As a creative, odds are at some point in your career you’ll be asked to do a speculative gig. Often these are geared toward graphic designers, but writers, illustrators and photographers aren’t immune, either.

The number of businesses putting out RFSs, often for a logo design, is on the rise, and it’s not just the small guys. Nope that’s not a spelling error. Unlike a Request for Proposal (RFP), this is a Request for Spec (RFS).

How are they different? Glad you asked. An RFP documents what the project is, when it’s needed, the audience, some background research if available, who’s handing the approvals, the budget and other relevant information. The idea is to give the competing designers or firms equal ground to draft their proposal. The proposal contains the designers’ understanding of the project, strategy, process, any additional research, fees and reimbursements, schedules, along with background information about the designer, awards they’ve won, client list and why working with them is simply the bee’s knees.

An RFS, on the other hand, will sometimes contain the same information as an RFP but with one important addition. They want the competing designers to provide layouts and often finished works ready for press. One guy wins out and the others are out of luck. Often there’s no background information and folks design in a vacuum.

As a matter of fact, I read an RFS online the other day. This one really took the cake. The company wanted a logo designed “that they’ll love.” But, not only did they state that they weren’t interested in seeing designers’ resumes, CVs or portfolios, they didn’t even tell what type of business they were in. And as for payment for the lovely logo ... the offer of referrals.

Spec projects often come in the form of contests. Beware of these. The sponsor usually includes a line like, “We thought it would be fun ...” Sure, it’s loads of fun for them. Reading through the contest information, you’ll often find a ditty that states that the sponsor owns all the entries, not just the winner, and all rights to them.

The allure of contests and spec projects can be strong, especially for newbies. For some, ideas of fame, fortune and every thing that comes with them dance in their heads. Others see it as a way to get a portfolio piece. As for the latter, it’s important to note that if all rights are surrendered, you might not even be able to show the work in your portfolio.

There are those that believe the problem with spec is solely generated by client types. To a degree that’s true, but (and it’s a really big but) there are creatives out there eager, ready and more than willing to participate. And therein lies the rub. If creatives would refuse these requests and explain why they’re wrong the problem would begin to subside.

Here’s some reasons why creatives should just say no to spec:

Spec is unprofessional
Spec projects take away time and resources from bona fide projects with guaranteed revenue. Most pros won’t take them on.

Lack of professional research
Spec projects are about trying to win the work, not help the client and often lack adequate research.

Needs of the audience are not met
Due to a lack of adequate research, most spec projects are off base.

Spec’s myopic
They tend to be “one-off” pieces that don’t fit and may erode a company’s overall branding efforts.

Spec reduces value
Speculative projects reduce the value of the client/designer relationship.

Undermines consultive benefits
Spec requests tend reduce the potential of design down to a commodity rather than consultive collaboration.

Undervalues the profession
Designers who participate in speculative work are undervaluing their profession and encouraging the behavior.

Pitches and design don’t mix
Ad agency “pitches” are created to land accounts with potentially large media commissions. Media commissions are not typical in the design industry.

Red flags
Designers approached for spec work should ask themselves why a client is making the request. Similarly, clients should ask themselves why a pro designer would work for free.

Spec often lacks proper documentation
Speculative work is often done without contracts, thus removing any clear representation of “rights” to the artwork between the client and the designer.

The bottomline is that spec work is exploitive, whether or not the business making the request realizes it.

Many clients are in the business of making a thing ... a product. So, they tend to see things from that point-of-view. Creatives, on the other hand, sell their time and use the currency of ideas and concepts. “Try it before you buy it,” might be a great idea for a software company, but it’s a lousy one for creatives.

Unlike materials used to make a product, time is nonrenewable. When it’s gone, it’s gone. When creatives work on spec, they lose time, with no guarantee of compensation. That time would have been better spent working on a paying gig or marketing themselves to get paying work.

Design isn’t a product. A layout is an expression of an idea in tangible form. It’s the same with writing or photography. Writing is more than a collection of letters on a page. It’s the communication of thoughts and ideas. A photograph is more than pixels or silver on a piece of paper. It’s the photographer’s way of seeing and thinking.

When that next spec request shows up, it’s time to think about the damage spec does to the creative community. It’s time to think about the value you bring to the table. It’s time to think about your worth. It’s time to say no to spec.