The Dark Side of Free Design
It’s an honor to be a co-author of such a revolutionary book called The Dark Side of the Free Design. We, designers from 20 countries, orchestrated in one voice, in one book called “The Dark Side of Free Design”. Ed Mun the founder of the Forum of Innovative Design Association (FIND) started the movement about 5 years ago and I had the opportunity to be a part and representative of Canada Chapter. Here is small part of what I wrote on the book. Enjoy reading.
”After several years of active practice in interior design in Vancouver, and having sourced numerous items such as furniture, fixtures, and cabinetry for our office projects, I regularly come across the phrase "Free Consultancy Design" on websites and other advertising platforms, which frankly appalls me. It's an upsetting sight, believe me! Every time I encounter this phrase, I snap a photo and share it with our #NOFREE DESIGN# WhatsApp group chat and Ed Mun. Honestly, I never anticipated seeing this in countries like Canada and America. It's shocking to witness top organizations, with billion-dollar revenues companies, promoting this misleading notion and sowing seeds of misinformation in society's mind that design services could be provided for free. This makes our role as advocates much harder, as the harm caused by these key players is deteriorating. I can compare it to the latest global pandemic, where such sick ideas can quickly spread and affect people's perceptions in a second! It is beyond control but we will should put an end to it!
And even if we want to analyze this from a business perspective, we all understand that no business can sustain itself without covering both direct and indirect costs, so why portray it as a charity or thrift store? With a basic understanding of business operations, it's clear that there are no costs left uncovered to ensure the sustainability of a business, so why advertise falsely?
We hope that the foundation of F.I.N.D. and the #Nofreedesign movement will foster commitment between the public and creative industry players, bolstering the community's knowledge. We're especially excited to see this foundation expanding globally, spearheaded by designers, to increase awareness of the value of a designer's role and to discourage offering services for free. It's the responsibility of every industry player, including designers themselves, to stand up for their rights and refuse to entertain clients who seek to take advantage of them. By being part of such organizations and professional bodies at the international or national level, designers can stay connected and have a stronger voice in the public sphere. And, I firmly believe that the FIND Movement represents the voice of all designers in reclaiming our professional reputation from the long-term damage caused by this misconception. I stand strongly and proudly with FIND. Please join Ed Mun, his global representatives at F.I.N.D. movement in saying "No to Free Design," folks!”
