Spec/fake work presentation
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- ********
I've been working on an unauthorized and unsolicited creative brief for a large brand for the past couple weeks, both for my own amusement and to bolster my portfolio.
I'm wondering if there's any good examples out there of how such work can and should presented in a portfolio?
k thx
- aldebaran0
lets see them
- ********0
shit is way too hot for the streets right now.
perhaps in the near future. Right now just looking for established presentation protocol.
- RIZ0
I think that it should be presented in the same way you would for any other legit brand presentation.
If you want it to be on your portfolio, then make it look as polished as possible.
- monNom0
You need to make it very clear that it's not commissioned work. Firstly, because you're capitalizing on their brand recognition and cache to promote yourself, and secondly because your final product will be reflective not of a project you can carry-off when working with a client, but rather the kind of stuff you can come up with when you don't have any constraints... and those are two very different things.
Better to just make up your own 'brand' and you can take credit for everything without the risk of unexpected fallout.
- Miguex0
^
Agreed, but I see nothing wrong in taking initiative to develop projects for "made up" brands or "established" ones. I believe this is key for any designer starting out or just looking for change in current projects.If you are doing pharmaceutical stuff, but you feel like you rather be working in sports, just go ahead and design a campaign, packaging, a commercial, website, or whatever you want, just to grab attention from potential clients in that industry. Because if you go to a meeting with (insert sports brand here) and you show your pharmaceutical stuff, chances are they will never hire you.
Line monNom said, make sure you state that is an exercise, and you should be fine. We've all done these in school as an assignment, so I doubt you will find anyone that will tell you not to do it. And if you want more attention, do it for a big established brand, if the work is good, who knows maybe they will notice and bring you on board.
:)
- ********0
why don't you just pitch it?
- bulletfactory0
I agree with the above - I did it too, just put 'personal project' or something indicating that you were not commissioned to do this piece and it was just an exercise to try something new and stretch your creative legs, while demonstrating that you can create something that advances the design of an established brand. Just don't misrepresent yourself.
A year ago I was feeling unfulfilled in my old job, so I decided to try something new and add something cool to my portfolio to show a different style to [hopefully] get a new job.
I moved to new york and it worked.
- Projectile0
Yeah people will assume that it was commisioned work, and only think less of you when they ask and get a disappointing answer.
it's better to have done work for an unknown brand than to have done work that "wasn't actually for Nike"
that being said, stick the Nike logo in there and send it to them, heck you might get lucky!! (or you might get your concept stolen... so if it's more about concept than artwork, be careful)
- ********0
great comments, thanks!
- antagonista0
I hate when people do this and generally move on to the next port as soon as I see it. It looks amateurish and I don't hire people who do it.
If it was a real pitch, that's ok, but not great.
- The real challenge of design is getting it sold.antagonista
- i_monk0
As long as it's clearly uncommissioned or unsolicited or unused, present it as you would anything else. We are little more than our ideas and how they are executed, even if the day-to-day doesn't give us opportunity to put those ideas on the shelves and billboards of the world.
Uncommissioned/etc isn't an excuse for sloppy, unedited ideas though. And get someone to proofread (or even copy write it) before you show anyone you want to be getting a cheque from.
- OSFA0
Nothing wrong, in fact, IMO, this allows you to create good solid work to show off your skills and abilities. Matt Stevens is a great example of this and his work has gotten so much attention (and clients)
http://largetype.squarespace.com…
Check out his portfolio (Dunkin' Donuts Rebrand)
- FallowDeer0
Livesurface?
- fadein110
I would never put such in my portfolio as it will just look like a student brief/project.
It may also give the impression that you have a lot of time on your hands... God I wish I had more time for personal work.
I think if you are going to show personal stuff wouldn't it be better to show your best experimental work - less commercial stuff that shows how your experimentation feeds into your other work.
Doing imaginary briefs on well known brands will just confuse people and could be taken as a con if not made 100% clear, and even then it will just give the impression that you are a student looking for work.
Thats my experience anyway.- When's the last time you sold a client on a wacky carefree experimental airy-fairy idea?i_monk
- just shows you spend some time pushing yaself - and actually yep I have sold prints of my experimental works a few times to clientsfadein11
- times to clientsfadein11
- We're talking branding/identity/ad... not artwork or unbranded posters.i_monk
- dont get your point?fadein11
- OSFA0
yes, completely agree... BUT, it also depends on HIS target. Some CD might like conceptual work, and some CD might like full-on projects (so that they don't have to do shit...)
- QBNdesignr0
I agree that it's ok to do, but if online, you should make sure to put some kind of notation stating that the work is self-initiated or conceptual, and be sure to mention this during any interview. Don't try to pass it off as if you were hired to do the work for the company.
Anyhow, I am in the same position, adding a few of these kind of pieces pieces to my portfolio. I've freelanced for a year or so after being at one big company and one smaller one, and ended up with some money-making, but not portfolio worthy projects. I'm looking for work again now and decided to fill some gaps with some conceptual-projects for a couple local companies and foundations (they currently cannot afford a redesign).
Anyhow, I think the work turned out great but the reason I created these is to show what skills I have, as I don't feel that the projects in my portfolio are representing that. We'll see what kind of response comes back...
Good luck to you.
- doesnotexist0
i like to show work that was finished & produced... maybe your personal resume/PDF you use for interviews is a good place for spec work, but i think a lot of people in the industry frown upon spec work, so be careful.
- meffid0
That digital roll of film that went into cameras...