You work hard for your money, right? So do web designers. You expect to be paid for the work you do, right? So do web designers. You wouldn’t expect to provide your talent and experience for free would you? Neither do web designers.
Giving Away Samples is Like WORKING FOR FREE!
There are those who believe web designers should provide samples of their work based on the specifications the potential client wants. They want to see how their site will look before they sign on the dotted line or pay any money to have it developed. These people want this demo or “mock up” as it’s sometimes called, before they make their decision on who to hire to do the job. This isn’t an unusual request and to some degree it’s understandable. The part that isn’t understandable is that they want this demo without paying for the work to create it.
If you hire an artist to do a portrait, do you get to see the finished product before paying for the work? An artist offers a portfolio so that you can get an idea and a feel for their work, but they don’t sketch or paint your portrait for free.
Most designers will honor such a request, minus the “doing it for free” part. We’ll be happy to provide you with a demo for your site look, but only if you pay us to do the work.
Want to Check Out a DESIGNER’S CAPABILITIES?
This is one very good reason web designers provide portfolios of their work. A web designer’s portfolio, gives potential clients the opportunity to see what the designer has done. It gives them an idea of the designer’s capabilities and the varied talents and level of creativity they have. Of course, you should always remember that a web designer’s portfolio is not the “be all and end all” of their capabilities. Why? Because a good web designer always designs for the client’s style, not our own. We don’t always get to do what we want to do! You can’t see it all in a portfolio, but it will help you get a glimpse of the designer’s work and you can use your imagination. Good designers are quite versatile!
You can also ask if the designer has any additional work that isn’t included in their webfolio. Heck, I don’t always have time to get everything in mine, I’m sure the same is true for other designers as well.
Visit No!Spec to LEARN MORE
If you provide creative services such as web design, photography, graphic design and more, you’ll want to visit the NoSpec site. The NoSpec organization supports being paid for the work you do. If you’re a client or pending client of someone who provides these services and you’re interested in having one of these providers give you what you’re looking for without paying for the service, you need to visit the NoSpec site. For more information, visit the NoSpec web site.