Participating in a logo design contest is the new trend among designers of all levels. While freelancing gives them all the flexibility to work from anywhere they like, a logo contest broadens their horizons.
In freelancing, designers don’t have to compete with other designers on a regular basis, but participating in a contest exposes them to face the rivalry with others. This is the perfect way to polish the skills.
So, if you’re a designer a skilled one or just the newbie in the market, this blog will discuss all the ins and outs of participating in a logo design contest. We will discuss all the key considerations to ensure you win the contest, satisfy the client, and walk away with the prize money. Before we get into the process of logo design contest submissions, let’s understand what is logo design contest, first.
What is a logo design contest?
A design contest refers to a contest in which designers complete to submit their logos to win the prize money.
Platforms like Designhill allow business owners to launch a contest and designers to participate. The contest attracts designers from around the world, helping clients to choose from dozens of submissions.
The contest comprises of a brief in which the client describes the exact needs.
Now, let’s get started with how to enter a contest!
How to enter a logo design contest
The first step of participation goes through entering the contest. Let’s check out what you need to consider.
01. Research and find out the running contests
First, scan the web for available design contests posted on different contest sites. There are plenty of such contests accessible to the designers. Almost all business types and industries need logos, and they launch these contests.
Research the Web and creative crowdsourcing platforms like Designhill, Fiverrr, 99designs by Vista, and many others. Find out the running contests and prepare to move ahead. Read the design brief and check out the prize money to participate.
02. Start working on your entry
Once you have found a contest, enroll yourself. If you haven’t enrolled yourself on the platform, register yourself first and then move ahead with participation.
03. Brainstorm logo ideas
After you have enrolled, start the brainstorming session. Create logo design sketches, considering the brief provided by the client. Brainstorming will get you into the idea of how the logo should appear. Choose an idea that closely represents the client’s brief.
04. Get feedback and opinions for improvement
You can share your design with your friends and a design expert to gather their feedback. If you find the suggestions helpful, make the improvements accordingly. It is always wise to have other people’s opinions before making any changes on your own.
05. Submit the design
Once you have gathered the feedback and done the changes, it’s time to submit your entry to the contest. Ensure to read the guidelines before submission. This will prevent your design from being rejected.
06. Promote your logo design
After designing the logo and submitting it to the contest site, it is time to promote your design. That will help in getting votes and support. You can share your design on different social media platforms and get feedback from your friends and family. They can vote for the design, which increases your chances of winning the contest.
Tips for winning a logo design contest
Winning a logo design contest is challenging but not impossible. Since other designers compete for the same prize money, your logo needs to stand out. Here are some helpful tips to outsmart others to win the contest.
Review the contest brief thoroughly
The key to winning a logo design contest is understanding the brief provided by the contest owner, the client. Review the brief thoroughly to find out what the brand is about and what audience segment it targets.
Read thoroughly to understand what the client has instructed to use in terms of logo fonts, colors, and design elements. Read and decipher each and every statement by the client.
Explore the businesses inside out
Once you get yourself familiar with the brief, explore the business. Conduct and in-depth research about the business. Find out what audiences do they target, products offer, and how they are different than others in the same niche.
This will help you visualize the brand with a logo.
Prioritize your strength
What design skills do you excel in? Focus on those skills, as you are an expert in that field. Apply those specific skills to create a unique logo that resonates with the audience. Believing in yourself and creating a unique logo will surely increases your chance of winning the contest.
Believe in simplicity
When designing a logo, ensure it is simple and uses the minimum number of design elements. Such a design must convey a brand message and personality just as you glance at it.
Even Paul Rand has once told that, “Design is so simple, that is why it is so complicated.” Your logo design should be simple but meaningful. It should be scalable to be used across various platforms and devices.
Making it versatile is also important so ensure it looks great in colored and black-and-white versions, too.
Generate mockups to showcase the logo across various use cases
Generating mockups of your logo before submitting is considered a wise step. Use different products to showcase your logo on. This will help the client visualize their logo in real-life scenarios. You should submit the mockups to improve your chances of winning.
Common mistakes to avoid in logo design contests
While participating in a contest, it’s important for designers to avoid common mistakes. Many designers make some mistakes that lower their chances of winning. So, here are the bloopers you should keep away from committing.
Submitting cluttered designs
Many designers submit a cluttered logo, confusing viewers and failing to deliver the right brand message. Instead, the submitted logo design should be clean and straightforward, with only a few elements used in it.
Lack of originality
Another mistake is submitting a trendy design that is not memorable. Such a design fails to excite the client. Also, copying other designers’ work will put you at the risk of elimination from the contest.
Use of too many colors and fonts
Another mistake to avoid is incorporating too many colors and fonts in a logo. That makes the design too complicated for the client to understand. Therefore, use just one or two colors and fonts to build a logo personality and convey the underlying message.
Not making the logo scalable and versatile
A logo appears across all online and offline platforms. It should be a versatile design that can be scaled up or down without losing its impression and uniqueness. Ensure you submit a scalable design so that the client may judge it properly.
Ignoring the brief
Designers also commonly create a logo quickly without paying attention to the client’s brief. The contest brief contains the client’s expectations and brand guidelines, so read the brief carefully. It has all the details a client want from his/her logo.
Not testing the design
Many designers, especially the less experienced ones, submit a design without first testing it on different platforms. They should test the logo on social media, websites, and other print materials for how it appears and then submit it.
Not taking feedback seriously
Clients often provide feedback on designs they like. If they suggest you some changes, take them seriously and improve your design. Submit the improved version again to get it selected as a winning design.
How to showcase your work in logo design contests
When participating in a logo design contest, you should submit your logo and its details to help the client understand it. Merely submitting your logo without describing its features will not impress the contest owner. The owner must know how the logo will represent the brand and help it grow before selecting the best logo design.
While showcasing the logo, explain your logo design process. Unambiguously present your logo so that the client understands it. Explain the inspiration behind it and the reasons why you chose the design. If possible, run a comparison chart why your design is better than others.
When showcasing your logo design work, present the logo in its different variations so the content owner can look at it from all perspectives. For example, present your logo in various color schemes, styles, and sizes. It will highlight the versatility of your logo.
Legal considerations when participating in logo design contests
Before participating, you should review the legalities of a graphic design contest. That will prepare you for any possible legal confrontations with clients. Ensure you have reviewed the terms and conditions of a logo design contest to know about ownership and usage rights regarding winning designs and designers.
Also, the participants, especially the contest winner, should register the logo as their trademark. That will help protect the logo as intellectual property.
But before entering a contest, read its terms and conditions thoroughly. If in doubt, seek professional legal help.
Register your design as a trademark for strong legal protection from any potential infringement. Some client need the designers to agree to an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) clause. If you give your consent to an NDA, don’t use the submitted design anywhere else. This will help avoid legal complications.
Selecting the best logo design
Designers should also remember that the client will pick only the best logo design. The contest owners typically go through a defined process to select the winning design.
First, the client will see if the submitted design adheres to the guidelines mentioned in the brief and if the designers understand the brand, its identity, and message. Only logos that successfully convey brand value and personality will be picked.
When selecting the best logo, the client will see if it fits the brand’s visual style. They will also ensure whether the wordmark, letter mark, pictorial mark, or abstract logo submitted is in line with the brand’s personality and message.
The clients will also consider typography, colors, shape, and negative space used as design elements in the logo. Other considerations, such as simplicity, will also be taken into account when evaluating a logo design. Relevance, memorability, and versatility will also be checked.
Designers should also know that the clients will seek feedback from experts and others to select the right logo design out of many submitted.
Pros and cons of a logo design contest
If you are a logo designer and wish to enter a design contest, then first know its advantages and disadvantages. The pros and cons of logo design contest will help you evaluate your position before you put your efforts, skills, and time into designing the logo to win the contest.
Pros
Work opportunity
Every designer will have a work opportunity. Regularly participating in contests and winning them will open the revenue stream.
Big prize money
If you are an experienced and skilled logo designer, these contests offer you the chance to win prizes frequently. You can win hundreds of dollars by creating winning logos for different clients across different industries.
Build portfolio
Participating in more contests will also result in impressive work experience and winning logo designs in your portfolio. With such a portfolio, designers can find high-paying work from individual clients.
Cons
Exploitation of designers
The only major disadvantage of logo design contests for designers is that some contest owners and platforms may not pay the fees. Such platforms do not guarantee a payout to the designers.
Lower winning amount
Many such contests do not offer attractive prize money for the winners. So, even if a designer has created a unique, memorable logo, the prize money does not compensate sufficiently for the designer’s efforts and skills.
Logo design contests vs freelancing
As a designer, you have two main paths to explore – contests and freelancing. Logo design contests vs freelancing are two separate terms. These two terms are different from each other as well. Here’s how.
Logo design contests
Logo design contests involve several designers competing to win the contest and the prize money. So, a designer has to compete hard with dozens of other designers.
The timeframe of a contest binds a designer. A design contest is generally very short, meaning a designer has limited time to submit the design.
Freelancing
On the other hand, a designer working as a freelancer is the one who has set their terms and conditions. A freelancer is not bound by any terms and conditions set by a client. About 90% of designers work as a freelancer.
Freelance designers can work closely with the client on a one-to-one basis. This helps create a logo with a compelling brand message and personality.
Freelancers typically get much higher fees when working on a project on their terms and conditions. The contest has a fixed set of prize money. However, a freelancer can set high fees as per their skill set and experience.
As a freelancer, you have more control over designing a logo. Since you are an expert, you have the final say in determining how the logo should look. So, you have more creative freedom.
A freelancer can also build a long-term relationship with clients to work on future projects, an excellent benefit of working solo.
So, focus on these major tips when participating in a design contest. With your design skill sets in place and experience, you can win as many contests as you like.
Wrapping Up
Logo design contests are fruitful in many ways for graphic designers, especially those who like to create unique logos. The set guidelines, briefs, and customers feedback help you hone your skills and become a contest winner.