Neil Tortorella is a veteran graphic designer, writer and marketing
consultant with over 30 years' experience
in developing identities, collateral and web solutions for both large
and small companies. Based in the Greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida area,
Tortorella Design has received
numerous awards for design excellence.
The problem with spec work revisited
by Neil Tortorella
I recently received an email from
Maya Sunpongco of DesignInsomnia,
who was in a quandary over a spec work request from a prospect.
The request was pretty
typical — create a prototype on spec, competing against
three other designers, with the "winner" getting
a chance for future assignments. I was a bit surprised the "chance" for
future assignments. Usually these folks dangle the whole carrot,
promising a boat load of work down the road. I've know a couple
of designers who did, in fact, get a lot of work by starting
off with a spec project. But, they're far and few between.
Spec work ... the bane of the graphic design industry. I simply
refuse to do it. I ask the folks that request it if they provide
their products and/or services to their customers and take
payment only if the customer likes it or thinks it has some
value. That typically gets them to shut up or put up.
I explain to clients and prospects that I deal in ideas,
concepts and hours. I don't make widgets and that can be hard
for some clients to understand. Particularly if they manufacture
a product. They know it costs X amount to make it and takes
Y amount of time to produce it. I may come up with a killer
idea in a couple of minutes. Or it may take several days. But,
either way, I go through my process and do the research, explore
concepts and work out the bugs. My first idea may be
the best, but I don't know that unless I go through the design
process.
Uh oh! Now I'm on a roll.
There are some segments of the overall design and communications
industries that do spec work all the time. Architects come
to mind and so do larger ad agencies. The difference is that
these folks are usually dealing in significantly higher dollar
amounts and spec presentations are often accounted as cost
of sales.
For instance, an ad agency is invited to make a pitch to MondoHugeO
Corp. MondoHugeO
has a $75 million media budget. Let's say the agency gets 17.65%
of the media billings ... or 13,237,500 smackers. They invest
70 grand into their pitch, which includes spec print ads, a
brochure layout and a 15-sec. TV spot. It's a gamble, but 70
grand to make over 13 million isn't too bad ... especially
when they can write off the 70 grand as cost of sales.
Graphic designers don't often deal in those numbers. We tend to have fewer 0s.
Let's say a client (Spec, Inc.) wants a 12-page full color brochure. The designer's
rate is $75/hr. Joe Designer figures he can put together something snappy in
about 64 hours. That's a design and production budget of $4800. So, after a client
meeting, Joe puts on the coffee and spends the time doing the research, thumbnails
and edits them down to what he believes is a the best solution. He creates a
killer comp for presentation to Spec, Inc. So far Joe's invested, let's say 30
hours, plus the cost of materials - high res printouts, a stock photo disk and
a couple of pizzas. $2250 in time, $350 for the stock image disk, $12 for output
and $10.00 for pizza (he had a two for one coupon). $2622 out the door so far.
So ... let's look at this, shall we? The agency that's courting HMO puts in what
amounts to slightly better than .5% of the potential revenue. Our designer puts
in roughly 55% of potential revenues. Not exactly a fair trade. If the designer
does this kind of stuff too often they're gonna be out of business pretty quick.
Spec work isn't exactly a sound marketing strategy.
Beyond this, I tell my clients that design is something like building a house
(I come from a long line of builders). You can build a 23 room mansion with 15
bathrooms all in Italian marble. Or, you can build a cozy 2 bedroom bungalow.
For that matter, you can go native and build a lean-to in the woods. The thing
is, the budget dictates what can be done. No budget. No plans. No house. I work
to my clients' budgets. If their budget is too low to do anything, I let them
know right off the bat. Primo Angeli once said, "... time and money. Without
them, design is mere decoration. Neither good design nor fine art."
On a side note, there are occasions when it might make sense to do a spec project.
Okay ... give me a break. I'm a Libra so I tend to see both sides. Here in the
U.S. we have HGTV - The Home and Garden Channel. I'm an HGTV junkie. They have
a show called, "Designers' Challenge." Three interior designers compete
by making (what appears to be) spec presentations to Mr. & Mrs. Suburbia.
One gets the gig and the other two walk. But, the two that didn't get the assignment
got something that's maybe even better - national exposure on a popular cable
TV show. It would be interesting to find the cost of a spot that gives them the
same kind of exposure. They not only get air time, they get to show their process
and the thinking behind the design. As a matter of fact, the September, 2004
edition of Entrepreneur Magazine carried an article about Interior Designer,
Lee Snijders who appeared on "Designers' Challenge." Snijders said in
the
article, "During the first commercial break, my girlfriend and I checked
my email, and I already had 15 e-mails from people requesting whole home designs
... By the next morning, I had received 225 emails. I was ecstatic." Snijders
went on to host his own show, "Design On A Dime," on HGTV which is
seen by
and audience of 88 million. Not too shabby.
At some point we all are all asked to do a spec gig. Think carefully. Unless
there's some compelling reason to jump in ... preferably in written form and
signed in
blood, turn, run to the door and don't look back.
