Okay, so spec work is taking a job where the client sees the finished product before paying for it. I always thought it was finishing a job for free… but that’s pro bono, where the job is taken without charge (and technically is done for the “public good”).
So spec work is just letting the client see all the progress or finished project… before they pay you… meaning maybe they’ll decide not to pay you, and you’ve already done all the work.
What do you call a project where there may or may not be a client? Maybe the client doesn’t know you’ve been inspired by them, and decided to work on a project independently. Like if you started designing awesome menus for a restaurant that doesn’t have any, or doesn’t have nice ones, and you presented them?
“Surprise! I made menus for you if you want them! …obviously you don’t have to pay me because you never hired me in the first place…”
Or what if you started a project for a client that doesn’t exist? Like creating everything a pastry should would need for it’s business (signage, business cards, a totally mocked up website, etc)?
The point? Just for fun. Just creating for the sake of it. But there has to be a name for that type of thing, doesn’t there?
Let me know your thoughts! I’m very curious about this one.
greenifer 