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It’s time we stop unsolicitedly redesigning Spotify - A list of non-profit organizations that could use your design chops instead.(uxdesign.cc)

over 3 years ago from Reece Butler, Freelance Graphic Designer + Developer

  • Reece ButlerReece Butler, over 3 years ago

    Yeah, good point. Spec is a major problem, and in a lot of ways that what these redesign projects are.

    Does your concern about only working for payment extend to doing work on a more voluntary basis or mostly concerning redesign exercises?

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    • Andrew C, over 3 years ago

      Doing an unfettered conceptual design of Spotify seems like a fun hobby project. Once you start involving the need to manage clients it becomes a whole other ball of wax altogether.

      Designers, especially freelancers, need to spend time managing relationships if a project is real. If a junior just putting together their portfolio is doing real managing to make the project real they should be getting paid IMO. If they don’t see the project to completion/go live it’s not that much different from the Spotify project anyway — all conceptual. This includes pro-bono work.

      1 point
      • Reece ButlerReece Butler, over 3 years ago

        Fair points all round.

        I wouldn't dare advise someone do this work for a for-profit business. They can and must pay for the work.

        Generally my view is doing pro-bono for smaller not-for-profits is a good thing. Particularly if they are a local one, helping your immediate community. Things like helping a local charity on improving their donation forms or call to actions on their site. Those are the kind of tasks that a junior can see through to completion that would have large impacts on the orgs they are helping, whilst giving them first hand experience of working with people on projects. These are the kind of organisations and tasks my comments for juniors was more focused on.

        With bigger organisations, that can and should change. One thing a lot of people don't realise is that many larger not-for-profits often have budgets for this exact purpose. In saying that, the requirements change rather dramatically as well. I wouldn't suggest Juniors take this kind of work on. It can get pretty specialised.

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