NO!SPEC’s Quote of the Century…


Paul Rand paraphrased by Steve Jobs

I will solve your problem for you. And you will pay me. And you don’t have to use the solution. If you want options, go talk to other people. But I’ll solve the problem for you the best way I know how. And you can use it or not – that’s up to you. You are the client. But you pay me.

Nice. Very.


10 responses to “NO!SPEC’s Quote of the Century…”

  1. No, I won’t pay you because I won’t be hiring you. Steve Jobs? Now there’s a great role model for NO!SPEC.

  2. I am not a designer. But I have used them. I have had 5 professionally designed logos made for various company’s over the last few years.

    If ANY of those designers gave me a line of BULLSHIT like that, they would be out on their ass with nothing. You may have (some) talent in creating things, but there is no way you can know with no doubt you will have MY solution in your bag of tricks.

    I work with my designers, and hone something until it works for me. I could not give a fuck if it works for designer, or is the best THEY can do. It has to be the best for ME, not the designer. If the designer was so good, how come they just have a silly design business instead of actually doing something?

    The arrogance of this quote is so galling, I cannot see how anyone in a service business can support this attitude.

    FWIW, I am working on a new commission right now. My designer had a great start, but I threw all his colors out for MY colors. Not HIS. THAT is how you arrogant assholes should work, NOT by telling me what is right for me, or the highway.

    Jerks.

    • Hey, Dave, you are the arrogant one. When you go to a fancy restaurant, do you work with the chef to get something that is the best for YOU, or do you go to the fancy restaurant because you know you will get something fantastic to eat? That is Steve Jobs’ point.

  3. Dave do you really find the idea that designers expect to be paid for their work galling? That’s all this is about.

    This quote is not about a designer forcing their ideas onto a client or being unable to work with the client or follow their specifications. Any designer who’s unwilling to work cooperatively with their clients at all is doomed to failure. In fact, this quote specifically talks about solving the client’s problem.

    It’s all about designers being compensated for the time and effort put in on behalf of a client. It’s about designers getting paid for the work that they do (whether or not the client later decides to use that work.)

    Insisting on a sustainable business model and being paid for ones work is hardly arrogance or bad attitude.

  4. A whole FIVE (count’um) professionally designed LOGO’s?

    It might come as a surprise but not all clients are ACCEPTED, many for that attitude.

    Old Texas oil man (he’s quite well to do and you’d recognize the name instantly) once told me “there are some folk you’re better to hand a $20 bill, shake their hands and send them down the road as it’s MUCH CHEAPER that way.”

    Curious just how many of your designers did repeat work for you?

    You and your approach reminds me of how US Navy reacted to input from Albert Einstein regarding a redesign for a malfunctioning torpedo during WWII. NIH (not invented here).

    There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves. Will Rogers

  5. Dave
    The line is saying, “When you hire me -I will work to solve your problem, then you pay me. I don’t volunteer to send you designs and expect you to pay me. You hire me – you pay for it.” Assuming you give enough information to the designer to solve your problem and that you have reviewed their portfolio before hiring them to assure they have the skills to problem solve. Once you determine that you have hired the right designer, you work together to solve the problem. Then you pay. Just like when someone calls your business to solve their problem – when you work for them, you expect to be paid, right?
    A good designer is in the business to solve your problem, not make an art statement. Sometimes I do suggest colors other than the clients favorite colors, because it solves the business/branding problem to use those colors.
    As for why don’t we get real jobs – just one example: the Nike swoosh, a design – how many t-shirts do you think they sell simply because of the swoosh – ’cause come on, a tshirt is pretty much a tshirt. The “work” of a designer has made Nike m(b)illions.

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