Free Pitching - ON THE FENCE

I think free pitching has a place, particularly for design students and the newies in the field. It allows designers to have a ‘crack’ at a variety of jobs, which allows them to get a good dose of experience in practical application and hopefully at least the occasional win.

I do however feel that it does have a problematic side to it. Free pitching has the ability to undercut the field of design with the possibility of price wars and a reduced quality in work. This will obviously cheapen the design profession and make the survival of designers just a little harder.

If free pitching had some type of regulations either to do with size of companies, gross profit margins, it would have some control on whether a company could apply to sites like 99designs. At least then there could be some responsible control, which would hopefully appease both sides of the fence. As for me I think I’ll sit on it for now.

Cheers

---------> ROGAN : FREE PITCHING

Free pitching is the concept of supplying design ideas without payment in order to compete for a job.  The mere idea undermines the industry, I see the design industry as a both an artistic and a trade based industry.  You do not ask a landscaper designer to design your front garden for free before you decide wether or not you are going to employ them to work on your back garden.  In order for a designer to attain a job in the industry he/she must have proven themselves and created a formidable portfolio.  Free pitching cuts out the process.  If all jobs were given based on free pitching you would have an industry full of half-arsed, under-qualified and dodgy designers.  It is unprofessional, free pitching is for amateurs, and it is simply a way for companies to save money on design costs and that is all.  I believe that professional credibility is of the utmost importance in the design industry, and you must work on creating an exceptional portfolio so a company recognises your design capability rather than free pitching and undercutting. 

PITCHING-Kurt Nischel

Well after reading through the hand outs and looking at various pitching/competition sites and graphic design association sites, I've come to think that it,s
not such a bad thing, I think for people such as us students it,s a great way to get confidence and experience in the real world of design. If i,m to enter a competition i've got everything to gain but really nothing to loose,maybe just a bit of my time that i should be spending on assignments. The other thing that I found beneficial was in reading the story of Richard Scott who has won several Design Contests he has actually formed a great client base from winning those contests, and he was delighted that he could pick and choose what contests he entered being completely self employed and in control of what work he does, I guess in the long run it would be quite detrimental to the industry if all design was to take this approach but I think that it,s highly unlikely to happen as there will always be the large corporations and brands that need good qualified designers and the personal relationship and communication received in hiring a professional.

the sag

Now a graphic icon of the 1990s, that 1999 AIGA Detroit poster typifies Stefan Sagmeister’s style. Striking to the point of sensationalism and humorous but in such an unsettling way that it’s nearly, but not quite unacceptable, his work mixes sexuality with wit and a whiff of the sinister. Sagmeister’s technique is often simple to the point of banality: from slashing D-I-Y text into his own skin for the AIGA Detroit poster, to spelling out words with roughly cut strips of white cloth for a 1999 brochure for his girlfriend, the fashion designer, Anni Kuan. The strength of his work lies in his ability to conceptualise: to come up with potent, original, stunningly appropriate ideas.

Anni Kuan is my girlfriend. That means that whatever we do for her, it better damn well works, I would not want her to spend money for printing (which is tiny but still...) and postage on something that does not improve
her business. It also means that we basically do what we want (and think is good for her).The reason for doing all these newspaper items came completely out of here tiny budget. Before we took over her graphics, she had sent out a single 4c postcard to all her buyers. A very friendly designer mentioned this Korean newsprint place in New York. They literally can print a 32 page paper for the price of a postcard. So that is what we do now every season. The cheap newsprint, which is still rarely employed in the fashion world, became part of Anni Kuan's identity. For us its a pleasurable job because of the tight limitations (it has to be on newsprint, maximum two colors and then only red, orange and blue, it has to look good in a rough half tone dot and it should be different from previous mailings since the mailing list stays roughly the same).
The feedback has been great. She meets and talks to many people on the mailing list and the buyers always praise the mailer, put the plastic horse on their computers and ask for additional copies. Many designers (who are not on her mailing list but are potential customers) know her brand only from the award books.

Gemma: Free Pitching

The idea of free pitching in the world of design draws a fine line between what is right and wrong by both the design and the client or commercial company.

When it comes to providing a ‘free service,’ which effectively is what most companies are asking for when they advertise a competition, most would think twice about sharing or giving away their ideas, time and final outcomes relevant to the design brief given.

However, in my opinion, I believe pitching displays an act of healthy competition. Apart from the minimal cons of the issue, I concern such competitions as a display of some of the talent that is out there, particularly for younger designers and those who are new to the industry and make not have the necessary experience to be noticed to the public. Winning a competition such as this would most definitely boost their confidence and largely benefit them as a start in their future career, possible leading to follow up jobs and soon after building up a client base.

The DIA defines pitching as ‘to fall or stumble, especially headfirst.’ I think that this statement does not take into consideration the full perspective of free pitching. For a designer, especially that of less qualification but just as much talent, free pitching allows for designers to publicly present their creative abilities with minimal stress and risk between the clients needs. It allows such people to showcase their flexibility and style in an environment larger than their usual client base or peer group they present their work to.

At the same time, the whole process of free pitching acts as a personal evaluation for a designer competing. Designers are able to come to realisations of their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to their work produced after they either win or loose the competition.

A gain in experience is also an essential part of design and pitching provides exactly this experience with real clients for the designers involved. Comparing their work up against others and their peers addresses them with evaluations on their designs. With this, they are then able to measure themselves, add to their strengths and improve their weaknesses.

In addition to this, the winner of a competition receives major benefits and the time spent on the work, I believe is worthwhile even though in most cases they are not getting paid. Winners gain a name and respect publicly, are able to add a recognized piece to their portfolio, often win a prize and may possibly receive other jobs as they become recognized and their client base develops.

All up, I do believe that pitching sets standards to designs creatively, although not so as much economically. I think with encouragement free pitching and such competitions can be held as benefits with the right control and attitude, particularly from clients towards the participating designers.

Free Pitching

I like the idea of Free Pitching it gives people an opportunity that they may not normally have , people that may not have the confidences be able to work for a company and like any compition you enter you want to WIN it and when you do it encourages you to do more good work and it also earns respect within the general business world .it would be such a personal achievement and than you may get more work from that company because they like what you do. It would be a good experience if you have the time and energy as well as the money. I can also see the bad points it would not be something I would make a living out of but as a student it would be an awesome learning experience and would give you an idea of what the industry is like as well as having something else to put in your portfolio..

Free Pitching - Tane

FREE PITCHING, THE FAIREST SCAM OF ALL.

     This issue certainly divides the graphic industry. However, it also divides my opinion of it - that is to say I am of two minds on this one. I agree wholly with both points of view.

      Free pitching sounds like one good way a starting graphic designer can get his/her stuff out there with the novelty of possibly winning something. And for a starting designer, making money is still a novelty. It's still exciting. So a competition is a great doorway into the industry.

      The trade-off, of course, is the notion that the competition organisers are taking unfair advantage of these rookies. Though if you don't begrudge the organisers of their sweet little hustle/scam, you can see that on the level of a newbie designer, its just like any exciting competition only this time practicing their design profession.

     AGDA is still right though, about most of a fair-pitching career is a waste of time - but not for newbies, only for design veterans. I do see that a career built on competitions can be frivolous. And these competition organisers are easily seen as shifty grifters taking honest commission work away from professional designers. Yes, AGDA is just scared.

     So I believe free-pitching is a valid and fair thing for practicing lightweight designers to begin in the industry, but if I was a professional established designer I definitely would not base a career on it.