Sitepoint has always proven to be a great resource for website marketing ideas. the articles listed on the site have always served as a great introduction to a number of topics. However, recently they have decided to add a section called contests which has upset a number of people including myself…
This section has become a hotbed for underpaid spec work that the section should be boycotted immediately. I just randomly searched through the listings to find not a single listing with a reward of over 400 dollars. These listings are for things such as identity systems, logos, printed materials, and complete websites. Now who in their right mind would offer these services on a completely speculative basis with a total compensation of 250 dollars if they are selected.
This is a serious issue that must be addressed, the value of our work as designers must not be seen as similar to the “contests” listed on this site. This site could easily serve as an example of pricing for potential clients who have never dealt with a designer before. As a community of designers we should all stand up and openly protest these “contests” I am suggesting that every designer with a blog please place one post in regards to this topic on their blog so that we may raise awareness of the problem.
NO SPEC’s current article is one in regards to this very matter, about how a non-profit used these services to obtain a logo. (http://www.no-spec.com/archives/the-spec-trap-sitepoint/) While it is absolutely appropriate for a non-profit to receive work on a pro-bono basis, it should be done in a way that creates interaction between the client and the designer. Trying to justify spec work through situations such as clients without budgets does not change the fact the majority of all entries will be a simple and underdeveloped final product, compared to properly finding a designer. To better illustrate my point I suggest you click here to visit the sitepoint contests section and see this travesty for yourself…
For More Info on the (Many) Negatives of Spec Work Visit: http://www.no-spec.com
Update:
It appears that some of my comments and the comments of other posters on the original sitepoint article have lead to a wonderful first-hand article about what participating in a sitepoint contest is like. Please visit leahzero’s comments by reading my update post.
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January 15th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Spec work absolutely degrades the field. A few years ago when I was finishing up college my Career Services advisor blatantly told me to quit doing spec work. I know it’s tempting but it always comes back to bite you in the ass. Zinni is right, the client comes back and wants this or that for cheap, because you did something for them before. After all, the whole purpose of a portfolio is to show someone your skills, doing spec work is like having someone look at your portfolio with a blindfold on.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
>> Now who in their right mind would offer these services on a completely speculative basis with a total compensation of 250 dollars if they are selected.
The people that are entering the contests, as you can see…
Why are you so worried about this, you’re not entering any of the contests are you?
January 15th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
@ Eli,
No I do not enter the contests, however I also might have while I was a naive freshman in college. I have written this post because it would have served me well at that time, and I am sure that there are other people in the world with a similar outlook and eagerness to learn that I had.
Thank you for your comment, I guess this is something that I should have stated in the original article.