In the design world, SPEC Work is short for SPECULATIVE Work. And that means...ugh... It's kinda like when you, ugh... It basically means working for free. It usually comes in two forms.

　　在设计的世界里，SPEC Work是比稿的缩写。而那意味着...啊...它有点像是当你，啊...基本上意思是指免费工作。它通常有两种形式。

　　One. A client asks several designers or design firms to complete part of a new project. The client picks one winner, gives them the job and the others go home with nothing for their hard work.

　　一、客户要求几位设计师或设计公司完成新计画的一个部分。客户挑出一位赢家，给他们这份工作然后其他人回家吃自己。

　　Two. A client starts a contest, and gathers submissions from hundreds if not thousands of designers. They pick one winner, pay a modest fee, and the rest go home with nothing for their hard work.

　　二、客户办一场竞赛，从即使没有数千也有数百位的设计师中，收集作品。他们选出一位赢家，付不多的费用，而其他人回家吃自己。

　　So what's wrong with this?

　　所以这有什么问题?

　　If you are a client, the best design work should come out of a healthy relationship with the designer, where your needs and wants are understood, and ideas are developed with you from the ground up. Just because you get lots of free designs doesn't mean any of them are good, and in fact, many may be blatant rip offs.

　　如果你是客户，最棒的设计工作应该从和设计师良好的关系中产生，你的需求都被理解，而构想是你们一起从根本发展出来的。只因为你得到了很多免费设计不代表它们就是好设计，而事实上，可能有很多设计是公然的剽窃。

　　Spec contests have actually created an underground system, whereby some unscrupulous designers will quickly enter as many as possible, as they copy work from the web and present it as their own. So that new logo of yours, may actually already be someone else's.

　　事实上，比稿竞赛已经创造了一个台面下的系统，有些无耻的设计师尽可能地快速投入大量作品，像是从网路抄袭下来当作他们自己的。所以你的新商标，可能真的已经是别人的。

　　If you are a designer, you just shouldn't work for established companies for free, period. If you need to build up your portfolio, there are other ways. Design for a local charity, or your friend's new business, or just spend the time creating your own projects.

　　如果你是位设计师，你不应该帮已成立的公司免费工作，就这么简单。如果你需要建立自己的作品集，有别的方法。帮当地的慈善机构设计，或你朋友的新创事业，或就去花时间创作你自己的计划。

　　SPEC Work would seem absurd in most other professional industries. Could you ask several chefs to prepare your next meal for free, and then only pay for the best one? Could you hold a contest and get hundreds of lawyers to write your will, and then only pick and reward one? Didn't think so!

　　比稿在大部分其他专业领域中好像很荒谬。你能够要求几位大厨免费帮你准备下一餐，然后只付钱给最棒的一位吗?你能够办一场竞赛找来数百位律师写你的遗嘱，然后只选一个付钱吗?我不认为如此!

　　Perhaps it's time we start to treat designers, you know...just like everyone else. Think about it!

　　也许该是时候开始对待我们的设计师，你知道...像对待所有其他人一样。想想看吧!