This blog topic was inspired by Chris Brogran‘s post 100 Blog Topics I Hope You Wite.
Let’s face it, if it’s free I’m taking it. I’m pretty sure a lot of people would agree with me. Nothing more intriguing than the word ‘free‘. But when is having something for free better, when is it not?
As a student in the creative field-free is my worst nightmare. Countless times, some random person who is my friend on Facebook but not in real life gets in contact with me. They always start off with a simple greeting, trying to ease in. “Hey how’ve been? its been forever!”. I obviously respond politely, but already know it’s coming. “So you do graphic design right? I was wondering if you can make me a business card for free?”
No.
Why would I take my abilities that I’ve paid in dollars, blood, sweat, tears, and lack of sleep – and just hand it to you for free?
Even if I do decide to do some charity work for people, the performance and overall work would be lacking. It’s very difficult to work for free. Without incentive. Without compensation. Creatives spend hours trying to perfect their craft, and to be used without charge is simply robbery.
If a project is truly important to you, invest the time and money into a designer who will get the job done, and get it done correctly. It’s well worth the investment to pay for great work. Weigh your options of how much you’re willing to pay in comparison to how important this project means to you.
Nothing good comes free. Not even designers.
