You will find loads of free choices for graphics on the internet. I really like using from Hipster Emblem Generator to Canva to Stencil to Pixlr. But with regards to blog or website emblem design – or really anything associated with graphics which makes your site stick out – you’ll need expertise.
And professional graphics expertise isn’t cheap. So how will you help make your blog or website really stick out – provide that extra ‘pop’ it needs without turning getting a professional artist directly?
One choice is crowd-sourced design. It’s a method to help to make good graphics available to all budgets, while giving freelance graphic artists an exciting marketplace.
I’ve personally used 99designs for a few this site projects. I’ve had clients use their design contests feature too. According to individuals encounters, here’s my 99designs review with how it operates, together with benefits and drawbacks…
*Editor’s Note – this publish was initially printed in April 2013. It’s been upgraded and re-printed for September 2016.
Disclosure – I receive referral charges from the companies pointed out. All data and opinion is dependant on my experience like a having to pay customer.
How 99designs Works
99designs is mainly based on design contests.
Design contests are in which you submit an request a design, and dozens to a large number of designers submit suggestions for your request, and you choose. The larger your financial allowance – the greater your request is searched for after (and also the more choices you receive).
Design contests are 99designs‘ bread and butter. You are able to operate a contest for everything from your blog emblem design to some book cover design to some custom WordPress theme design. You place your budget you receive ideas within the next couple days, and you choose. Not so difficult, and delay pills work very well.
A number of my clients happen to be happy using the design direction they were given from 99designs.
After I initially printed this review, I centered on 99designs’ other (and fewer publicized) offering – Ready-made Logo store. In my experience it had been a jewel of the idea for website proprietors and graphic artists.
It had been literally an outlet of pre-made logos for each industry imaginable. Each emblem might be customized by color and text to suit your company/blog/website. And the majority of them offered for $99 – that was an excellent deal thinking about the moment credibility you receive from getting a pixel perfect emblem in your website.
Regrettably, they closed the ready-made 99designs emblem store at the begining of 2016.
But together with closing the ready-made store, 99designs restructured their design contest prices and reorganized them to pay attention to specific elements of design (including bundled options).
99designs is design contests. You select a category, a financial budget along with a design brief. Waiting for designs in the future in. When they are available in, you receive a special connect to view them. If you want one, you select it and also the designer will get compensated.
 
 
To ensure that’s how 99designs works. It’s good – but in no way perfect. Let’s dive into things i say is some pros and 4 cons of utilizing 99designs (specifically for blog or website emblem design).
Pros of 99designs
99designs isn’t for everybody, however it does perform a many things right. Here’s why I loved about the subject in the projects that me and my clients have run together.
Affordability
Graphics usually represents the lion-share of any website design budget. Even though many software programs (for example WordPress) could make creating a website cheaper, and premium WordPress styles (for example from ThemeForest or WooThemes) makes getting a website design affordable – graphic design still isn’t something to can definitely educate a pc to complete.
It’s a skill to change an abstract brand into something visual. You can spend considerable time & cash on that transformation. However for most startups and small companies – an expert look only goes to date, also it doesn’t seem sensible to place money right into a custom brand look.
Rather, you’ll need a service that puts that professional look within achieve without an excessive amount of expense or hassle.
So while 99designs could easily get belittled by a few – the affordability certainly puts professionally designed logos within achieve of much more companies. Affordability is the main pro to presenting 99designs for blog or website emblem design.
Choice in Context
You will find thousands (otherwise millions) of designers to select from on the web. But unless you’re offered on the specific designer because of portfolio, relationship or desire to have a design process – you likely desire a choice of designs not designers.
99designs’ contest format provides a great deal of designs to select from. Plus – it solves the paradox of choice since all individuals choices in context of the design brief.
When you are getting your personal preview link, you’ve got a straightforward screen of choices.
99design selection of choices in context is really a solid pro.
Turnaround Time
Additionally to choice, 99designs’s format enables for fast turnaround time no hassle. Whenever you submit your brief, you’ll likely receive submissions within 24 to 48 hrs. You receive a special connect to notice – or solicit feedback from colleagues or buddies.
When you pick one, you’re already within the revision phase.
Hardly any wait for customized product having a straightforward process.
Guarantees
The good thing about getting 99designs run industry is the fact that they could guarantee each side an even experience. They contain the cash is escrow til you have recognized the ultimate product. There’s no sketchy designer running served by your hard earned money or fighting over the number of revisions are permitted (or perhaps a designer getting to handle a demanding client for instance).
Furthermore, you’re guaranteed to possess a design that you simply love. When you get back some bad designs, you don’t pay. That can take lots of risk from the equation.
Cons of 99designs
Every company has room for improvement, and 99designs isn’t any exception. Here’s things i would like to change for a much better experience.
Writing Briefs
 
Designers require a beginning place. Regardless if you are dealing with a company or with 99designs, which means developing a “design brief.” A design brief essentially provides in your words exactly what the design will communicate. You’ll mention colors, examples you want, meaning, and also the general “look” that you would like to speak.
99designs provides guidelines along with a template for any good brief – but writing a great brief continues to be your decision. Along with a bad brief will more often than not produce bad designs.
On 99designs, it may be especially frustrating as you are likely dealing with designers that do aren’t native loudspeakers of the local language. You need to write a really literal brief to speak abstract ideas.
You are able to usually solve the problem with increased examples (explain that which you like a good example) with more details. But writing a short could be daunting nevertheless. It’s one good reason which i loved browsing their old ready-made emblem store – sometimes I’d look for a design that labored, however that might have never had the ability to communicate.
Writing briefs really are a somewhat unfortunate requirement in design, however it’s something which will make 99designs a poor fit for somebody searching to browse concepts or explain complex meaning.
Relationships
Area of the expense and expertise of getting a single artist is you reach set up a client/agency relationship where they pay attention to greater than a brief or a summary of preferences, and really attempt to tell the storyline of the brand with higher design.
That relationship, and backwards and forwards can be difficult to recreate when managing a design contest.
Now, clearly this comparison is extremely evaluating apples and oranges, but It’s a disadvantage that needs to be taken seriously. Are you currently attempting to go affordable since you must, because you need to, or since you really think you’ll obtain a good design?
There’s no right answer here, but be aware of precisely what 99designs is providing. For several people, it’s the key they need. It brings design within budget. For other people, less. It’s a purposeful disadvantage with 99designs, however a disadvantage nevertheless.
On Spec & Not Local
To begin – this isn’t a disadvantage in my experience, but it’s for several people, and so i’ll include it. 99designs is operated from Australia. It’s designers from around the globe. I acquired certainly one of my designs from the designer in Bulgaria, and the other from China. I believe that’s really awesome.
Furthermore, an natural trouble with a tournament would be that the “losing” designers have produced something “on spec” – and also have basically labored without pay. This, again, isn’t an problem with me because it’s a totally free platform – and also the designers have experienced to sort out processes and business models to really make it work. As somebody who has freelanced and created lots of spec work, it’s just area of the setup.
But others aren’t so awesome by using it – they’d rather begin to see the money flow to their local economy. They’d rather see designers get compensated for work they’ve done. Now, I’d reason that you having the ability to launch an expert searching business within budget helps the local economy much more, however i totally comprehend the sentiment. And That I’d reason that taking part in an contest isn’t an exploitive type of spec work which you may see elsewhere throughout the economy. If this sounds like a disadvantage for you personally – awesome, whether it’s not, then awesome let’s proceed to a genuine disadvantage of utilizing 99designs.
Conclusion
If you’re searching to create your blog or website really pop – you’ll need a little graphics, specifically for you blog or website emblem design. Getting a custom web design will probably be costly. 99designs puts quality graphics within achieve. Despite a few drawbacks, I’m an admirer – and recommend them.
You need to checkout their their Contests page here…
If you’re searching for alternatives, crowdSPRING is a direct competitor.
If you’re searching for any designer, I’d use Dribbble (a portfolio site for designers) to sort for local ones for your taste.
Best of luck!
The publish My 99designs Review: Using 99designs For Blog Emblem Design made an appearance first on ShivarWeb.
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