What are Logo Design Competitions?

Every competitive small and big business needs a professional and premium logo for their website, blog, social media, etc. However, traditional graphics design studios can be quite expensive for the job, and a lot of times these aren’t locally available either. This is why online platforms can be a better alternative where you can host logo design contests for a price.

What are Logo Design Competitions?

Logo design competitions are exactly what you think- competitions for logo designs in which graphics designers with different levels of skills participate. However, if you take the context into account, then you can see that there is a system behind it all that involves many moving parts. These competitions are hosted on proper platforms like 99designs.com and CrowdSpring, and here is how you can use them:

Creating Brief, Selecting Package

You start off by creating a brief for the understanding of the designers, as in your expectations regarding the logo’s style, colors, icons, and format.  Once that’s ready, you can launch the logo contest. However, most platforms offer a variety of options for that.

For instance, many offer different packages which offer different benefits- a cheaper package may get you only 50 designs while the premium version may get a 100. Similarly, there might be an option to host a “one on one” contest in which the designs can be seen by only you and individual designers. The idea behind this is that the designers participating in the contest won’t be able to see the designs of others. Thus, the logos will be original and unique.

Selecting Top Designs, Providing Feedback

You usually start to get fresh designs within 1-2 days and you can select the ones you like the most. You can also provide feedback to the designers so that they can make appropriate changes in the designs. Everyone wants to win, after all, and they will do everything possible to win your heart with high-quality work that meets your requirements.

Declaring Winner, Downloading Design

When the contest is over, you can pick the winning design and the designer gets the cash prize. You can simply download the design files in any format and size you want. Otherwise, the platform itself will deliver the files to your email address.

Pros & Cons of Logo Design Competitions

There are various advantages of logo design competitions which is why there are many platforms that are still doing incredibly well. However, they do have their flaws, which affect both the clients and the designers.

Pros

• The logo design competitions allow you to receive dozens of unique designs to choose from. With a huge variety at your disposal, it becomes easier to find the perfect design
• You don’t have to pay a penny if you don’t like a single design if the platform is offering a 100% money-back guarantee that is.
• You can pick a plan that fits your budget
• You can communicate with your favorite designers one-on-one and share feedback so that they can tweak their designs to meet your requirements

Cons

• One of the biggest drawbacks of logo design competitions is the pricing. For instance, the lowest price for hosting a design competition on 99designs is $299, on LogoArena is $249, and on LogoTournament is $275. None of these rates are actually affordable for a small business. Although you may get the option to set your own price for the competitions, you can’t keep it too low as it may fail to get the designers interested.
• Many platforms grant access to expert designers only in the expensive plans. These are professionals who know how to create a company logo design with creativity and attention to detail. However, you won’t get to see their works unless you are willing to shell out more money.
• If there is no money-back guarantee, then you can end up receiving a variety of designs but not liking a single one of them. You will have no other option to settle with one of the “better looking” designs. There is no way it’s not disappointing.

Tips for Logo Design Competitions

If you want high-quality and professional logos for a reasonable price, then it’s highly recommended that you take a DIY approach and use a reputed Logo Maker. It’s a software or online service that allows you to create attractive and unique logo designs yourself. It’s easy to use, offers great results, and doesn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes which is simply incredible. However, if you still feel that you will benefit more from a logo design competition, then the following are some tips for you:

• Make sure that your design brief has all the necessary details including the logo type (icon-based, lettermark, brandmark, etc.). You don’t want to leave out anything unless you want to see designs that are far cry from what you have in mind.
• Remember, the bigger is the winning prize, the more designs you are likely to get. A high cash amount will also incentivize the designers to work harder.
• Be clear and straightforward when giving feedback on the logos. Clear communication will ensure that the participants modify the designs exactly the way you want without too many revisions.
• Don’t try to impose your own thoughts and ideas all the time. Professional designers know a lot about good designs and bad designs. So, make sure that you consider their opinions as well.

Your company logo plays a big role in branding and marketing. If it’s not up to the mark or fails to reflect your company’s mission statement, values, and tone, then it can be difficult to survive in the industry which is becoming more and more crowded as new startups are being launched every day. Thus, make sure you compare your options wisely and go with the best solution that doesn’t hurt your pocket. Good luck!