An awareness campaign, this set of ads was a sarcastic jab at the world of designing on spec, or doing design as part of a contest or in other ways in which a designer receives no fair compensation for his or her work. This work was done a class project for an advertising-based course.Body Copy: “Hey all you designer hep cats, Business Bob is BAD NEWS. Bob uses contests to get FREE IDEAS fom designer entries. Business Bob isn’t ‘helping your portfolio.’ He’s not giving you an ‘opportunity.’ He’s getting quality design for nuggets. Giving designers the ROYAL SHAFT. Next time a Business Bob tries to tell you his contest is your golden opportunity, link him to NO!SPEC and let him know what’s buzzin’, cuzzin. NO!SPEC. Design with Dignity. http://www.no-spec.com”Body Copy: “That’s right, Daddy-O Designer. That contest you just lost, that was your time wasted. If you keep this up, you’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’. You see, that contest cheapens the profession and gets other, legitimate designers cranked. The clients don’t get it, they think it’s the norm, so it’s up to us to educate clients and the rest of the industry on the dangers of SPEC work. So don’t do contests and we’ll all be made in the shade. NO!SPEC. Design with Dignity. Dig?”Body Copy: “That’s right, Clyde. Your plumber wouldn’t DREAM of doing any work without getting paid for it. Why should you? Crazy cats will tell you that their job is a great way to build your portfolio, or that designing their logo for them provides you with ‘real world experience.’ Well that’s kookie. Your work is just as professional as the business that your client needs the logo for, understand? So next time someone asks you to enter their logo contest, tell them to GET WITH IT and hire someone to do it the right way. NO!SPEC. Design with Dignity. http://www.no-spec.com”Body Copy: “You’re a professional graphics hep cat. It’s about time you started treating yourself like one. Susie is either out for cheap work, or doesn’t understand how the graphic design industry works, because contests and ‘opportunities’ for ‘portfolio expansion’ really make professional designers FLIP. So before you go posting your logo ideas for Susie to comb through and take at her leisure, cool it and think about how YOU the designer are going to benefit from the deal. You are as much of a businessperson as Susie is. NO!SPEC. Design with Dignity. http://www.no-spec.com”

Done as a project for an advertising design class, I sought to bring in a bold campaign for spices, featuring photography of the spices themselves, rather than the dishes they are used in, emphasizing the aesthetic quality and freshness of the product itself, as the company does with their clear glass packaging.