Spec Work > BOO!

I have very strong feelings on spec work. It sucks.

I have thought about this issue a great deal and I recently read an article in CA's photography annual about the state of design that you should all read. Basically the issues is this: there is no certification for graphic design like there is for architecture, industrial design and interior design. According to the article there are thousands of design programs at universities across the country, for these other fields in design, there are a couple hundred—combined. So colleges are creating programs, allowing almost anyone to enter (the money factor) with or without what it takes to contribute successfully to the fieled of graphic design. The job market gets flooded each year at graduation time with a huge population of under-qualified designers, all looking for a job or taking any job they can get and usually, under-cutting quality designers and firms. In the end, nobody wins because the work is usually poor, thus leaving a blemish on the face of quality designers, good designers who do good design are ignored and the client ends up looking bad and wasting money.

Don't think UB isn't also guilty of this trend. I anguish over the work of some classmates in the program and I can't believe what they hand in. Many of these students do not have what it takes and sadly they end up with a graduate degree in a field they do not understand or are prepared to contribute successfully. I personally think the program suffers greatly from this, it cheapens the degree in my opinion and that sucks too.

So, what does this all have to do with spec work? Simply, thousand of people pumped into the industry each year, on top of the thousands who are already struggling, limited jobs and a corporate greed system that takes advantage of graphic designers. If there was some sort of certification system, perhaps schools would cut back on the cash cow of false hopes they label a design program.

It is easy to eliminate spec work, don't do it and the results will trickle down.

I have a lot more to contribute to this issue, I'm glad it was brought up. See you all in class.

PS- I barely proofed this, so please excuse any mistakes, I gotta run.