BuzZ January :: Respect not Spec

Has a potential client asked you to pitch creative comps, without being paid, in hopes of winning their business? Have you seen design "contests" which ask designers to create work unpaid in the hopes of winning a frequently less-than-grand prize? Have you noticed the increasing prevalence of design-related crowdsourcing sites?

These are all examples of speculative (spec) work—that is, work done without compensation prior to engagement with a client in anticipation of being paid. AIGA believes that professional designers should be compensated fairly for the value of their work and should negotiate the ownership or use rights of their intellectual and creative property through an engagement with clients.

Join Carolyn Colonna, Senior Designer at birdsong gregory and President of AIGA Charlotte, as she leads a discussion on what spec work is (and isn't), how it is affecting the design industry locally and nationally, and reasons why the practice of spec work is bad for both designers and their clients.

For AIGA's position on spec work, please visit http://www.aiga.org/position-spec-work

About BuzZ
AIGA Charlotte BuzZ is a meet-up event geared toward Charlotte area creatives and small business owners/employees. Please come join us for coffee as we discuss a different topic each month. Come to learn or come to share the knowledge you already have. Either way, just come see what all the BuzZ is all about.