Calgary based Graphic design, Illustration, comic, cartoon and caricature

2013 retrospective

2013, what a year! Kim Jong Un did in his uncle, and then (reports say) his uncle’s entire family. Miley made twerking cool again (it’s not just for drunks at weddings anymore). Pope Francis took over after Benedict handed in his walking papers. Assad became the queen of denial, and Edward Snowden (if that IS his real name) decided the jig was up, and pulled back the curtain. There’s a new prince–George, I wonder if he’ll get a chance to check out his namesake town in BC (bring an umbrella, wot). The biggest hit of 2013 (Justin Bieber is really jealous) was Rob Ford. you just can’t unhear the things he said.

caricature

free graphic design

It’s called spec work, or maybe it’s a company deciding to have a “design contest”. But no matter what you call it–it’s bad for business. No matter the promises, Spec work is working for free. Clients want to try you out to see if you’re a good fit, but they don’t want to pay for the privilege or for your time.
Some studios don’t even mind going into a Spec situation, the argument is that you can land some pretty big fish working this way. In this day and age, when we’re appalled that some factory owner in a third-world country will pay his workers fifty cents a day, it amazes me that companies in Canada can ask for free work from freelancers and studios without batting an eye. Really?
If you’re a designer, you’ve got to say no to Spec, it hurts your industry. If you’re a client, are you willing to work for free, because my driveway is all snowy and I’d like to see how creative you can be?

SPEC