21–29 of 29 posts
If they don't have one or if it doesn't give me enough info, then I would either A) ask them to do a small paid project, or B) have them do some small bit of work that isn't something my company can use, and therefore would be a good portfolio piece in the future. I'd prefer A, but could see doing B as an interview-ish thing.
What startups need to understand is that by asking "how cheap can I be", they are short changing themselves the true value that a designer can bring to their team: true creativity.
Building the right design for your product requires a process of communication, of revision, of going back-and-forth, of synergetic teamwork. Because the job of a designer is to think of the things, use cases, scenarios, etc., that you haven't and wouldn't have thought of without his/her help, and then design up your product to be better than what you had imagined. That's the true value of creativity will differentiate your product. This creativity cannot be bought through an one-way-communication - spec work.
There are 6561 photography iPhone apps and only 1 Instagram. Design is not a commodity. Startups should ask themselves if they want to be like Instagram or the 6560 other photography apps in deciding whether to invest in design.
I have no trouble with the concept of spec work as a way of judging ability, but I do have a problem with it being approached the wrong way. I recently applied to join a YC-funded startup as their UX designer. We had a lot of discussion back and forth, and went through several (very fun) interviews. Then, after we'd all met and gotten along very well, and they liked my background, they asked for a spec design. The sp…
I think that while you think they're good people/company/etc., jobwise you probably dodged a bullet here. It simply displays poor ethics on their part.
Lastly, paying a prospect for their time in this context is indeed something 37Signals has talked about working well for them. Pity it wasn't these guys.
I thought spec work which was so wildly reviled was 99designs, or giving a designer a colour palette and theme they must work from.
I have no trouble with the concept of spec work as a way of judging ability, but I do have a problem with it being approached the wrong way. I recently applied to join a YC-funded startup as their UX designer. We had a lot of discussion back and forth, and went through several (very fun) interviews. Then, after we'd all met and gotten along very well, and they liked my background, they asked for a spec design. The sp…
You're right -- the appropriate and respectful thing to do would've been to bring you aboard as a contract-to-hire, and if things didn't work out, let you go -- after properly paying you for your time and product. If you can afford to hire someone, you can certainly afford the fractional (and risk-free) cost of trying them out.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You imply good design cannot be had at places like 99designs. I find that unfair, and a bit conceited.
Citation needed on the implied good designs. The two people I knew that used the site as 'designers' were doing so as a means to dip their feet into graphic design. They were using it to see if they even had a chance in the industry. I'm not saying good design can't be had, but when you're competing with people that are putting zero experience behind their work and they beat you out on subjectivism alone, it leaves a…
While I agree with the overall message of the article, one facet that is not mentioned is that spec work offers an opportunity for less-experienced people to showcase their talent and compensate for a less extensive portfolio.
It's important to note: building a portfolio takes time. Building a reputation takes even more time. Taking on spec work only lowers the value of your work/reputation. Once upon a time I felt the same way, but by saying "no" now, you're saying "yes" to a lot later.
I'm curious to know what others think of using services such as 99designs, a kind of spec work market place. Most designers absolutely hate it [1]. [1] http://www.no-spec.com/archives/tag/99designs/
Spec work will not go away. It sells itself on hope. It gives hope to a designer without other means of making an income that he/she can have a chance of winning the work. There is a place for spec work that cannot be completely annihilated. What startups need to understand is that by asking "how cheap can I be", they are short changing themselves the true value that a designer can bring to their team: true creativit…