{"id":4339,"date":"2025-06-11T11:47:55","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T11:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hello.cristiancismasiu.ro\/creative\/home\/?p=4339"},"modified":"2025-11-07T10:31:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T10:31:33","slug":"f-u-pay-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hello.cristiancismasiu.ro\/creative\/home\/f-u-pay-me\/","title":{"rendered":"F U Pay Me"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”2%” constrain_group_1=”yes” bottom_padding=”2%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-4-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” centered_text=”true” desktop_text_alignment=”left” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/6″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” column_padding_type=”default” gradient_type=”default”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”50px” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” max_width_desktop=”1024″ column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”2\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” column_padding_type=”default” gradient_type=”default”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

I’ve been thinking a lot about the issue of being asked to do free work as I too have been way too often on the ‘receiving end’ of it as a designer. Requests of that nature came in various shapes and forms, from the infamous ‘take home task’ to the ‘do this now so we<\/em> can win the client and you’ll get more work later’ trick.<\/p>\n

For the past year or so, I felt more and more compelled to write something about it, as there seems to be an even steeper rise in such requests, and given that it was just this last week that I was most recently asked (again) for free work from a potential client, now should be right about the ideal time for me to put some thoughts down on this topic.<\/p>\n

What’s worse is that this has become such a widespread practice for businesses (many of them highly successful with revenues in the hundreds of millions) to ask for free stuff that by now, it’s simply just an unethical practice turned industry norm. What’s also weird is that in general, it seems (at least to me) that designers tend to be asked for free work the most and that they don’t seem to be bothered in being participants.<\/p>\n

While I too have done it in the past, and worked for free under certain conditions and for various reasons, for example because I really liked one particular project, or because I really had a good first interaction with a hiring manager, or because I really liked a client, or because I really wanted to work on a certain type of project, and so on, I stopped accepting any requests altogether, no exceptions, unless I am getting paid for my time. I have several reasons for it which I will outline here:<\/p>\n

1. Many employers or clients are already asking for a portfolio from a potential job candidate, or from a future service provider, or a freelancer. That portfolio should be enough. If the one decision maker thinks that the portfolio alone is not enough, requesting work should only be made if the work is paid.<\/p>\n

2. As of lately I noticed that there’s a trend in first interactions to not even involve any human contact whatsoever. You send in your pitch or application, you get an automated response requesting free work. That’s it. Are designers really not bothered by being shamelessly milked for their creativity, without even seeing a human face before being asked for free stuff? Is it just me? I for one, If I don’t at least see a face before being asked for free stuff, I turn around and walk away. Or, I’ll respectfully send a link to my Trial Projects<\/strong><\/a><\/em> where one can buy some of my time and try me out (should my portfolio not be sufficient).<\/p>\n

3. Is the request for free work related to an actual\/real product (of the employer or client)? If in a hiring process or project pitch I’m being asked to work for free on an actual\/real product (of the employer or client), that’s a HARD NO, and a big red flag. Asking for free work from multiple designers on your existing product\/project is (IMHO) highly unethical, but I guess some businesses do what’s right, and others (most of them) do whatever they can get away with. Just imagine the very frequent scenario in which a project pitch or job application has hundreds of contenders, in which it’s pretty easy for any unethical business (or individual), to single out 10 exceptional designers, divide up a project in 10 improvement areas, ask for a ‘free design task’, and there you have it, a huge chunk of the project\/product improvements (including ideas and artifacts) is done without paying a single dime to anyone.<\/p>\n

4. If it\u2019s an employment kind of situation, in many jurisdictions, there is a legal probation period in employment contracts in which both the employee and the employer can decide if they are a match. It’s even easier in the US where most states are ‘at will’. So, the candidates already shared their portfolio and hiring manager can easily get the gist of their skills, can filter out the best match for what they need and find out if it’s a 100% fit in the probation period. If you are an employer, and your hiring manager can’t hire based on a portfolio and two, maybe three one-hour discussions, you hired the wrong person to do your hiring.<\/p>\n

5. If you’re a design service provider or freelancer, you usually (you should) sign a contract, that has a clear objective, goals, criteria, costs etc. and both the provider and the client can end the contract any time. At least such a clause should be outlined in the contract. So, if you need design done, then just pay for it fairly, and if for some reason you don’t get along, walk away. Nobody should work for free and nobody should ask for free work.<\/p>\n

6. Are you having any remorse turning down requests when being asked to design without being paid? If so, don’t! Just think of it this way, how many times has someone done something for free for you Today? Did you buy a loaf of bread Today or did you ask for one free to see if you like it first, promising the baker that if you like the free one you’ll buy a few? Most likely you didn’t. You pay for it, try it out, and if you don\u2019t like it, you don\u2019t buy a second one. Or, imagine that you need a kitchen redo, do you ask the interior designer and handyman, to do half your kitchen for free and if you like it you’ll pay for the remaining half? Most likely you won’t.\u00a0 So my ten cents, kindly turn down requests to do work if you are not compensated for your time, as long as you have to pay for your food, rent, gas, electricity.<\/p>\n

These are just a few thoughts though, I do understand that everyone has his\/her\/their own particular life situation, so don\u2019t take it as an advice that you should do as I do, but I for one the only situation in which I would still accept doing work for free is for a cause benefitting society, for saving babies or for curing cancer, <\/strong>otherwise it’s a HARD NO to any for profit entity asking for free work.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Businesses have really gotten so desperate and obsessed with ROI’s, and KPI’s and efficiency and numbers and success and winning at all cost, and everything becoming abundantly commodified to such an extent, that being asked for free stuff by corporations, especially in these times in which the livelihoods of many are already under heavy fire by mega corporations wielding AI, is seemingly soft and justified for the purpose, but in reality, it’s just a highly unethical direct attack on creativity, humanity and skills.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, putting and end to unethical practices no matter where they bubble up, starts with each and every one of us not accepting them (if in the position to do so).<\/p>\n

If you liked this article, go watch also Mike Monteiro’s video<\/strong><\/a><\/em> F*ck you pay me (go watch it anyway, it’s well worth it).<\/p>\n

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