Need a logo (or graphic) design?

A number of our clients have asked us to commission logo designs. We've found that it's really cost-effective to use crowdsourcing, and so we've set up four contests, resulting in a fresh logo for them, as well as one for ourselves. (Yes, that makes five logos – you'll see why below!)

What's crowdsourcing?

99designs is an online marketplace for graphic design – in fact, it's the premier marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design. In 2010 99designs won the Web Services & Applications Category in the prestigious 2010 People's Voice Award.

If you need something designed – everything from logos and stationery to websites and brochures – then you just post what you need with a clear brief, then name your own price and deadline.

Alternatively you can buy an off-the-peg solution (see "Get a logo for $99" below).

1. Design contests

How they work

Once a commission has been posted to 99designs, thousands of creative designers from over 100 countries around the world submit designs (not just bids or proposals) for the buyer to review until they find the "the one" that best suits their needs.

These are the four contests we've run, together with the number of entries submitted for each:

• Logo needed for environmental community group: 62 entries
• Create a logo for IT company: 99 entries
• Logo for music engraving and publishing company: 139 entries
• Logo for web and typesetting business: 98 entries

That's nearly 400 entries, all of which we've graded and given feedback on, until a clear winner for each contest has emerged.

Things to bear in mind

Running a contest is very simple, and it's easy to set up. However, there are a number of important factors that contribute to the success of your contest:

1. You need a good design brief, with clear expectations
2. You need to give positive, yet critical feedback promptly
3. As you begin to see a winning design emerging, you need to work with the designer to help them get it as you want it.

The winning logos have been put to good use, and can be seen at:

• CSWilsonLtd
• Sustainable Dunblane
• The Art of Music
• Dunblane Chamber Orchestra
• The Typehouse

That's five logos from four competitions. How come?

In fact there were two very worthy runners up for The Art of Music contest, and we gave each of them a consolation prize. In the end, however, The Art of Music preferred one of the runner-up designs, and decided to use that. As an ethical business, The Art of Music considered it only fair to make an extra payment voluntarily to the designer.
We adapted the previous winning design for a local orchestra.

100% money back guarantee

A design you love, or 100% of your money back at 99designs.com – because 1st impressions count!

2. Get a professional logo for just $99 (that's right, for just over £60!)

There's an alternative if you don't have time to run a contest. 99designs have a logo store with over 15,000 logo designs ready to be adapted to suit your needs. Just choose a logo and 99designs will add your business name within 24 hours.

Although we haven't tried this yet, it sounds like a great way of getting a fantastic logo for a very affordable price.