem in the design industry and it’s destroying the way companies communicate and establish their brands. Unfortunately most companies using spec-work only see the $200 logo and don’t see or understand the importance of building a brand and communicating with their audience.
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 3:56 pm
@Matt Henderson
If it’s the individuals choice then fine, but when it becomes an industry norm, where it is in, say, architecture, then it is a damaging practice. Wouldn’t you agree?
Frank Stallone
# March 25, 2009 - 4:05 pm
I can not possibly read all of the comments left here and there are always going to be people that see things differently than others. Keeping that in mind I was be flattered to have my design picked, and be at the conference; it would be a great experience and an even better way to meet people and interact, not to mention you would get in for free.
If I lost I could post it up on deviantArt for future clients to see and imagine that it won in my head if that makes me happy. Great Opportunity. End of story.
Bryan Landaburu
# March 25, 2009 - 4:10 pm
Holy Crap!
If you dont want to participate in the Carsonified scheme, event, promotion, whatever…dont! Not understanding the questioning of their ethical behavior. Giving Ryan a hard time for self-promoting is silly. I find Ryan, and Carsonified some of the more innovative self-promoters in the web space.
I am going to repeat Guy Kawasaki’s acronym he threw out at SES New York yesterday: UFM
UFM = Un Follow Me
If you dont like what they do, dont pay attention to them. A lot of us enjoy what they do and support their efforts.
B
Gavin
# March 25, 2009 - 4:13 pm
Ok so at least we’ve all come to the conclusion that spec work is bad.
If people want to do a design then let them do it but what about this Carsonites?
If anyone wants to do a design, how about collect them all in a flickr gallery and then on the breaks in the conferences you have them ALL rotating? Then you get more than one image to look at and more than one designer can have some exposure?
Just a thought.
Gavin
Adam Kemeny
# March 25, 2009 - 4:15 pm
Bryan, you are kind of implying that people who like what Carsonified do would never disagree with them. That would be a pretty dull world wouldn’t it?
Dan
# March 25, 2009 - 4:26 pm
Really, really don’t get why people are getting so pissy about this. *sigh*
Grimmie
# March 25, 2009 - 4:32 pm
Hot damn, I’ll pump out a load of designs for fun.
Screw getting paid, screw exposure. Seeing my slide projected up there would be good ’nuff for me.
You’re all just a bunch of stick-in-the-muds :}
Elliott Kember
# March 25, 2009 - 4:34 pm
Opinions: mine is better than yours. You must listen to mine. Here’s Philosoraptor on the subject:
I think with all of this banter, I’m going to start a pro-spec group.
Matt Henderson
# March 25, 2009 - 4:41 pm
@Mark Boulton
“If it’s the individuals choice then fine, but when it becomes an industry norm, where it is in, say, architecture, then it is a damaging practice. Wouldn’t you agree?”
It is unnecessary (at best), in my opinion and in this particular context, for any individual, organization or association to claim that the offering of, and participation in, spec-work and/or design competitions is “damaging to an industry”. That question can, and ultimately will be, answered in the marketplace, just as it is the marketplace that provides the existence of the industry in the first place.
If enough of both providers and consumers of design products find spec-work to be sufficiently beneficial, such that it becomes an industry norm, then that’s precisely the market’s way of answering the question.
jetgirl
# March 25, 2009 - 4:45 pm
ladies and gentlemen we have ourselves an epic comment thread
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 5:02 pm
@Matt Henderson
This implies that professional ethics have no value to change an industry. I understand your point, really I do, but I disagree.
A free market economy *can* be damaging. It can damage people’s lives and their businesses. Simply throwing in the towel and thinking, ‘ah well, there’s nothing we can do about it anyway, if clients want spec work, we have to do it. If that’s what the market dictates, then we have to role with it’, seems like professional and ethical values take a firm back seat.
That maybe okay for some people, but not for me.
Jay Greasley
# March 25, 2009 - 5:08 pm
Am impressed by Mark Boulton’s stance. I think there is a need for people who wholeheartedly believe in something (passion I think it is called).
I agree that spec work is bad, don’t 100% agree that the comp is spec work but fundamentally respect his view, I guess the cynic in me thinks that clients won’t always understand why spec work is ultimately bad for them.
As for the market dictating what i sbest, well the market dictated that we needed 125% mortgages and look where that got us..
Greg Paulhus
# March 25, 2009 - 5:09 pm
My two and a half cents:
1. I don’t work for free.
2. I’m good at what I do.
3. I run my business well.
4. I deliver value.
5. I already have plenty of work/business.
6. I don’t work for free.
Also, re: ‘Incidentally if anyone knows of a tool to enable voting on images please let me know in the comments.’
Heh, yeah, I know of a ‘tool’ that can enable voting, his name is… :)
Jay Greasley
# March 25, 2009 - 5:12 pm
oh and @Malarkey has a new macbook.
simon r jones
# March 25, 2009 - 5:16 pm
Spec work is a stab in the dark. Random and (unlike the knife) rather pointless. Like many here I don’t agree with it and as a company we say no to clients who request it.
The end result of this competition is asking people to spend speculative time to get an advert onto the screens of FOWD. So that is spec design, even if wasn’t intended as such.
@Matthew Pennell – it’s an interesting point you raise on why people don’t question text submissions to A List Apart. I guess the main difference is evaluating design is incredibly subjective and more likely to suffer from random prejudices clients may have. Plus it’s impossible to truly understand a project in the pitch phase sufficient to come up with a proper design. As others have said, it cheapens the process to suggest it is possible. Text submissions can be judged more equally since its simply about ideas. We all put text proposals together after all for projects which we have no issue with.
@Keir – it may be an idea to think a bit harder about how you communicate these sort of things in the future. This is obviously quite a passionate subject and you may have been able to head off these kind of comments if you’d written about the competition in a different way.
Given the excellent exposure you guys have perhaps a talk on the issues surrounding spec designs (and how to convince clients they’re a bad idea) would be a good topic for a future conference..
» Carsonified Tries to be Fun, Designers Cry Foul - sugarenia.com : Web Standards, Accessibility & other Girly Stuff
# March 25, 2009 - 5:18 pm
[...] Hear that? No? It’s the huge web design uproar, caused by a (relatively) innocent post down there at Carsonified blog. It’s the sound of designers clashing their lightsabers mice tablets, asking for blood, waiting for revenge, twisting their thumbs pointing down. [...]
roger wilco
# March 25, 2009 - 5:32 pm
I wonder if accountants bitch the same way about those contests where you count the jellybeans in a jar.
Natasha Acres
# March 25, 2009 - 5:43 pm
OK, I haven’t read all 133 comments, so I apologise if anyone else has said this. (not being funny, just haven’t the time right now, sorry!).
I hate spec work, won’t get involved in pitches. In my opinion though the fun of this competition does allow creative people to have a creative time without constraints of clients. So, if it were me looking to promote designers work I would suggest Carsonified do two things:
1) A free ticket to the winner – so they can capitalise on the exposure at the event
2) Set up a gallery of all entrants so that they benefit from some small amount of exposure and portfolio their work
3) Possibly – just for more fun – allow your visitors judge the competition, that way you don’t get the grief when you choose something that isn’t popular. (Because you know that one will come Ryan!).
That’s it. good luck to those that do, those that don’t I understand your feelings.
Be true to your worth it’s all you have.
Noah Larsen
# March 25, 2009 - 5:54 pm
I refuse to participate in speculative commenting.
Dan B. Lee
# March 25, 2009 - 5:54 pm
How big would this debate be if people read Boag’s entire reply? We seem to pay closest attention to the “hmm… this feels a lot like speculative design to me!” part and neglect the “;-)” part.
Did it sound like Paul was joking to anyone else other than me?
Instead of firing up their own editors to burn off an Re: blog post in regards to this issue (some of you have already started writing, don’t lie to yourself…) we’d just be reading the classic, “Sounds like fun! Check out my website at…” and “You’ve done it again Carsonified!” replies. No harm done, the right people are getting the attention for this uproar: http://twitter.com/keirwhitaker/status/1388260092
Cheers all.
Guillermo Rauch
# March 25, 2009 - 5:56 pm
On Carsonified’s defense, here the potential prize greatly exceeds the money invested. You’re investing a couple of hours, and can earn exposure that could take you a LOT of more hard work AND time.
However, coming from one of the industry’s leading icons, I don’t think this sort of post was strategically a good idea. People are really sensitive about these issues. You can see websites today that mechanically make people work more than they should (see logo competitions), but the revenue is exactly the same (unlike this competition, like I said before). I *hope* this isn’t the “future” of web design ;)
Matt Henderson
# March 25, 2009 - 6:26 pm
@Mark Boulton
“Simply throwing in the towel and thinking, ‘ah well, there’s nothing we can do about it anyway, if clients want spec work, we have to do it. If that’s what the market dictates, then we have to role with it’, seems like professional and ethical values take a firm back seat.”
Consumers of design products (clients) represent only one side of the market. Providers (designers) represent the other side. Both sides are free to act in their own self interest. And only if both sides in this market sufficiently benefit from spec-work, could it become an “industry norm”, in which case the question would be settled.
You continue to speak as if one side of the market is forcing something on the other side. You, as an individual, will always have the right to maintain a stance against spec work, and choose never to participate in it.
(BTW, I view this thread, and I hope others as well, as healthy debate; not any kind of “fight” as mentioned by someone. In forming my own viewpoints, I want to be aware of, and understand, contrarian viewpoints.)
@Jay Greasley
“As for the market dictating what is best, well the market dictated that we needed 125% mortgages and look where that got us.”
Jay, if those who sought those mortgages, as well as those who issued them, were allowed to suffer the consequences today (instead of being bailed out), the market would do its job. In the future, people would be more careful about getting in over their heads, and financial institutions would more carefully asses the credit-worthiness of people to whom they extend credit.
In my opinion, it’s not the market that failed. It’s that we’re not allowing the mechanics of a proper market to run their full course. As someone said, “Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without hell; it doesn’t work otherwise.”
Anonymous
# March 25, 2009 - 6:36 pm
spec work!!?
Jay Greasley
# March 25, 2009 - 6:54 pm
@Matt Henderson
Are people being repossessed not suffering the consequences of their actions then?
But we’re getting off topic and into another unhealthy area :-)
(it was actually a flipant, throw-away comment, see how the intertubes can change intentions – I’m sure Keir’s original thoughts were not to open up this whole can o’ worms).
and everyone breathe…
Matt Branthwaite
# March 25, 2009 - 7:01 pm
it’s pretty simple really, if you dont want to do it, or you think that a competition such as this is taking advantage of you… DONT ENTER.
At the end of the day, its a great opportunity for up and coming designers to get recognised – not just at the conference, but also the prestige of winning the competition, along with the videos and slides that Carsonified upload to the web.
The world is full of opportunities, some people bitch about them, others hustle!
Matt Wiebe
# March 25, 2009 - 7:12 pm
http://isspecworkok.com
That is all.
Mark Boulton
# March 25, 2009 - 7:26 pm
I certainly don’t think we’re fighting, and I think it’s a shame people are taking my comments out of context here, Ryan included it seems. For the record:
I don’t consider Carsonified unethical – far from it. And if my comment above suggested or implied that, then I apologise to Ryan. It’s not the case. I consider the practice of spec work unethical. And I think design competitions can be spec work. That’s just my opinion.
@Matt Henderson
Thanks for a considered response to a healthy debate on a particularly thorny issue for some, me included.
Your example is probably one of the most compelling stand-points I’ve heard. It’s certainly made me rethink my position on the argument considering the bigger market/economy picture.
Thanks!
JWAL
# March 25, 2009 - 7:43 pm
I’m so tired of people referencing spec work.
I held a contest over at http://uniquecss.com a few months back. The prize package was valued at over $500. All visitors had to do was post an article about UniqueCSS on their blog or website. As you could imagine, I was very frustrated by cries of spec work from several individuals.
As a freelance designer myself, it is important that individuals understand what spec work really is, and avoid projects that fit that description.
This is an opportunity, not spec work. Put the witch hunt to rest.
Topher
# March 25, 2009 - 8:20 pm
Pretty lame. No one in this office would condone such nonsense let alone participate.
Comments such as “I’ve already started working on mine :D – And guys c’mon Ryan is right. Carsonified are giving someone a really, really lucky break here! This would also look amazing on your CV if your design was chosen.” (above) serve only to show how normalized such low brow methods as this has become.
Continuing to promote the idea that being offered spec work is a great opportunity is reprehensible.
Alex Blundell
# March 25, 2009 - 8:55 pm
ARRRRRRGH! I dont usually post on such high profile blogs but this has really got my back up!
I’ve been designing websites for years,but only recently set up as a freelancer, i’m relatively unknown in the community. I think this is a FANTASTIC idea, spec work my ass. Not only will I be submitting a design, based on the talent I witness in the design community every day, ill go as far as saying I know I wont be chosen. AND i’m still going to enter!
No I won’t get paid, and no I dont really have the time but even without the offer of FREE TICKETS just getting my design up on that stage would be payment enough for me.
Grow up or shut up!
Gabriel Fuller
# March 25, 2009 - 9:34 pm
What do you think of this design? You should check it out and leave comments…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielfuller/3386065666/
Ryan Wood
# March 25, 2009 - 9:57 pm
Thinking about entering the contest, but I can’t view any of the images in the flickr group (nor most other flickr images right now). Anyone else having this problem?
Will Kelly
# March 25, 2009 - 10:43 pm
@Gabriel Nice, but changing a logo is usually a big no no!
This thread has enlightened me. I shall therefore not be entering this competition, nor this years BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, or infact do anything because I now don’t want to do any spec work. Spoilsports ;)
Christopher Murphy
# March 25, 2009 - 11:22 pm
Whilst I can appreciate that, at a superficial level, this might appear to be a fantastic opportunity, on closer inspection it isn’t.
Unfortunately for our profession there are precious few who have actually taken the time to think this through in the above comments, seeing this only as, “a good chance for someone to get a ton of exposure, in return for a few hours fun design work.”
Where this quotation (unsurprisingly from the ever-enthusiastic @ryancarson) is wide of the mark, is in the clause “a few hours fun design work.”
For the winning designer this will, indeed, be a few hours fun design work and the reward will be, one would hope, substantial. For the remainder of the entrants, however, this will be a few hours of design work that is speculative and, at the end of the day unpaid. (Multiply these few unrewarded hours by the number of entrants who don’t win and you’ll see why this has generated so many comments.)
I think it’s telling that Mark Boulton – lined up to talk at FOWD London, i.e. “one of the FOWD team” – has come out so strongly against this. His point, “The PR is the promise, not the payment,” gets to the real point, but might be more accurately expressed as (forgive my caps for emphasis), “The PR is the promise FOR JUST ONE OF THE DESIGNERS, not the payment.”
One of the few commenting above who has accurately laid out the simple mathematics here is Adam Kemeny. In short he points out the fundamental flaw with this kind of competition: There will be only one winner.
Yes, that winner (one would hope), will get a “ton of exposure”, however, the rest of the entrants will, at best, have had their work viewed on Flickr account. This is why this post has aroused hundreds of comments in such a short space of time.
For those who think this is a fantastic opportunity, it’s worth setting aside five minutes to read the AIGA’s form letter on why speculative work is detrimental to our industry. You can find their form letter here:
http://bit.ly/specwork
AIGA’s key phrase is this: “Expecting speculative or uncompensated work demonstrates a trivializing of the contribution design makes to creating value for clients. Of all the entrants in your contest or competition, only one will be selected as a finalist. The time and work of all others will have gone for naught.”
The point is not to focus on the winner, for whom the rewards will – one hopes – be ample, but all the other professionals who have collectively lost hundreds of hours worth of work.
I believe that Carsonified’s heart is in the right place and that their intention is, by and large, to live up to their “creativity with integrity” strapline. Perhaps this (like the decision to blog quite so publicly about letting staff go in the name of ‘recession-proofing’) wasn’t the best decision and, with a little hindsight might have been better thought out.
Daily Links | AndySowards.com :: Professional Web Design, Development, Programming, Hacks, Downloads, Math and being a Web 2.0 Hipster?
# March 26, 2009 - 1:08 am
[...] Carsonified » Blog Archive » New Competition: Design the FOWD 2009 Holding Slide Competition!!! (tags: marketing advertising) [...]
Tyce Clee
# March 26, 2009 - 1:14 am
@Guillermo Rauch
“On Carsonified’s defense, here the potential prize greatly exceeds the money invested. You’re investing a couple of hours, and can earn exposure that could take you a LOT of more hard work AND time.”
In a nutshell, this is dead right. If you’ve got a massive issue with what Carsonified are offering, then don’t enter the comp! Seriously, what is lost if you just walk away? Those that are genuinely interested and are keen for some free exposure can get stuck in, it’s as simple as that.
Alex Blundell
# March 26, 2009 - 1:20 am
Does everyone moan this much about the hundreds of pounds that we spend on the lottery every week for no gain. Thousands of people work hard for that 1 pound a week and only a few people win.
There is a difference between a compertition and spec work. The reward of a compertition is not always for financial gain, how many times have you seen “write in no more than 100 word why you think we should fly you to NYC”, that will take me time, oh no.. I smell spec work!
@Joshua … Spot on!!!
Jas
# March 26, 2009 - 3:18 am
Spec work? Really? And you wonder why people think the design community is snooty – it’s because you ARE. Look at yourselves. Get over it, Carsonified was trying to open something up to the community and now you all are going into hissy fits.
Get over yourselves.
Timbo
# March 26, 2009 - 8:52 am
This post is a time vampire. I have read most of it and no longer have time to do the ’spec work’/enter the competition.
Tim Millwood
# March 26, 2009 - 9:28 am
Sorry, I can’t help but add my 2¢ to the discussion because I will subjecting to the discussion via Twitter all day yesterday.
I think Spec work is wrong. If someone wants you to do some work it should be on previous merit rather than a mockup.
But in the context of creating a holding slide for FOWD I think it’s just a bit of fun. I wouldn’t expect a huge design agency who would usually get this sort of project to apply, I think it would a budding designer, a student or an unknown freelancer that would apply. As long as they retain the copyright, get credit and a prize for the competition it’s fine.
Paul Boag
# March 26, 2009 - 9:57 am
For crying out loud people – I was joking when i said this is speculative design! See, look, there was a smiley and everything. This is SO not speculative design work – http://boagworld.com/design/what_is_speculative_design_wor/
JohnONolan
# March 26, 2009 - 10:04 am
Talk about starting an accidental revolution Paul!
I agree – this isn’t spec work, I also think it’s a bit sad that people are attacking Carsonified for it. If you don’t like it, don’t take part. It’s quite simple. Don’t you have better things to do with your time?
Andrew Green
# March 26, 2009 - 10:55 am
A genuine question: would those who feel this competition is spec work feel differently if the competition terms were defined thus:
1. Create a design and submit it directly to Carsonified (not via Flickr)
2. Each and every entry will be posted to a special area on carsonified.com with a do-follow link to the entrant’s website.
3. In addition to the guaranteed exposure and link-love, one design will be selected for use at the conference, plus free ticket, yadda yadda.
In this way, all entrants get *some* reward (the SEO benefit of a do-follow link from carsonified.com).
In a nutshell: is the problem with the competition as-originally-posted that most entrants stand to get *no* reward — or is it actually that one entrant stands to get greater reward than the others?
Tried Rebooting? » Blog Archive » FOWD Design competitiond
# March 26, 2009 - 10:57 am
[...] Despite all the critisism surrounding carsonified’s latest competition (I wont go into it here, i’ll leave that to the their blog) I decided to give it a go. [...]
Graham Sanders
# March 26, 2009 - 11:11 am
http://www.no-spec.com
The NO!SPEC campaign: Serves as a vehicle to unite those who support the notion that spec work devalues the potential of design and ultimately does a disservice to the client.
Our mission: To educate the public about speculative, or ’spec’ work.
Our target: Those who use creative services, as well as creative professionals (designers, photographers, illustrators, typographers, writers and those in marketing, branding and advertising).
What you can do: Read NO!SPEC’s Protocols. Place a “NO!SPEC” logo on your site. Sign the NO!SPEC petition. Distribute the “NO!SPEC” posters. Contact us with your thoughts, comments, articles and insights.
Requirements: The only requirement for participation is putting the appropriate value on your profession.
Johns Beharry
# March 26, 2009 - 11:17 am
The funny thing is Mike Kus could probably whip up something sweet in no time… So whats there to argue?
Steven
# March 26, 2009 - 12:24 pm
Its a COMPETITION, the point of a competition is that generally if you don’t win then you don’t get a prize, I think all the complainers are living in a world where you win prizes from a competiion no matter how you so !
Spec Work = Speculative work by a several groups to win a project and potential future work.
Competition = Bit of fun to win a prize, – shock horror you may not win but that us a competition for you !
Take a guess which one this is C…O…M…..P….E…..
iamkeir
# March 26, 2009 - 12:32 pm
I think everyone needs to be careful who they’re talking to… :)
Josh Russell
# March 26, 2009 - 2:05 pm
i personally wouldn’t do anything to help the train crash that is all Carsonified PR.
whatever perceived benefit there is for designers, winner or not, you can bet that the actual reason for this exercise is to promote Carsonified. which seems to be working, in some twisted way. the reality of this is that whatever stupid thing Carsonified does, everyone gets involved, or laps it up. or bitches. frankly, it’s dull. isn’t it? just like most of the product and content is..
just turn the other way and carry on, there are much more interesting things to spend your time doing.
and another thing:
transparent != open != reality
Conor Wade
# March 26, 2009 - 3:06 pm
Imagine this.
An entrepreneur asks a developer to build his website for free, and if he likes it he will pay him. Is that healthy? I don’t think so. Spec work is ridiculous! End of story.
Whether or not this is spec work, depends on your view of what it is you (the designer) will gain by spending their time designing this poster. Will you get benefit from being in the flickr pool, or will you only get in the spotlight if you win!
I think Carsonified thought, we’ll run a comp where we can give an unknown designer a chance to get his stuff in front of a wider audience.
Sometimes the best of intentions are misconstrued.
Joel Smith
# March 26, 2009 - 6:07 pm
I think that this whole Spec work debate in our community has you guys hypersensitive and on a witch hunt for anything that solidifies your opinion. The reality: Not all design competitions are some evil plot for someone to exploit your amazing talent.
My point: This is a chance for a designer to make her mark and be recognized for great talent, which is why I will be submitting my design. What’s more, I’m not doing it for advertising, not for a badge, not for anything, other than I get to make a mark here. And what’s even more is awesome, is that I’m not selling out, either. I am giving a gift, and that’s perfectly ethical.
Chill out.
Digiguru
# March 26, 2009 - 6:11 pm
Stop crying, there’s absolutely no pressure for anyone to do anything, no-ones holding a gun to your head. I took 10 minutes to whip up something today I thought might appeal. I don’t consider that spec work at all. No children, animals or designers were harmed during the making of my slide.
Check out my slide design
Sawnia
# March 26, 2009 - 10:31 pm
@Keir Whitaker
Scam is the correct word here. You should call this “volunteer work” not a “contest.” A contest implies a PRIZE or a REWARD for one’s effort. This scam offers nothing in return.
Alex Blundell
# March 26, 2009 - 10:57 pm
Apart from your entry up at the event and a ticket worth a few hundred quid.. no ..nothing at all.
Keir Whitaker
# March 27, 2009 - 1:41 pm
@Sawnia – Just out of curiosity I would be really interested to know how you think this “contest” constitutes a scam as defined by http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scam.
“a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, esp. for making a quick profit; swindle.”
Harper Lieblich
# March 27, 2009 - 3:48 pm
The fact that many designers are doing work and only one will get rewarded for it means it’s spec work. End of story.
Frankly this is disgusting.
Alex Blundell
# March 27, 2009 - 4:55 pm
Today I put my business card into a pot for a chance to win a free taster session for a new menu being introduced at a restaurant near me. The reward will be an evening of eating and drinking lots of different food for free, but I may not win. – I was immediately reminded of this post
I didn’t design my business card solely for the purpose of this competition but had I not had a business card and thought designing one for the purpose of entering it into the competition would benifit me; it would be exactly the same. Not spec work.
SXSW Spec Panel « crawlspace|media
# March 27, 2009 - 8:51 pm
[...] This has roiled up again because of the discussion about the Carsonified slide design contest. I have to say that I deeply respect Mark Boulton but have to disagree that what Ryan is doing is somehow different than Threadless. Ryan is appealing to his fans, community and designers who appreciate what he and his conferences are about to provide a design for an image. That’s no different than submitting a shirt design – except in this instance Ryan is generating no direct revenue from that work, none. It’s a slide, shown on a screen while people mill about. That’s not to say it’s not valuable real estate to have you company logo up there, it certainly is. But this work done as a fan of the brand, just like Threadless, to be part of something, not just a quick logo churned out by someone who simply knows illustrator for some cheap CPA in Nebraska who put a spec up on crowdspring. [...]
Scott Carter
# March 27, 2009 - 10:44 pm
This competition has me sitting on the fence about whether or not this indeed spec work.
After thinking about it for a little while, I don’t think that this is not spec work because there is no financial gain to be made from this. People have already and/or will purchase event tickets because of the speakers, topics, etc. This is not something that will make someone buy a ticket or spend money with their brand and something they won’t see until they’re at the event.
Look at the few spec-work sites out there. All those projects have a gain for the company looking to reap the benefits of the work. If they were asking for a logo or something equally valuable to a company, then yes, this would be traditional spec-work IMO.
Scott Carter
# March 27, 2009 - 10:45 pm
correction… I don’t think that this is traditional spec-work.
Dan B. Lee
# March 27, 2009 - 11:15 pm
Man. I knew everyone would be blogging about Spec work now but I didn’t know it would be that fast. You guys had posts about this thread up faster than you could say “Boag was joking. Calm down.”
James McDonald
# March 28, 2009 - 12:52 am
Uploaded my design to the group :D Looking forward to seeing more of the entries!
CrowdSourcing - Fishing for Complimentary Work?
# March 28, 2009 - 6:23 pm
[...] The line is blurred at times, with Carsonified getting into trouble this week for their ‘design competition’ – http://carsonified.com/fowd/new-competition-design-the-fowd-2009-holding-slide . In fairness, they’re good people – and it was a tongue in cheek comment from Paul Boag which seems to have kicked the whole discussion off… and they’re now offering a free pass to the winner. [...]
David Hund
# March 30, 2009 - 2:35 pm
I don’t think this is spec-work although it seems to be a grey area sometimes.
Bottom line for me is: I enjoy spending some of my free time designing: I do it all the time. I also enjoy the prospect of a free FOWD ticket :-) I like Carsonified and think this is a nice combi of both.
If I should win that would be awesome. If not I have spent about an hour being creative, playing around in Photoshop. For me it is a matter of “Huge win vs. an enjoyabe creative time”.
Of course, when you are ‘in it for the money’ and rather spend your time working on other things you would not enter this ‘contest’. Please continue watching television or playing videogames while I muck around in Photoshop.
graphiceyedea » Blog Archive » competition time
# March 30, 2009 - 8:46 pm
[...] A recent debate on the blog of Carsonified led me to finally make some time and just play around :-) What really sparked me off was the attitude shown by some of the commenters on this blog posted, written by Keir Whitaker: New Competition: Design the FOWD 2009 Holding Slide [...]
Ben Gribbin
# March 31, 2009 - 8:41 am
Why does everyone always come down so hard on Carsonfied? **Jealousy?**
I dont think this is spec work one bit.
Its a competition.
Will you all turn anti-blue peter for having appeals and competitions, classifying them as spec work? No.
Will Carsonified really benefit from this? Compared to the rest of the conference, I’m sure they could do without this slide quite easily. Its what some people call having a bit of fun. Not spec work. Why would they pay massive amounts of money for something so trivial?
With regards to posting for a blog for free, then yes, that is arguably spec work, as you could charge for it, and thus cheapens freelance bloggers.
So remember, its just a bit of fun. I hate how this industry is so pompous, and elitist. Seriously… However, I am sure that “designing holding slides for web design conferences” is a pretty niche area. Its not really web, its not print. So is it screen media?
Carsonified » Blog Archive » FOWD Slide Competition Update
# April 1, 2009 - 9:10 am
[...] We managed to start quite a debate about our slide competition last week. If you haven’t read my original post check it out. For additional opinion you I recommend watching Paul Boag’s video response as well as Mark Boulton’s post on the matter. [...]
kalvin
# April 5, 2009 - 5:43 pm
I agree this is spec work, regardless whether there is payment or a prize. Designers who don’t know that this is spec work need to go back to school. I’ve never met a professional desperate enough to do spec work. Usually people doing spec work are client-less amateurs and wannabes trying to enter the design field. They do spec work, then add the company to their client list.
A winner is not chosen based on the time spent, end result, skills or experience, but by a pool of managers and executives who know nothing about design. Trying to appease a group of people with no clarified needs or style preferences is impossible. Many times they end up choosing a bad design.
Try spec work on prostitutes and see what happens. Or maybe have 100 home builders build you a house, and the one you like the most you buy. This is actually different because the houses can be sold to someone else, while custom made graphics cannot.
I can’t respect a company willing to exploit and lead people on for the hopes of some BS publicity, especially without any payment (to begin with) or credit. The publicity is directed to peers mostly working in the same industry, so it’s almost ridiculous to think it will land work.
For those that do spec work, and somehow manage to start or maintain a career: Don’t whine and cry later when you lose income and work by more and more companies doing spec work. This is the real reason it shouldn’t be done. What if it became standard procedure? What if every client chose from among 100 entries for every project they did? Are you going to like working 80 hours a week on a gamble you might get selected and paid? Get used to that.
The Trouble with Crowdsourcing and “Speculative Design” | Dave Concannon
# April 8, 2009 - 9:37 am
[...] Over at Carsonified last week there was a bit of an uproar about a competition to design a holding slide for one of their forthcoming events. Almost immediately after the competition was announced, there was a comment made which suggested that the competition was an example of “Spec work”, and pretty soon afterwards the comments on the post descended into chaos and name-calling. Speculative work is a phrase that is synonymous with exploitation and opportunism in the average designer’s mind, where solid design effort is traded for a lottery ticket. The announcement that something is “spec work” is the designer’s call to arms. [...]
gabi meirelles moore | web and graphic design
# April 8, 2009 - 10:37 pm
[...] These are my entries for the FOWD 2009 Holding Slide competition. The idea was to design a static graphic that will be displayed on the big screen between sessions of the conference. [...]
I rock your Spec Work boat | Adii Rockstar
# April 16, 2009 - 1:02 pm
[...] April 2009 | 0 Comments // I don’t use my blog to rant often (or not since I rebooted, okay), but I’mseriously sick of all this noise being made about “Spec Work” within our little design / development community. Honestly I just wish that everyone would just get off of their high horses and chill the hell out a bit. Spec work has been around for ages, but ever since people started bitching about this (when Carsonified asked for submissions for a holding slide), every (supposed) designer has jumped onto the bandwagon with his / her arms in the air screaming “FOUL PLAY”. [...]
To Spec or Not to Spec | Think Vitamin
# April 28, 2009 - 11:59 am
[...] Not all competitions are considered to be spec work. There was much debate on whether Carsonified’s (the company behind ThinkVitamin) competition to design a holding slide for its forthcoming Future of Web Design conference should be considered spec work or not. There is clearly still a debate to be had on what spec work actually is. [...]
Web design Speed | Web Development | Web Site Design | SEO | Tips » FOWD Slide Competition Update
# May 21, 2009 - 12:30 am
[...] We managed to start quite a debate about our slide competition last week. If you haven’t read my original post check it out. For additional opinion I recommend watching Paul Boag’s video response as well as Mark Boulton’s post on the matter. [...]
Joachim
# May 24, 2009 - 1:34 pm
What should I say? Very nice theme!!
Thanks
Joachim
BigBrassNews
# June 5, 2009 - 5:23 am
[...] Where did we end up? BigBrassBand. The beauty of the name only became even more apparent when we got this design from Andy Geppelt @ BlueMonkeyDesigns (we usually work with a designer directly, but this time around we wanted to get as many varied ideas as possible [yes this is controversial, look at the dust storm kicked up at Carsonified re: spec work]). [...]
Mikah Sargent
# June 10, 2009 - 6:05 am
Mikah Sargent
# June 10, 2009 - 6:07 am
Major comment error!
Anyway, “Curious at how much billable time is being spent on this discussion…”
- Aaron Irizarry FTW
Richard Knight
# December 20, 2009 - 9:33 pm
A single slide to to hold a moment while someone is speaking? Obviously simple and effective design without being too distracting but then again…