Comments on: The Pro Bono Question

By: elizabeth simmons

elizabeth simmons — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:51:51 +0000

Cudos to the board! Civic organizations exist and thrive because they do something useful in their communities.
So pass it on.

By: Maurice Meilleur

Maurice Meilleur — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:17:58 +0000

Mo, your arguments are reasonable ones against working on spec, but the job posting at the center of this discussion was /not/ a spec job–at least, not the way that AIGA, the CUDO board, and pretty much every designer I’ve met all define ‘spec’.

If you think that there’s no difference between working on spec and working pro bono, then at least have the courtesy and intellectual honesty to say so openly, and address the arguments to the contrary. Right now, it looks like you didn’t even consider them.

As for this site being ‘not being in touch with the current state of design’ and the problems of designers … well, your comment says a lot, but not about CUDO.

By: Anastasia

Anastasia — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:05:53 +0000

every designer goes through different stages in their career — from amateur, to student, to professional. while you are sick of hearing “someone who would do it for pro-bono/free/cheap to build their portfolio”, when i had a portfolio with nothing but student work and nothing *real*, that statement was music to my ears.

in regards to an out-of-touch website, a new one is in the works!…and will be much more rich in content and conversation — I would be interested in how you think our new site should address this “plight” of the designer — a statement in “about”? a blog post like this one to keep the conversation going? would you want to organize a workshop or panel discussion that addressed this topic?

thanks!

By: Mo

Mo — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:36:42 +0000

I completely understand the necessity of pro-bono work. I myself have taken on countless pro-bono projects in order to acquire a portfolio – not to mention reputation. The issue is best met at the point where a designer sites down with a client to discuss a project. 9 times out of 10, the client will ask the designer to create a free comp in order to help them decide whether to hire the designer. As James alluded to, a plumber doesn’t fix a drain for you for free to approve of his/her work. They charge according to the hours/effort put into the job.

At the same time, these projects that are being paid for by “placing your logo on our site” or “we’ll spread your name/company through word of mouth to all our friends/colleagues” are tossing us around from client to client until finally we find one that RESPECTS the time and effort design really takes. Someone who understands that even though we are sitting for hours on-end, we are still working. I don’t think I need to defend the idea that designing is strenuous on a CUDO board – at least I hope not.

Don’t take my and James’ words as criticism of pro-bono work in general. I am sure that we are both well aware of its uses and existence. Take it as a criticism of your site not being in touch with the current state of design and the plight designers are currently facing due to clients who feel our services are over-priced and invaluable since there is apparently always “someone who would do it for pro-bono/free/cheap to build their portfolio.”

I, for one, am sick of hearing this from clients.