In the creative industry, the concept of free pitching has been a contentious issue for years. For those unfamiliar, free pitching involves providing creative work for free as a trial to potentially win future business. While it may seem like a tempting opportunity to showcase your skills and win a new client, the practice often does more harm than good, both for individual designers and the industry as a whole.

Recently, our agency, Fresco Creative, was approached by a new business prospect with an enticing offer: design a 24-page document for free as a trial, with the promise of potential future work if they were satisfied with the result. While it might seem like a low-risk opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities, accepting such a proposal can set a dangerous precedent. Here’s why:

Devaluing creative work

By offering our services for free, we undermine the value of our expertise and the creative process. Designing a 24-page document is not merely about pushing pixels around; it requires time, effort, and skill. When clients expect work for free, they fail to appreciate the true value of creative services.

Diminishing standards

When designers engage in free pitching, there’s often a rush to deliver something impressive quickly. This can compromise the quality of work produced. Instead of focusing on innovation and strategic thinking, the emphasis shifts to meeting unrealistic deadlines and pleasing potential clients.

Unfair competition

Free pitching creates an uneven playing field in the industry. Smaller agencies or freelancers who cannot afford to work for free may lose out on opportunities to larger firms with more resources. This perpetuates a cycle where only those willing to work for free can secure new business, regardless of talent or experience.

Lack of commitment

Clients who expect free work upfront may not be fully committed to the partnership. Without a financial investment, there’s less incentive for them to prioritise the project or provide necessary feedback and support.

Strain on resources

Every hour spent on speculative work is time taken away from paying projects and sustainable business growth. For smaller agencies or independent designers, this can be particularly detrimental, leading to burnout and financial instability.

As an alternative to free pitching, we advocate for a more equitable approach to client relationships. This involves:

Educating clients

Help clients understand the value of creative services and the importance of fair compensation for expertise and time.

Offering samples

Instead of free pitching entire projects, provide samples of past work or develop a paid pilot project to demonstrate capabilities.

Emphasising collaboration

Foster genuine partnerships with clients built on trust, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to achieving goals.

Ultimately, by rejecting the culture of free pitching, we can collectively elevate the standards of the graphic design industry, ensuring that creativity is valued, respected, and fairly compensated. At Fresco Creative, we believe in the power of collaboration and innovation to drive meaningful outcomes for our clients, without compromising the integrity of our craft.