Tag: Spec Work

  • Spec work and design students

    We regularly receive letters from design students and those new to the design industry. In their correspondence the students often explain how they were not educated about spec, and/or were sent to contest sites by their instructors. Earlier this year we discussed the subject with a design student, Thomas. One thing led to another and […]

  • Logo Design Love: SpecWatch on Design Contests

    Do you twitter? If you don’t have a twitter account, then you are missing out on the latest spec happening in the design industry. Logo Design Love: It’s interesting to see the recent appearance of Spec Watch, a venture that educates about the very real risks of design contest websites and their so-called ‘communities’. Spec […]

  • 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 […]

  • Comments on Spec Work and Crowdsourcing

    From the previous post, CreativePro: Spec Work and Crowdsourcing, I thought I’d grab a few of the opinions from the comments. Shale Grant said: Thanks for your constant and steadfast guard over working on spec. I’ve done both (have my own design firm and have submitted to Crowdspring and frankly no one’s forcing the designers […]

  • CreativePro: Spec Work and Crowdsourcing

    Spec Work and Crowdsourcing, when will they ever learn? Pamela Pfiffner, writer and founding editor of CreativePro.com, recently put together a timely article for designers: Spec Work and Crowdsourcing: Gambles that Don’t Pay Off. The economy’s in the toilet and you’re hungry for jobs, so you’re working on spec or posting designs to sites like […]

  • Positive Space: 99Designs Stoops to a New Low

    Tony of Positive Space has a decent conversation going in his post: 99Designs Stoops to a New Low and Attempts Propaganda. If you have been following Positive Space for a while, then you undoubtedly know that I have a problem with both spec work and 99designs (previously sitepoint contests). However most recently the minds behind […]

  • Pixish = Spec-ish?

    Whoooh, busy time here at no-spec.com, what with the emails and hits rolling in on the subject of Derek Powazek’s new site, Pixish. Like other posters, I hold Derek in high regard so his waffly stance – professing to be against spec yet promoting spec – was a confusing surprise. Note: For those interested in […]

  • Miles on Free Pitching

    Miles’ Blog: That monster called Free Pitch No matter what you call it, Spec Work, Free Pitch, etc the concept is the same. I’ll get a handful of designers or studios to come up with a handful of concepts for my website, and the winner gets my business. Great concept? No! There are no winners […]

  • Spec work, anyone?

    Spec work can damage your business, by David Airey If you’re a designer, and you receive a request for speculative work, write or call the issuer. There’s a chance they may not even realise this practice is unethical. … Earlier this year, Shayne Tilley published an article on springwise.com, about ‘crowdsourcing’ in graphic design. The […]

  • Open Letter to CL (Craigslist) Administration

    This letter was forwarded to NO!SPEC. (Please note: Discussions are open, but inflammatory comments will be deleted) Open Letter to CL Administration Reply to: gigs-412731766@craigslist.org Date: 2007-09-03, 8:34AM To all creative professionals; please read this, and if you agree, please forward it in an email to Craigslist administration by sending them a note at this […]