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My uncle told me to never work for free, not even a sample
He said it back when I started my graphic design work, and I thought he was just being cheap. Last month a local cafe owner wanted a full logo set 'as a test' before hiring me, so I spent a whole weekend on it. They used my design on their new cups and never called me back. Should I have just sent a rough sketch instead?
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bettykim2mo ago
Your uncle was right, but a rough sketch still has value. They just stole your weekend's work.
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paige_martin16d ago
@bettykim nailed it. A rough sketch still gives them something to run with, but they'll never respect your time if you hand over a finished piece. I'd say send a sketch that shows your general idea but leaves out the polish. If they push for the full thing upfront, that's a huge red flag. Your uncle was right all along - free work just trains people to treat you like a doormat. They knew exactly what they were doing when they used that logo without paying you.
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