Spec Resources
Free work or Spec (speculative) work can be defined as "Providing design services to develop creative concept work for free (or for a nominal fee) as part of a new business pitch."
The RGD Code of Ethics prevents RGD Members from doing work on spec.
Download RGD's Policy Statement on Spec Work
RGD provides a policy statement detailing the harmful effects of demands for spec work and providing advice on the professional methods for selecting graphic design services.
Below are resources explaining why doing work on spec is detrimental to professional designers AND their clients.
- No Spec Presentation at Style Frames NY by Lionel Gadoury RGD
- What is Spec Work? informational video by Topic Simple
- The NO! SPEC Campaign by NO!SPEC
- Position on Spec Work by AIGA
- Why We Don't Make Speculative Presentations by Creative Business
- When a "Contest" is Not a Contest by Jeff Fisher
- Don't Design on Spec by Jeffrey Zeldman
- Spec Work Arithmetic by Gunnar Swanson
- Time for Us All to Ditch Spec Creative Pitches by Zak Mroueh
- BuzzFeed article: A Lot Of People Are Feeling This Angry Email From A Designer Who Claims He Was Asked To “Work For Free”
For information on past RGD anti-spec successes, and other advocacy efforts, click here.
To inform us of a case of spec work or for further information, contact: Hilary Ashworth, Executive Director,
E mail: execdir@rgd.ca
