Comments on: Logo Design Contests – Good or Bad

By: Christopher Robinson

Christopher Robinson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:23:36 +0000

Ran across this in a search, the designer in me cringes a bit over these contests and what it could do (has done) to the freelance side of the industry, the marketing director in me wants to try something similar on our PGprint website. Two sides torn right down the middle!

By: tattoo kits

tattoo kits — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:22:22 +0000

cool stuff man!

By: George - eLogoContest.com

George - eLogoContest.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:32:53 +0000

My company actually launched a Logo Design Contest site (eLogoContest) in the early spring of this year, it’s been very well received thus far and to date we’ve had over 1000 designers and 250 clients sign on.

My personal take on design contests is as follows: design contests can be very effective for a company that is floundering around looking for the direction they want their brand to go design wise, but the end of the contest is not always the end of the brand creation process (although it sometimes is) and sometimes the company needs to spend some time and money working with the winning designer to fine tune the design (or with some other designer, as the case may be.).

And as far as the designers are concerned: contests can be a very good source of income (we have designers earning $1000+/month, but it is not GUARANTEED income so should only be used as a supplemental source of work, a successful approach to freelancing can include design contests as one aspect of it, in my opinion.

So that’s my 2 cents, for what it’s worth!

George – eLogoContest.com’s last blog post..Prize payments for 9/14 – 10/01 have been sent out

By: Keane

Keane — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:29:54 +0000

I'm also torn in this subject. I'm actually a member of 99designs. Basically, this is a learning experience for designers and newbies in the industry. It won't only help them (or should I say us?) practice and improve their skills but also buff-up their portfolio. I joined a couple design contests, and the good thing about it is that you get yourself motivated to win. Anyway, you got a great logo! Keane's last blog post..So You Wanna Be A Web Design Superstar?

By: fresh

fresh — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:36:13 +0000

nice logo

By: Catherine Morley

Catherine Morley — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:16:21 +0000

“You can imagine the responses I wanted to write back! ”

Oh, I imagine I could come up with a few choice words myself

Btw – when reading over my comment, my reference to ‘you’ and ‘your’ wasn’t ‘you’. If you know what I mean. It was only after rereading it that I realised the snafu.

Catherine Morley’s last blog post..Notice: Designers who Blog on Alltop.com

By: Brian Yerkes

Brian Yerkes — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:05:02 +0000

Hi Catherine!

Thank you for your comment. I agree with the points you made.

It was an interesting experience to take part and win that small contest.

How about this?! A week after I won the contest the client emailed me and said that they needed stationary designed…and that they “could pay $15″!!

You can imagine the responses I wanted to write back!

By: Catherine Morley

Catherine Morley — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:57:48 +0000

Hi Brian,

What do I think about contests of this sort? Like others above, I believe they are no more than a cheap bid for spec work. Only, instead of asking one designer for spec (which is bad enough), they broaden their reach.

You know, there are thousands of deserving non-profits out there looking for help. So really, the excuse of needing to get your name out there via contests is weak.

By donating all or part of your skills to a non-profit, you have a good chance of meeting the very people you need to know. Business owners.

How? Because business owners also donate their skills to non-profits by sitting on boards, etc. So you’ll have the perfect opportunity to show them what you can do, as well as how you do it.

Contests take away the communication between client and designer. And that’s a big part of what we do, communicate.

Without communication designers are just throwing something against the wall in the hopes it’ll stick.

So you put a contest driven logo in your portfolio and a client contacts you for a meeting. In the meeting, what do you say? Do you describe how you met the needs of the contest driven client by problem solving? Cannot, lah … not with contest driven designs.

Pro bono (done right) is a win win situation for all.

If you want to know more about donating your time pro bono, check out Tom’s series on businessofdesignonline.com

Note: I am a part of both no-spec.com and businessofdesignonline.com. And you just happened to ask the right questions

Catherine Morley’s last blog post..Notice: Designers who Blog on Alltop.com

By: Brian Yerkes

Brian Yerkes — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:21:16 +0000

Hi Jacob,

Thanks for the comments, and I have been visiting your blog regularly and am impressed with what you have achieved in just a few months!

The design comps you talk about sound like a much better idea than the standard “company needs a brand” online contest.

I agree with you also about the $100, it really isn’t worth it to work on a logo for a contest and then not win.

I’ll check out the no spec site also, thanks

By: Jacob Cass

Jacob Cass — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:52:12 +0000

Hi Brian, I have just come across your blog from the comments on JCD, it is great, really! Some very valid articles you have here…
When you say ‘I think a young, new designer without much experience would benefit from these contests.’ I think that is correct however can be quite frustrating when you keep losing.
As a young designer myself I have only ever contributed to design contests that I feel will benefit others in a good way….

These were local design competitions that were focused on raising awareness of drug problems and drink driving and as I put a lot of effort into these areas I won these competitons.

I have also entered youth tattoo design comps and won both times I have entered. The prizes were more around the $2000 and $500 mark however which was much more an incentive to enter.

I don’t believe I would work for an un guaranteed $100. Have you heard of NO-SPEC? http://no-spec.com/ – check it out.

Anyway keep up the good posts, I have subscribed.

Jacob Cass’s last blog post..Entry Deadline: 4th March for the $5000 Graphic Design Group Writing Project