The always excellent zeldman.com has a great summary of why working on spec is bad for everyone. In the post dot bomb era, I get so many RFPs that require sample layouts or rough creative explorations. It's always a losing proposition. I fill those requirements of the RFP with a concise explanation of how I reach a functional design that meets the design/marketing goals: After the discovery phase is over, and key business objectives have been defined- can a targeted and strategic design be generated. Design doesn't begin until the strategy and a goal is in place.