Spec work and freelance design: frequently asked questions

The short answer. This page answers common questions designers and clients ask about spec work, rates, contracts, AI and proof of work. Each answer is short and links to the page that covers it in full.

Start with the group that fits your question. If you are new to the argument, the spec work hub is the best place to begin.

Spec work

What is spec work?

Spec work is design done for free before anyone has agreed to pay, in the hope of winning the job or a prize. The AIGA position on spec work defines it as "work done for free, in hopes of getting paid for it" and separates it from volunteer, pro bono and internship work. Common forms are concept pitches, crowdsourced contests, unpaid test projects and quick generated mockups made for a pitch. Our full definition of spec work sorts each form and explains when unpaid work is something else.

Is a free test project spec work?

Usually, yes. If the test asks for original work on the client's real brand or brief, it is spec under another name. The Graphic Artists Guild, writing on hiring homework, separates fair proficiency tests, which are uniform, limited in time and scope, and produce no original work, from assignments that do. Offer a portfolio walkthrough or a short paid trial instead. The forms of spec, with a table, are on what spec work is.

Are design contests spec work?

Yes, when entering means making new work for the contest. Many designers produce finished entries, one gets paid, and the rest give their time away. On the illustrative numbers in our contest guide, an entrant's expected pay comes to a few dollars an hour or less. Contests judged on existing work, or invited contests where every finalist is paid, are a different matter. See our guide to crowdsourced design contests for the math and the fair formats.

Rates and contracts

How do I set a freelance design rate?

Work backwards from what you need to earn. Add your target income to your yearly business costs (software, equipment, insurance, tax set-asides), then divide by the hours you can realistically bill, which is always fewer than the hours you work. That gives an hourly floor; day and project rates follow from it. Our freelance design rate calculator does the arithmetic, and the rates and contracts hub covers pricing models.

What goes in a design contract?

At minimum: the scope and deliverables, the fee and payment terms, the delivery dates, the number of revision rounds, and exactly which rights the client gets. The Graphic Artists Guild's Code of Fair Practice (Article 2) asks that agreements be in writing and name the rights transferred, the fee, the delivery date and a description of the work. Add a kill fee and a clause on AI use. This is not legal advice. Templates and clauses are collected on the rates, contracts and scope hub.

What is a kill fee?

A kill fee is what the client pays if they cancel or shelve a project after work has started. It compensates you for time spent and work turned down. Article 5 of the Graphic Artists Guild's Code of Fair Practice says a kill fee should be negotiated based on time allotted, effort expended and expenses incurred, plus other lost work. Put it in the contract before you start, as a percentage per project stage. More on contract terms is on the rates and contracts hub.

AI and proof of work

Should I disclose AI use to clients?

Yes, if generative tools shaped anything you deliver. Clients may need to know for trademark filings, copyright questions and their own policies, and a clear statement up front avoids disputes later. Disclosure can be short: which tools, for which stages, and who did the final work. Build a clause with our AI disclosure clause builder, and read the AI disclosure clause for design contracts for wording and edge cases.

Can AI art be copyrighted?

Only the human parts, in the United States. The Copyright Office's January 2025 report on copyrightability concluded that generated outputs are protected only where a human author determined sufficient expressive elements, and that prompts alone are not enough. Using generative tools to assist, or including generated material in a larger human-made work, does not bar protection for the human contribution. Our piece on AI-generated logos and copyright applies this to identity work.

How do I prove a design is mine?

Keep the record as you work. Dated sketches, layered working files, version history in your design tool, the email trail with the client and, where your tools support them, Content Credentials attached on export all show how a piece was made and by whom. Gather them before you need them. The step-by-step version is in how to prove a design is yours, and the proof of work hub covers provenance more widely.

About this site

Who runs no-spec.com? Are you the original No!Spec?

No. no-spec.com is an independent publication written by the no-spec editors. It shares the anti-spec position of the earlier No!Spec campaign but is not that organization, does not speak for its founders, and is not affiliated with AIGA, RGD, the Graphic Artists Guild or any designer association. We quote those bodies because their positions are public and relevant. How we research and edit is on the about page.

Do you sell anything?

No. We do not sell design services, templates or courses, no company pays for a piece, a link or a mention. The calculators and the clause builder are free to use. Our sources are cited in the text so you can check them yourself. The standards we hold pieces to are set out in our editorial methodology.

How do I send a correction?

Tell us the page, the sentence you think is wrong, and the source that shows it. Use the contact route listed on the about page. We read every message about an error, and when a piece changes because of one, the correction is noted on the piece itself rather than quietly edited away. Rebuttals with sources are welcome too, including from designers who disagree with our position on spec work.