Poster by Jeff Andrews of Jeff Andrews Design (www.jeffandrewsdesign.com)
When a business is looking at cutting costs, it is common for owners to look for cheaper suppliers. A trend that has become more prominent of late is the array of graphic and web design websites offering professional services at cut-throat rates.
The idea behind these sites is simple. A client posts a request for services on the site, outlining requirements and parameters, and designers hoping to win the job post finished products for the clients perusal. The client then chooses from the list and pays the winner.
This is crowd sourcing. And it sounds like a win-win situation. However, in the end, nobody wins.
It may appear that the client – the business struggling to make it to the end of the month and who has to cut costs to save jobs and continue their business – is the winner. They get a finished product for little fuss, and at great savings to them. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a logo or simple website, they get the same service for the same price as a meal for two.
However, this service does nothing but undermine the value of design, the expertise of designers and the integrity of the company buying the service.
To begin with, the client is not getting what would appear to be a professional product. Many designers who contribute to competitive sites are not trained, full-time professionals, but part time weekend warriors looking to make a little extra money on the side. A business looking to expand it’s scope, appear to be as professional as they say they are, and out shine the competition would do well to seek the expertise of a professional. If a business believes a logo is necessary (and by posting a request for services on a crowd sourcing site, it would appear that the business attributes some value at least to the idea of having a logo) then it is worth doing correctly, professionally, and with a view to the longevity of the company.
Secondly, the designer is not being paid what he is worth. Cutting wages is not the answer to pulling any business, region or country out of a recession. If wages are not earned, wages cannot be spent, and professionals are forced to work longer hours for the same pay, thus diminishing quality of life, self respect and value. Anyone finding cut-throat services is not likely to value the product beyond what was paid. The business owner themselves will not view their business with any more respect than if they had done the logo themselves. Mobile phone providers have found that when they offer a new customer a free cell phone, the customer doesn’t value the phone and will treat it as a disposable device, often demanding free replacements soon after the phone took a dive in the toilet (as a former employee of a cell phone provider I was shocked by how many phones met their end this way!). From a technical standpoint, how is the client supposed to know if the logo is prepared correctly (will there be problems when the artwork is taken to a printer to be enlarged?)or if the website is actually standards compliant – will future browser developments deem the website useless? Is there a guarantee? What of updates, changes and improvements? Where is the freelancer then?
Thirdly, the design industry suffers. Once clients find that they can simply ask a score of designers to work for free so that they can take their pick, other designers will be expected to do the same. The client-supplier relationship is threatened; the personal and individual consultative process is removed and the end product is devalued. Every designer will be expected to work for the lowest bid, and buyers will end up with poor quality, hastily prepared designs that will represent nothing but the cheap attitudes of the consumers.
The call for paid work instead of spec work extends to the request for design ideas with a proposal. If you are asking ten designers for proposals along with spec-work (which is exactly the same as ‘throw in some ideas for us’), you are getting work done on your brand for free. If it’s unpaid design, it’s spec work. Period.
Other industries have unions to ensure fair wages. Minimum wage was established to ensure employers do not abuse employees and pay them fairly. Designers need to not undermine other designers, and business owners need to make sure they are paying professionals for their services in keeping with the value of the services rendered.
Would you trust your dental health to a dentist who only charges $15/hour? Do you expect your accountant to not make errors on your corporate tax return if the only reason you hire him is that he is the cheapest around? And at any price, you are the one paying the consequences when you face tooth decay or an audit.
If you are considering purchasing design services from anyone, you probably value your business. When you hire a true professional, you value your business and it’s long term growth.
To learn more about spec work, visit NO!SPEC.com
Poster Design by Jeff Andrews of Jeff Andrews Design
In truth, immediately i didn’t understand the essence. But after re-reading all at once became clear.
This is becoming prevalent in many areas, even beyond websites and graphics. I can speak from experience “penny-wise” is quality foolish. I can always tell when a client has cut corners all around their marketing and then they are shocked that it costs them to have me fix it.
Do you think it’s a perception of investment value? There are lots of things that are flashier to throw money at, but aren’t going to give the same return. For example, I’m sure nobody cares what kind of desk I have in my office!
This is where a lot of businesses must realize that you get what you pay for. It is upsetting that those of us that have invested time and money to perfect our craft are competing with lesser skilled non-professionals that will work for much less because it is not their career or business but a hobby.
With that being said I also glad that when I was just starting out that there where businesses willing to take a chance so I could hone my skills. I always gave 110% of my ability level. I never compromised quality which I am sure is not the case for many part-timers. Being inexperienced did not afford me the luxury of charging a professional rate.
So having been on both sides it is hard for me to pick a side. I will just reiterate – you get what you pay for – my work today is light years above what it was in the beginning and my rates have followed suite.