“We advocate for fair and compensated competitions”

For several years now, the Association of Graphic Designers and Art Directors (ADG-FAD) has been campaigning to put an end to the exploitative conditions of certain design competitions and tenders for design services, advertised by public authorities and some private companies. Throughout this time, our primary objective has been to raise awareness among both public authorities and industry stakeholders about the importance of fair conditions in the process, timing, and remuneration for design commissions. These conditions are crucial to achieving the excellence they seek and require in their projects.

Consequently, we’ve been engaged in a continuous effort to educate and provide guidance, leading us to organize competitions for public entities such as the Parliament of Catalonia, the Besòs Consortium, L’Auditori, the Catalan Tourist Office, the Catalan Anti-Fraud Office, the Mnactec, the International Congress of Architects of Barcelona 2026, various municipalities, as well as some private companies like the 37th America’s Cup.

However, there is still much work ahead to ensure that the design profession is valued and compensated fairly, especially considering challenges like the Public Procurement Law, which regulates certain aspects of public tenders.

ADG-FAD firmly believes that a well-structured competition offers the highest level of democratic transparency for public authorities. It allows organizers to explore diverse solutions and achieve optimal outcomes that would be hard to attain otherwise.

Nevertheless, to reap the full benefits, simply announcing a competition isn’t enough; it must be executed with precision. Unfortunately, we often encounter open calls for competitions where preliminary projects required for participation go unpaid, and only the winner is rewarded. Sadly, it is the public authorities that continue to perpetuate this practice.

For this reason, we have formulated a decalogue that establishes unified criteria across different disciplines within FAD (including graphic design, industrial design, architecture and interior design, fashion, art, and craftsmanship). It outlines the characteristics that we believe should be considered to ensure fair competitions and tenders that do not exploit professional groups or devalue our disciplines. Among the ten principles outlined in the decalogue – which can be found in full on our website – I would like to highlight a few.

A competition is not an accolade

Our decalogue begins with a fundamental distinction, albeit an obvious one: a competition is not an accolade. An accolade is recognition for work already done, whereas a competition is part of a commissioned task aimed at solving a specific problem.

 When a competition necessitates the technical development of a preliminary project or proposal, it is not only necessary but also just to remunerate all selected participants in proportion to the amount of work they need to undertake, not just the eventual winners.

Another key aspect that our competition process highlights is the significance of a “portfolio call.” A portfolio consists of a selection of an individual’s best specific or related works that creative professionals use as a means of introduction. It is a flexible and accessible tool that allows the issuer to assess which professional is the best fit for the task without requiring them to submit new creative proposals without compensation.

Once the received portfolios have been evaluated, a choice can be made to either directly assign the project to one individual or select several and request creative proposals from them, from which a winner will be chosen. In the latter scenario, when a competition mandates the technical development of a preliminary project or proposal, it is not only necessary but also just to remunerate all selected participants in proportion to the volume of work involved, not just the eventual winners. If it is not feasible – or willingness is lacking – to compensate these participants for their work, the best course of action is to choose a portfolio from those submitted and directly assign the project to them.

Concerning the competition jury, it is essential for some of its members to be professionals in the discipline to which the assignment pertains, allowing for a technical assessment with objective criteria.

These principles form the core of what ADG-FAD advocates for as equitable and suitable practices when announcing competitions or tenders in any of our disciplines. In fact, this should be the standard: just as no one would contemplate asking a lawyer or a doctor to work without remuneration, why should designers be expected to do so?

This article was published on 17/7/23 in IPMARK Magazine.