Archive for the ‘Design Contests’ Category
7 Deadly Sins of an Online Design Contest
Thursday 8 July 2010< | Keith J. Hamilton
Online logo design contests are all the rage these days, both among participants who live to prove their talents and among businesses who strive to seek a much needed identity. A lot has been said about these contests as of late. While businesses around the world have showed their support and have graciously rallied behind the concept, some individual critics remain who question its very integrity and purpose and have started an all out war against this “vice” as they have termed it.
Here we will try to put ourselves in these critic’s shoes and analyze their reasons or “deadly sins” if you would, for being so against the online design contests.
1. Low Prize Amount for a Good Design
This is a fair complaint voiced equally by the participants as well as critics. The prize money allocated by some contest holders is often times not congruent with the amount of work they demand from the designers. This trend however, is now changing. Companies are realizing the potential of online logo design contests and are now coming forth with more competitive prize amounts in order to attract more talented designers.
2. Poor Quality of Design
Critics have been beating this drum since the very inception of online design contests arguing that the quality of work will not be up to standard. I’d urge them to take another look at the winning logo designs. There is a reason why online design contests are so popular and the quality of work makes this quite apparent.
3. Lack of Qualified Participants
People participating in logo design contests haven’t been spared either, as skeptics have directly attacked their abilities, citing lack of skill and knowledge about the subject at hand. This argument carries no weight whatsoever. The pool of participants today comprises of experts from around the world who come forth with their knowledge and experience to participate.
4. Undermining the ‘Real Designers’
This is a painful pill to swallow for the critics who are mostly designers by profession themselves. Online design contests have opened doors for numerous designers willing to work for cheaper pay. This does not bode well for the ‘real designers’ who have made careers out of designing logos. What they need to realize is that these contests are not here to complete with them per say. They exist solely as a means to provide businesses with better alternative to seek a company identity on a modest budget.
5. End Up Costing More to Companies
Again a shot at participants by making the businesses doubt design contests. Sometimes companies are simply not satisfied with the final draft which leads to time wasted and money lost. However, this usually happens when contest holders are not very forth coming about the details of the assignment. Clients now have started providing in depth briefs with all the dos and don’ts and that has essentially rectified this issue.
6. You Get What You Paid For
When nothing else works, you will see this tag line being thrown around a lot. Since the prize money is so low, there is always a concern that the end result may not meet expectations. Again, this has been proved wrong by the hard work and dedication of the participants.
7. There are Better Options for Getting a Design
There are other options. Sure. Better ones? Not really. With the enormous amount of talent now available combined with a fast and efficient platform like the internet, online design contests are simply the best option for companies to getting good results fast and at an affordable price.
Honestly, this attitude of critics is more of an exercise of their right to disagree rather than anything else. These are hardly any reasons to start an all out war of words (as they put it), against this supposed vice. I guess sometimes a soldier just doesn’t know when to quit, even though he knows he has lost the war.
Tags: design contest, logo design, logo design contest, online design contest
5 Reasons to Start a Logo Design Contest
Monday 1 February 2010< | Keith J. HamiltonA company logo is essentially the face of an organization and goes a long way in the company-client relationship. It has to be catchy, concise and must reflect the company’s professionalism.
Considering these demands, one of the best ways to come up with your company logo is to launch an online logo design contest. It is a very popular and effective technique used by many companies and has provided astounding results. Here are just a few reasons why your company should consider hosting an online logo design contest.
1. Immediate Access to Numerous Logo Designs
The best part about hosting an online logo design contest is the plethora of design samples that start coming in from all over the world within hours of launching the competition. This gives the companies plenty of options to choose form. Examining these samples also broadens their scope of what they do and do not want in their logo. Since the event is hosted on the internet, companies simply post updated instructions online for the designers to incorporate into their design samples.
2. Good Company Exposure
Hosting an online logo design contest also serves as a great way to expose your small business to the world. This enables the visitors, designers and even prospective clients to visit your website in order to know more about the company.
3. Getting More for Less
Logo design services do not come cheap and while professional design companies offer high quality services, they also charge more. Startup businesses normally have an allocated budget which they cannot exceed. Hosting an online logo design contest gives small businesses an affordable option – finding quality design work and more choice in a modest budget.
4. Great Opportunity for Designers To Showcase their Talent
We have all heard the saying, “It’s good to give.” By hosting an online logo design contest, companies provide logo designers the opportunity to showcase their design skills to you and to the world. It also gives them the opportunity to improve themselves in their craft and get a chance to win cash incentives.
5. Spotting Talented Designers
Online design contests also serve as means to spot talented designers. Good designers tend to become popular among contest holders. Companies then generally invite these designers to their future contests as well. This enables a company to work with designers who are already familiar with their requirements while helping them to increase their work experience and potential.
All in all, a logo design contest is a win-win solution for both parties. The designers get an updated portfolio and small businesses gain a brand identity.
Tags: launch a logo design contest, logo design, logo design contest
Launch a Logo Design Contest – A Call for Small Business Owners
Wednesday 20 January 2010< | Keith J. Hamilton
It’s no secret that an attractive logo can go a long way in facilitating your business or company in today’s competitive market. In the face of such fierce competition, it is absolutely imperative for your logo to stand out from the rest by creating a good first impression on your potential clients and portraying a professional image of your company’s vision.
There are hundreds of thousands of logo designers available today which translates into hundreds of thousands of logo design ideas. However, instead of chasing them and asking for their designs, you can make them come to you and have them willingly submit their portfolio’s by using a very popular and effective strategy – Host an online Logo Design Contest!
Logo Design Contests have been gaining steady popularity over the years. Simply put, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. By hosting a logo design contest, the designers get the golden opportunity to display their talent and win cash incentives while the clients walk away with their logo. Websites, such as MycroBurst.com specialize in hosting such contests in an effort to bring prospective clients and qualified designers closer to each other. As a contest holding client, you get to view design samples within hours of launching the competition. Moreover, you also get full legal ownership of the winning logo once a winner has been announced.
What’s even better is that such contests are not just limited to logo design. You can choose from a variety of other fields relating to your business such as professional business cards or web design contests.
A recent survey conducted by MycroBurst.com on clients who had hosted such competitions through them, revealed that the feature they loved the most about hosting these events was the plethora of designs samples they received within the span of a few days. They were also impressed with the quality of work citing that it made the selection process very challenging.
Today, the Internet is a very powerful platform and it grows stronger every day. Businesses worldwide are cashing in by taking advantage of the technology, tools and services available, such as online design contest hosting, to stake their claim in their relevant industries. So the question to ask is not why should you hold a design contest, its why should you not?
Tags: logo design contest, small business logo design contest










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