AIGA believes that doing speculative work—that is, work done without compensation, for the client’s speculation—seriously compromises the quality of work that clients are entitled to and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide. AIGA strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project.

Are requests of speculative nature really coming from potential clients?  I mean to insinuate that “potential” is not the right word to use because invariably these folks are looking for free work.  I have encountered speculative work requests from many job inquiry replies where the client is “impressed with your work” and would like you to “demonstrate your ability” by sending a mock-up or submitting some type of speculative work in hopes of possibly being chosen in the end.  Of course, the client could choose no one…it’s free after all.  Hmm…Do you only pay for one dinner after you’ve tried out 10 different meals at 10 different restaurants?  Do you only pay the one plumber after you’ve asked 10 different ones to visit your home and fix the problem?  Everything comes at a cost and requesting work means you should pay for it – whatever form of compensation it may be.

Let’s talk about consultations.  Designers offer consultations just as orthodontists do to give prospective clients a chance to learn more, but not necessarily commit.  After all, everyone shops around and it’s the same in the design world.  We certainly offer a variety of assets for the client to base their decision on, from portfolios to recommendations to direct communication and quoting for a particular project.  If you have questions, please do ask and we will be happy to explain our process and what we will do – how it all works in a sense.  However, actually executing the work without a contract or agreement of compensation is not part of doing business.  At least not part of doing good business.

From a designer’s point of view spec work is definitely evil.  Whether people are realizing it or not, asking for spec work is rather offensive.  You are asking me to work for free.  Are you assuming that what I do can’t be worth much or that it simply doesn’t take much time or thought?  Do you not value the work that I do?  Yes, I am offended as a designer when it comes to spec work requests.  However, people have the right to request and I therefore utilize my right to decline.

There are many designers who are willing to give up some of their rights because they are in a desperate situation – a slight chance at compensation is better than nothing.  There are always those who are taken advantage of in a sense, but the pros and cons are different from every perspective.  Perhaps it was the right thing to do for that person at that point in time?  I think it is bad for the industry in general however, as it pollutes the understanding of what design is worth and perhaps what good design and the proper process really is.

From the client’s point of view it seems as if you are getting the better end of the stick, right?  You get multiple designers to work for you at no charge and in the end, you still get the opportunity to choose one if you really like it or start all over again.  Do you realize that you are losing control of your own project?  Listing a few bullet points of what you think you need will not result in the best solution.  Design is a collaborative process where client and professional work together and the relationship is important to fully understand the issue and come up with a proper solution.  Are you requesting spec work because you do not know what you really want or need?  Do you realize that designers will be working towards the goal of being chosen – not what is best for the goals of your business in spec submissions?  There is definitely a difference.

I certainly see the arguments on both sides of the issue and undoubtedly the great debates and practices will continue into the future.  Ultimately, everyone has to make their own decision as to what they want to do and think hard about why it is proper or not proper for their business.  For those who participate in spec work, think hard about how else you could spend your time that might be a better investment.  For those who ask for spec work, please tread carefully and understand why a designer would refuse.  Designers who agree to your requests have their reasons but perhaps you should ask them why they are willing to work for free.

Reference reading:
AIGA – Position on spec work
No Spec!
MarkBoulton.co.uk – The personal cost of designing on spec
SXSW 2009 Is Spec Work Evil? Youtube clip

Posted on March 31, 2009 at 11:00 am | Design | No comments

Designers and coders alike talk about web standards and coding web pages using CSS-based layouts to separate design from content.  The norm for web development makes everything easier to update and faster to load amongst other benefits – what we would call the right way of doing things or at least the idea of designing with standards as Zeldman’s book is titled.  However, when it comes to HTML email blasts and newsletters – the current foundations of proper web development go out the window.  It’s back to the old school ways of coding…HTML tables, baby!

People use an array of different programs to check up on email communications.  Most corporate environments have Microsoft Outlook as an email client and it’s often hooked up to your blackberry or iPhone as well.  There’s also the web clients like Yahoo and Gmail to name a few, which all interpret and render your coding a bit differently.  Just as your website might look slightly different in the various browsers and platforms, your HTML email can look even more drastically different between email clients.  That is probably because the evolution of email clients is a bit behind that of web browsers.  Standards and compliance are still wishy washy amongst the most popularly used email clients.  A masterpiece on one computer could also be a beautiful mess on another.

Microsoft’s release of Outlook 2007 actually took the industry a bit backwards when it seemed that email clients started trending towards standards compliance.  I found out first hand with a client who had major issues with an email campaign they regularly used.  Suddenly the design looked way off because all the background images were not rendered by Outlook 2007.  Even worse, recipients would have seen these mistakes all along since it was only recently that the client’s office was updated to the 2007 version of Outlook!

Knowing that the playing field is different for HTML email, realize that certain design solutions might be more work that its worth.  Certainly we don’t want to resign to the extreme of colored boxes in a column, but remember the trade offs and balance required.  Coders have to work with the rules they are bound by, but certainly designers still have ample freedom to create wonderful graphical layouts for any email campaign.

Important considerations when it comes to designing and building HTML emails center around how accessible we want to be and what we would trade off for a lot less coding.  There are always many different possible solutions – we have to choose the right one for our specific needs, requirements and restrictions.  From my experience using the old school methods of HTML tables works pretty much everywhere (if coded properly and neatly of course) but the use of colspan and rowspan does not render in Lotus Notes.  Is that a major factor for the client?  Is it really that much more difficult to not use colspan or rowspan?  Web professionals surely remember how they used to code years back, so it’s not an issue of skill or new tricks in HTML.  Ultimately, the best rule to keep in mind is KISS.  Keep it simple stupid.

Emails are meant to provide quicks snippets of information that lead a user to a specific call to action.  So, we shouldn’t waste too much of the reader’s time if we want them to go elsewhere in the end.  Also note that the reader might only see the subject and very top portion of your email depending on how quickly they usually spin through their email boxes – so it is important to be as direct and concise as possible without any fluff, in my opinion.

I think it is an eventuality that standards will be set to push the industry forward and help everyone get more work done and faster.  Designers and developers are left to fend for themselves at this point, although there are organizations pushing forward for standards and a great community to help as issues arise.  Take note that technology changes constantly and we just have to roll with the punches!

Reference reading:
Email Standards Project
Campaign Monitor – Email design guidelines
MailChimp – Email Marketing Benchmarks by Industry

Posted on March 30, 2009 at 8:56 pm | HTML email | No comments

Being a web designer for hire, I am often approached by prospective clients with many different inquiries.  I have found that people usually fall into a couple major categories.  There are those who don’t think they need a website at all.  Then there are beginners who are not sure what they need or exactly the reasons why, but they just know a website should probably be built ASAP.  Then there are those seasoned business owners who know the process and have done it all before successfully.  Lastly, there are those clients who think they know everything and want the world (and maybe more).  Certainly these are all extremes, but I think it helps to address these groups regarding why a good website is essential to you and your business.

I Don’t Need A Website
For those of you who do not think an online presence is necessary, please wake up and smell the technology.  Certainly in 2009, if not many years ago already, consumers expect businesses to have an online presence at the least.  I think it is as essential as having a telephone number and a business address where people can reach you, only the digital version.  Many businesses who are doing well do not realize the potential for growth if they were to expand online and reach a completely different audience.  I have witnessed brick and mortar shops gaining new customers as their website generated new leads for them.  Once people became customers, they were reoccurring visitors to the brick and mortar shop, but the website continued to recruit new leads.  Realize that the investment of building and maintaining a website leads not only to web presence but also provides advertising with 24/7 global reach and even education, support, community and feedback for research if you should choose.

Getting Started Online
Once you realize that a website is essential to your business, stop and think about the specific goals you want to achieve through your website.  Beginners often jump into throwing up something or another ASAP to get into the online game.  Remember that whatever you put out into the world is a reflection of your business.  You would invest a good amount of time for such things as accounting I’m sure, why not your website as well?  This is when the pivotal word comes in, you need a good website, not just any website.  What does a good website mean?  Well, it depends on what you are specifically trying to achieve.  What are your business goals and expectations in order to consider the website a success?  Quite often projects go by where owners have no measure of success – besides just getting it done.  I think we can do better than just getting it done.

A good website will not only give you a place on the Internet, but more specifically your very own unique digital presence online.  How do you want your business to be perceived?  It can either build or ruin credibility for your image, so you must ensure quality of design.  The site should not be purple because it is your favorite color, rather think about what you want customers to see as their first impression of your business.  Ensure usability on your website, so users can easily find what they want and need as well as accessibility for mobile phones, screen readers and other forms of access you want to support.  Finally, ensure that the ultimate goals for your website are reached and you can mark your project as a success.  Do you want to generate x amount of leads per month?  Do you want to reduce the amount of support phone calls by providing information online?  Do you want to announce events online so it is easily available to your audience 24/7?

The Usual Suspects
Seasoned business professionals will agree that building a website for your business takes time and thought.  Also realize that although you hire a professional to design and develop the site – the business is yours and you are the expert on that front.  It’s a collaborative process, not a one-way street.  The client presents the project, the professional and the client work  together to go over research and pertinent analysis in order to discuss possible solutions.  Only when a suitable solution is agreed upon can the professional actually execute.  Coming from a project management background, I can tell you that every project, no matter what industry, goes through a series of similar steps.  It’s the particulars, specific questions and methods that might change per field – but ideologically a project is a project is a project…  There is a “problem” and multiple solutions exist, each with varying attributes, pros and cons.  The best solution for the client must be decided upon, so the professional can execute.  I note that there might be multiple solutions, because that is always the case.  We weigh the varying factors and decide collectively what is best for the current situation.  There are a million ways to skin a cat, right?

Those Who Want It All
In my corporate experience I have often encountered clients that knew absolutely everything.  Or at least they certainly thought so.  Not only do they usually want it all, they want it fast, good and cheap.  I can tell you that the constraints of any endeavor are scope, time and cost.  The infamous triangle of constraints – tweaking one side means you invariably affect the other sides of the triangle.  Depending on how you allocate your efforts a certain type of quality results in the product you create or the service you provide.  Suffice to say you can’t have it all.  For example, if you want something done by tomorrow which normally takes a week, since you are tweaking time, the cost might go up and the scope might go down.  I should also note sometimes requests are humanly impossible.  Something has got to give, so don’t forget the triangle of constraints!

A Good Website For Your Business and Your Needs
Your specific business goals could range from creating an online presence only or perhaps also to sell products through e-commerce, advertise new services, promote an endeavor, educate and inform the masses or provide support, community or feedback to customers.  Certainly every business needs a website, but remember more importantly that what you really want is a good website.  It will not only meet your needs as a business owner but also your potential customers’ needs who are probably searching around for your website right now…

Reference reading:
Entreprenaur.com article “Why You Need A Website”

Posted on March 30, 2009 at 5:42 pm | About Business | 1 comment