I’m not sure when I first became really aware of the phrase—or the concept, even— of ‘pro bono’ work, but it seems as though I run into it more and more as I gain experience and recognition in the field.
(I just looked it up, to make sure there wasn’t any secondary meaning that I could be embarrassed about later. There isn’t, but I was reminded that it doesn’t mean ‘for free,’ but rather ‘for good,’ which makes more sense in the full pro bono publico, ‘for the public good’).
I enjoy pro bono work, or at the very least I enjoy the idea of it. And my idea of it generally goes like this:
• I respect the person/organization that needs my help.
• I respect their mission and what they do.
• I’m happy that they’ve thought of me with mutual respect.
• What the job lacks in monetary compensation can be made up for in press, good work, and good karma.
• The press, in addition to cosmic karma points, leads to new, paying work.
I’ve had this happen once or twice. I’ve helped another designer work on something similar once or twice. But as I try to grow more independent and manage more clients directly, I’m increasingly aware of the pitfalls of poor time management. Work performed needs to be compensated for. A good portion of it does, anyway. Over drinks, thinking about great ideas, it’s easy to fit new ones into the schedule without thinking about what gets bumped out of the schedule. The next morning, with a blank sheet of paper in front of me, waiting for the great (pro bono) ideas to flourish, a to-do list looms, waiting for me… swelling with every hour of inaction.
Is it my inherently giving nature? Probably not. Is it a desire for new projects, at any (or no) cost? That’s probably closer to the truth. But whether it’s naiveté or hopeless designer-brand optimism, I think that I envision every pro bono job following that list of bullets up there. I imagine that course of events and I get excited.
The truth is that those jobs have to be managed so carefully, from the very inception. Perhaps even more carefully than paying jobs. Because if someone is writing a check at the end of this, then sure, I’ll let my font choice be swayed a little. I’ll make that logo bigger. I’ll let this project go 12 hours over budget. Hell, I’m getting paid, right?
But if the job isn’t paying, then pride in my work is really the first goal. After solving the design problem, of course, but pride is what it comes down to. Can I send this work out to gain more clients? Was the work satisfying for me? Was I chosen as the designer because my design skills were respected, or because I knew how to use InDesign and you thought I’d change the typeface to Papyrus if you wanted me to? Chalking them up to learning experience, I have had a few of these bad pro bono experiences as well. Pro mal, right?
I write this as I have a couple of pro bono jobs in my hopper. So far, I know that I was chosen for those jobs because my design was respected. One is for an organization I have great respect for, working as advocates in the commercial lobster industry. Another is a poster for a Haiti benefit. Meanwhile, there are two other jobs on the table that I have to regretfully decline. Not because I don’t respect the clients or the missions, but because of time. There just isn’t any.
Even if some of it isn’t paying, there’s no shortage of interesting work lately. And there’s definitely something to be said for that.
This entry was written by , posted on January 19, 2010 at 2:05 pm, filed under business of design and tagged design, new work, paying the bills, pro bono. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.