Thought for today: "No spec work."
Donating art you've created for a cause you're interested in supporting is something different and admirable. That isn't spec work.
WHAT IS SPEC WORK?
Basically, spec work is any kind of creative work rendered and submitted, either partial or completed, by a designer to a prospective client/employer before taking steps to secure both their work and an equitable fee. Under these conditions, a designer will often be requested to submit work under the guise of either a contest or an entry exam on actual, existing jobs as a "test" of their skill. In addition, the designer normally unwittingly loses all rights to their creative work because they failed to protect themselves by means of a signed binding contract or agreement. The client/employer often uses this freely gained work as they see fit without fear of legal repercussion.
WHY IS SPEC WORK UNETHICAL?
The designer in essence works free of charge and with an often falsely advertised, overinflated promise for future employment; or is given other insufficient forms of compensation. Usually these glorified prizes or "carrots" appear tantalizing for creative communicators just starting out, ending with encouraging examples like "good for your portfolio" or "gain recognition." The reality is that they often yield little extra work, profit or referrals. Moreover they often must sign a contract unwittingly waiving their valuable creative rights and ownership of their work to the ones promoting this system. A verbal agreement is ineffective in protecting the rights of the designer in a court of law. As a result the client/employer will often employ other designers using similar unprincipled tactics to change and/or resell the creative work as their own. This also promotes the practice of designers ridiculously undercharging themselves in the hopes of "outbidding" any potential rivals, devaluing both their skills and those of the graphics industry in the process. Promoting this method encourages some clients/employers to continue preying on uninformed creatives for menially valued labor.
IS MY CONTEST SPEC WORK?
To answer this, ask yourself:
Will I equitably pay a winning designer for the work rendered as if they were hired under contract to do the same thing?
Will I negotiate a proper compensation for the usage rights commensurate to their level of skill?
Will I return the working files and usage rights to ALL designs submitted, particularly if they don't win?
If the answer is "no" to any of these questions then your contest likely promotes speculative work. Moreover, any contest that expects a designer to work for free ( especially in the case of the "losers" ) encourages the undervaluing of a designer's labor, which ultimately undermines the quality of any professional workplace.
Read more here:
www.no-spec.com/faq/