I had an experience this week that I wish were rare in my industry, but sadly it just isn’t. I was asked, by a stranger, to work for them for nothing. This person wanted me to do what I do every day for a very good living, but for them, and for free. They’re not a charity or a non-profit — just a person with an event and a big-name brand sponsor. Here’s the message they sent me through my online portfolio:
Hi, if you have possible interest in a promotional barter, we have interest from
[big-name brand] for an annual [event].We need to tweak our .com art. Please advise if you may have interest.
Sounds interesting enough, but pretty vague as to what exactly the scope of that “tweak” would be and just what they’d be offering in trade. I think there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing design work, or any work, in trade for something that isn’t money. In fact, I wish more of our economy worked on the barter system. I have a side project going right now that’s being paid in trade, and I’m really excited about what I’m getting in return for my time, effort, and expertise. It’s a great arrangement if you’re not trying to make a living as a freelancer. The catch, however, is that the client does still need to offer up something of meaningful value in trade for work done, even if it’s not cash. So this was my reply:
I’d definitely be interested in knowing more about your needs. My first question is just what you mean by a “promotional barter” – that is, what are you offering in return for some graphics work?
I really do like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but this isn’t my first rodeo. Design, as a professional discipline, is chronically undervalued by people who don’t have regular experience working with professional designers or creative services agencies. I don’t think it’s malicious, but part of being a thick-skinned creative is learning not to flinch when people think what you do is either very easy or completely worthless. Their response:
In addition to the project being a useful promotion to enhance your portfolio, we can list you at [their website] ‘Credits’.
You’ve gotta love the classics. I’d bet every designer has heard this line at least once in their career. Honestly, it’s pretty hard not to be insulted by this kind of presumptive devaluation of what we do every day. Imagine going to your auto mechanic and saying “In return for fixing my car, I’ll let you take a picture of my car for your lobby and I’ll put a sticker on my engine that says ‘this car was fixed by Jim.’ Deal?” Sounds ridiculous, right? Yet designers get this all the time. I really don’t mean to be flippant, and I’m certain that the individual who contacted me meant no harm. I just don’t understand why people think that designers should be so willing to work for little or nothing.
Sure, it would be nice to have [big-name brand]’s logo on my resume, but I’m not exactly hurting for big-name logos — in fact I helped redesign a couple that are already on there. Maybe that’s why this bugs me so much. I’ve been doing this professionally (that is, for a living) for the better part of a decade now. The only time — the only time — it’s even remotely acceptable to suggest that a designer work for you purely for the benefit of his or her portfolio is if it’s your niece and she’s still in design school. But even then, it’s pretty unfair. She can and should get paid for any work she does for a real world client — period. She shouldn’t be charging a whole lot, but her time and her expertise, limited as it may yet be, are still valuable — still worth something.
Thing is, when someone offers me “portfolio work” they’re not actually doing me a favor, even if I were still in school. I can create essentially “fake” ads and designs for Nike or Apple or any other big-name brand and put them in my portfolio whenever I want. They don’t have to be actual projects to have a place in my book. Designers and copywriters use the term “spec work” to describe portfolio pieces that were either unused or unsolicited by a brand — and most creatives’ books have such work in them. Mine has several samples in it that never saw the light of day, but they’re good ideas and a great demonstration of how I think. CMYK Magazine is full of this kind of work — brilliant student ad concepts, designs, and photography done for household name brands with neither their input nor their permission. But each showcasing the skill and creativity of the designer or writer. That’s what a portfolio is ultimately about — demonstrating my professional creativity on my terms — not as a default repository for any project I happen to work on. Sure, showcasing actual projects is a great way to build credibility, but a wise veteran copywriter once told me, “Your portfolio is the only place in your entire career where you get do exactly the kind of work you want to do. No budget constraints, and no fearful client feedback to compromise your ideas. What would you do if you could do anything? That’s what your portfolio should be about.” I’m still trying to live up to that in my own portfolio, but I’m also really fortunate. I’ve got a lot of good, actual work to show for my time in the industry. But if I were looking to do work just for my book’s sake, it sure wouldn’t be for people who assume my work is worthless from the start. 
I’m not alone. Here are more examples from Clients from Hell:
Is $300 a fair price for your time? Or if you want, I can pay you in X-Men comics as I have a few grand worth gathering dust!
Well, I was hoping you wouldn’t just be interested in making money. I wanted you to understand how much you could learn from me, and how valuable that would be. That’s why I think $12/hr is a fair rate for you to produce the website. If you can’t work for this rate than you miss out.
We will pay you when the site is making profit.
So, you’re saying that it will take 2 days to complete this illustration. If we give you the project today, can we have it tomorrow afternoon at half the price?
We don’t have a lot of budget for this project but feel it would make a great portfolio piece and would really be worth the experience.
… and by the way, I can’t afford to pay you for this job, but you will be paid in karma — which is so much better and more permanent anyway.
We’re not happy with the concept you sent over, as a result we don’t feel we should have to pay for it. Can you please send over the design so far as a word document so we can change it ourselves.
I don’t want to pay for something that might not be what I want – can you make up a few working samples of my site and send me all the stuff for it? Then I can try them out and choose the one I like best.
Prospective client: $400 for a logo?! Why are you so expensive? My nephew has Photoshop—I can just get him to do it.
Me: Does your nephew have Microsoft Word?
Prospective client: Yes.
Me: Then have him write you a novel while he’s at it.
OMG… Since you were so eloquent about lack of respect here’s another side I’ve ran into.
I love the “I had an “Art Class” back in high school type with the “So let’s change out those block letters for a scripty letter thingy like… Hellvetical!” mentality. An actual statement by a “Set Decorator” on the movie set for Soldier that I worked on.
I also love the mentality of event organizers, like a certain MINI Event, suggesting you be apart of a contest to design a new logo for that years event. “You’ll get a free printed Tshirt with your design on it.” 1. you have folks with no knowledge of design, 2. they usually choose the most gawd awful design. Come to me ask me if I’d like to do the work gratis don’t ask me to be a part of a contest, what are we baking pies?
I think we have to point the finger at us the designers, mostly. As you suggested when we are starting in the biz we allow folks to use us for their benefit and we think employers will see that Nike ad you did for Chick’s Sporting Goods and say… “Wow, let’s hire that fellow.” Doesn’t happen that way.
I did work for a large trucking firm for 5 years. We did some really fun work and the work, worked. Then… one of the sons, he had an art class in high school, got involved and started with “we can make these designs work!” “Tell me again why am I paying you to do this stuff?” After 1 year of that I told them to find another firm. A friend of mine who builds their trade show work says the new stuff is awful, they do it in-house, by the son. They haven’t won a Best of Show since. I really thought they understood why sales were better, why 5,000 answered a postcard I did wanting new drivers not 500 like before I started doing their work, but in the end, it didn’t, it was all about money they think they saved.
The above probably makes no sense.
Thanks RB,
There are a lot of dysfunctions in the client/provider relationship and this is but the tip of the iceberg. But rather than just rant about it, I would hope that this relationship will evolve and get better. Part of that, I strongly believe, is going to have to mean a lot of bravery on the part of the people who do this kind of work. Bravery in saying no. No, I will not work for free. No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. No, I won’t move the deadline. No, you don’t get a discount just because you haven’t budgeted enough. Obviously there’s a lot of give and take, but more often than not, unfortunately, it’s mostly take. We designers are going to have to cowboy up and realize that we do ourselves no favors by compromising how we work and how much our work is worth. What have you gained by working for free? A decent paycheck? No. Respect? Certainly not! Credibility for future work? Not really. So yeah, don’t give it away folks. It’s worth too much — to all of us.
Thanks for the post. I’ve been guilty of the “for your portfolio” tactic towards a friend of mine..only because I thought that’s how it worked. This perspective shows me how it should be. I love the “fixed by Jim” analogy. Great eye opener – thanks!
So glad you get it, Adam! Thing is, we designers are very much to blame for our part of that misconception. We need to take mighty, righteous offense to this kind of thing and hopefully train it out of the marketplace.
It’s because design is just extra special training with Microsoft Paint. Anyone can do it, I just don’t have the time.
This topic fuels a lot of dribbling hilarity in the threads over at 27b/6.
Of course, just as architecture is but clever use of a hammer.