Logo Design Contest | Break all The Conventional Approaches of Logo Designing

Precisely 39 hours earlier, at our annual virtual meeting, one of the most anticipated questions was brought up: the importance of a logo design. Of course, many insights – some known and some unknown – were shared. It is the foremost footprint of a brand; and debatable but it is the identity of a brand; the amount of investment to be made for graphic design assets such as the logo design should be flexible concerning the portfolios of designers, and so on. We realized that as a platform to bridge the gap between designers and clients, we are even more concerned about the preferences and priorities of both parties concerning the graphic design requirements and services than we planned. 

Therefore, let us acknowledge the ultimate solution for logo design-centric requirements: logo design contests. 

Introduction to Logo Design Contest

While the path of hiring a logo designer and working 1-on-1 with the same has been walked on by most of the companies and clients, a logo contest is another path of diverged roads. One cannot decide which route works best for them without exploring the options laid out ahead. 

As a highly active member of the graphic design industry, I have come across quite many logo designers. While I learned a lot along the way, there is one lesson I stand by: you cannot jump simply on the first option of the logo design provided to you. It is convenient to have a logo design agency up the sleeve that could provide you instant results, and a sense of trust is definitely a bonus. However, by running a logo design contest, you get different designers from around the world working on your design requirements. You do the math. 

As a result, not only do you get multiple logo designs to choose from, but you also get to explore how different logo designers work entirely differently on a single project. This can help you align your upcoming graphic design requirements with the preferred designer, and explore other designers simultaneously. 

Logo Design Contest v/s Design Agency

Let’s address the elephant in the room. I presume some of you might be thinking: Yes, this is okay, but at least I know what a design agency brings to the table, which is not the case with a logo creation contest. It might not be exactly this, but it is certainly understandable to have your doubts. Therefore, before embarking on this new approach of logo designing, or even exploring logo contest websites, let’s know how exactly it is different from the conventional approaches such as a design agency.

All Ages and Stripes (Diverse Designs)

This goes quite literally and metaphorically when it comes to receiving designs from logo designers all over the world with various expertise, backgrounds, and creative approaches. Yes, this is certainly an advantage that is highlighted quite a few times by clients who have given logo-making contests a shot. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the fact that having several options to choose from brings more clarity to us as a client. Let’s face it: half of the time we like to be surprised. 

Related: 5 Tips to Choosing The Right Logo

In case you are in the other half, with numerous designers working on your project, chances of logo designers meeting your exact needs, provided via a creative brief, are higher than getting the same from a design agency. 

Beyond The Clock (On-time Submissions)

Creating any type of art takes time, and I am all for it. Be that as it may, while managing a company, we need things to fall in place according to a set timeline. Here’s the catch with a design agency: it itself is a company. Therefore, these agencies are bound to have different priorities which could take longer for them to provide quality logo designs on time. Nonetheless, running a logo contest allows you to receive some results in less than a few hours. With different designers having a different pace concerning the designing process, you can expect quality and efficient logo designs coming from worldwide. 

Pocket Half Full (Affordable Prices)

Without beating around the bush, here is the logo contest pricing system followed by many logo contest websites: 

1. You pay only for designs you finalize. Although, the number of designs you can select varies with each design crowdsourcing platform. 
2. If none of the logo designs seem to be working for your project, most companies such as DesignBro have a money-back guarantee. 

Moreover, with the cost charged to enter a logo design contest, most design agencies will not even let clients through the main door. Thus, making a logo design contest one of the most affordable ways to meet your graphic design requirements. 

Standing Taller (Competition Drives Creativity)

Given the pricing system, on the logo designers’ front, they receive payment only if their designs are selected by the clients. Not only does the competitive approach maintain standards to match, but also acts as a positive motivator for logo designers to offer top-quality logo designs to their clients along with a quick turnaround. Moreover, as DesignBro carefully handpicks the top 5% of logo designers from all over the world, the quality aspect of logo designs offered by these designers is more assured than the rest of the platforms. 

Creating a Logo Design Contest with DesignBro

As running a logo design contest – instead of hiring a design agency – is a new approach, it is inevitable that it could get a bit confusing and lead to inordinate mistakes in terms of creating the contest details, communicating creative briefs, selecting designs, and so on. Therefore, the DesignBro logo design contest is created keeping the above-mentioned factors in check. 

Blind Design Contest

One of the biggest matters of concern with the logo contest approach – in fact, it is a blessing in disguise – is numerous logo designers working on a single project requirement. However, at times, it comes with a catch: duplication of work. As a designer submit their designs, there is a chance that it inspires similar creativity amongst other designers as well. 

For designers: How to Play and Win A Logo Design Contest

Be that as it may, DesignBro logo contest rules include running a blind design contest instead of a regular one. Here, similar to a logo design contest, designers start working on their designs based on the provided creative brief (more on this later), and submit the same to clients. However, an additional element of the blind logo contest at DesignBro is that it restricts designers from checking the work of other designers, keeping the privacy of designers in check. It goes without saying, through a blind logo design contest, we ensure that only authentic designs are offered to you, and you select the top 3 designs based on the same. From there on, you can communicate with designers, suggest changes to their designs, and select a winning design with all the files and copyright concerning the same. 

Quality Check

The concept of a logo creation contest is all about diversity in designs by designers worldwide, flexibility for clients in terms of selecting designs and payment, and the quality of the logo designs provided to the clients. Nevertheless, when unfiltered, a logo design contest can be overwhelming for you as a client, as it gets difficult to rule out the designs which do not meet the quality standards. 

Therefore, to smoothen the process of creating a logo contest, DesignBro makes sure that the designs you receive are of the highest quality. We do this by vetting the designers’ work before allowing them to participate in a contest. Furthermore, all the designers selected are the top 5% of designers from around the globe. 

The Cost

Alright, getting a logo through a logo design contest seems like the most effective way to go with it. Nonetheless, the fact that multiple designers will be working on your logo design certainly raises the question of the cost of running a logo design contest. Be that as it may, with quality design being our ultimate goal, we ensure that is provided at an affordable price to all the clients. 

Therefore, our prices match some of the freelance designers but the quality of the designs offered to you are ensured to be raising the quality standards overall. Furthermore, unlike a design agency, we believe in automation of processes to rule out inefficiencies; therefore, the cost of the overall design. 

With a combination of agency quality designs, freelancer prices, and the top 5% of designers from worldwide, a logo contest is an unbeatable option to get the best logos designed for your brands. 

A Bit from Your End: Creative Brief

Nobody can understand your brand as well as you do. Therefore, while we can keep the quality and price in check, a clear set of instructions and suggestions in the form of a creative brief by the client, regarding the logo design requirements, can go a long way to help the designers create a logo that fits your brand like a glove. 

Bottom line: in order for designers to meet clients’ expectations in terms of design, an effective creative brief is a necessity. As you start launching your logo contest at DesignBro, you will come across inspirational logos and a questionnaire concerning your brand details. 

Read more: 12 Remarkable Startup Logos to Inspire New Logo Designs

This is an attempt from our end to help designers understand clients’ logo design requirements well enough and to help clients create a clear creative brief. Furthermore, here are a few things that you as a client can keep in check while creating a creative brief:

1. Describe the personality of the brand to help designers lay it out using logo design elements. You can do this by sharing the values for which your brand is known. 

2. Clarity regarding the target audience. This aspect will help designers target similar demographics such as your target audience. You may want to provide details in terms of geopolitical, age, and preferences of the target audience. 

1. Lay out the goals and restrictions associated with the same. In terms of designing a logo, each brand has a certain objective as well as restrictions to keep in check. It is essential to share these with the designers to avoid unnecessary revisions.

Bonus: Your Questions Answered 

We understand that taking a new route to do something as important as getting a logo designed for your company can make you resilient a little. It is even heightened when stakes are as high as your brand’s identity as well as time and money invested into the same. Therefore, to help you reach utmost clarity, here are some of the frequently asked questions – and their answers, of course, regarding a logo design contest. 

Christiaan

Besides having grown up in the design Industry, Christiaan has advised some of the world’s largest companies on their branding & packaging designs. Has been the resident judge for design awards, and has spoken at numerous global design & marketing events. Christiaan founded the London office of the award-winning Cartils agency, and has founded the DesignBro.com platform.