My recent bout with unemployment and the mostly fruitless pursuit of new employment, prompted me to more aggressively seek freelance work. Others who have gone this route are very familiar with replying to a Craigslist gig ad and never hearing a word from the poster. So I have gone about trying to find freelance gigs through alternative means including networking with family, friends and former colleagues, and the old-fashioned technique of beating the pavement and leaving my card with prospective clients.
I have also found some web-based solutions that might actually lead to real work as opposed to some of the things you see on Craigslist. Sites like eLance.com, oDesk.com and Guru.com each give contractors the ability to find and bid on projects that meet their particular skill set. As one would expect, contracts often go to the lowest bidder. So in order to win a bid, you have to bid well below your market worth, or hope that clients realize the true value of quality and experience (fat chance). The only consolation for the contractors whose bids were turned down, is that they know that you get what you pay for. If you pick someone who promises you an e-commerce site for $500.00, you can't complain about what a piece of shite you got in return.
One freelance matching service in particular sets a very poor precedent for all designers. CrowdSpring.com is a stakeholder's dream. The client posts a project proposal with the fee they want to pay for the project. Then member designers post comps for the project to compete for the award. The only designer who gets paid is the one who wins the client's approval. In some cases, designers are required to participate in several rounds of comp revisions in order to remain under consideration for a project. That is a lot of unpaid work for the designers who are rejected.
I understand that inexperienced designers see Crowdspring as an opportunity to showcase their work and possibly make some money. But there are several problems with participating in this kind of process. There is no guarantee that you will get paid. You risk creating work that can be appropriated by others without attribution or payment. You may even appropriate the work of others based on the client feedback of what they like about one comp over another. The only benefit that can offset these issues is that designers can add their "work" to their portfolios. But adding projects to a portfolio doesn't put food on the table, or a roof over your head or clothes on your back.
Paul Boag wrote a tongue-in-cheek article about how clients should deal with their designers. His first item addresses the idea that designers should feel privileged just to get a chance to work on a project. And for that privilege, they should gladly create a comp or speculative design, free of charge. That's like asking a plumber to fix your kitchen sink for free, and if he does a good job, you'll let him work on your other plumbing projects for pay. Does anyone expect to go into an attorney's office and get free legal advice? Would anyone expect an architect to create drawings for a house for free? So why is it OK to expect a designer to create anything for free?
Designers who participate in this kind of process need to realize that knowledge, skill and talent are the commodities that they sell to potential clients and employers. Giving those commodities away not only reduces the value of an individual designer, it brings the entire industry down. Good design is not free and it is not cheap. Just ask AT&T and Pepsi how much they paid for their recent logo re-designs. I guarantee you the design firms they chose to perform the work, got paid for every minute of work they performed for the projects.
There are alternatives to giving services away for free just to pad a portfolio. If you are going to work for free, then volunteer your services to a worthy non-profit organization. Bartering is another alternative. Know a masseuse, hair stylist or chiropractor who needs a good website? Offer to trade service for service. In both cases, they get a good site, and you get to develop your portfolio of work. Designers, just say "No!!!" to working for free.
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April 25th, 2012 at 7:46
I’ve always enjoyed this handy chart on the topic:
http://www.shouldiworkforfree.com/index.html#no5