I want to design for FREE – and why it doesn’t work
No seriously.
Money causes so many problems. For example:
- When someone hires you, they want control. This includes time lines, visual direction, everything.
- Generally, people are not very grateful for the work done. It is expected.
- They want perfection. They paid for something. It better work. (of course perfection is relative…)
Giving work away turns things upside down. Indulge me a few idealistic benefits:
- I could choose and control my work, allowing me to become more invested in it.
- Time lines would be less important than results.
- People are grateful. Especially receiving something desperately needed or highly valued.
- Besides, giving things away is fun! Have you tried it?
With discipline, all this becomes a virtuous circle of high quality craftsmanship, sane deadlines, and grateful clientele (Que the angelic choir…). Of course, I’d still go hungry. Believe me, I’ve tried to come up with a scenario where this could pay the bills. Maybe I just charge for out of pocket expenses and offer people the opportunity to repay my gift in proportion to what they feel is fair… Yeah… So nothing I’ve come up with seems like it will keep me in clean socks.
I’m sure there is a workable solution (and I would love to see it if you have one). However, there are so many barriers to overcome!
Here are a few reasons FREE doesn’t work:
- The expected mode of business is a Wal-mart style cash-for-product exchange. Gratitude? What?! Just give me bottom dollar.
- I’ve donated design work to a variety of non-profit groups. Some prove to be more demanding and less grateful than a traditional client. I suspect a life spent subsisting on donations has left them callous to giving. Instead, they become a client who doesn’t have a budget to keep their expectations in check.
- Generally, people have no idea what a good design is worth, or how much work goes into it. My “perceived value” probably puts my work in the bargain bin at the dollar store.
- Clients do have legitimate deadlines, budgets and goals (mixed in with the crazy). The designer utopia listed above could easily degrade into something too self-absorbed to be of much value to anyone.
So where do all these lists leave us? Well, I’m going to be making stuff whether anyone is paying me or not. I guess the best I can do for the moment is continue developing good relationships with people, and try to help them meet their deadlines, budgets and goals.
Maybe someday they will let me work for free.
