Member Article

We don’t do free pitches. Here’s why.

As members of the Design Business Association (DBA) we have agreed not to carry out free creative pitching — unpaid, speculative creative work damages the outcome of a project and limits return on investment.

Submitting speculative designs at a pitching stage leads design firms to focus on aesthetics over business goals and target audience. It becomes a matter of providing the most visually attractive design, not necessarily the one that will give the best return on investment. Produced before a genuine understanding of the client has been established, ‘pitched’ designs cannot be based on a genuine understanding of business objectives. We believe all businesses need to carefully select a design firm to work in partnership with themselves, giving them access to the knowledge required to understand business goals and deliver design solutions that help achieve this. Using pitches and competitions to select a ‘design’ in isolation doesn’t do this.

To select a design partner, it is best to review the design work the company has produced for other clients, making a decision based on a thorough understanding of their process.

Considerable time and effort is required to prepare serious design proposals for any project. Creative proposals prepared without payment for a competitive pitch involving several other firms can only be speedily prepared, scantily researched and superficial. They cannot be based on a genuine understanding of the client’s business and objectives.

The results we’ve achieved for all of our clients have come through building a partnership and understanding of their goals. In all these cases we would never have achieved the successes unless we had spent time with the client developing the strategy and concept first.

If you think good design can improve your business, talk to us.

Wonder Stuff Studio. The Hayloft 10A Back West Avenue Gosforth Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4ES

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Wonderstuff .